Journal of Health Psychology current issue

Mirrors and Resistance Exercise, Do They Influence Affective Responses?

Chmelo, E. A., Hall, E. E., Miller, P. C., Sanders, K. N. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:37:51 PDT

The purpose of this study was to examine affective responses during and following resistance exercise in a mirrored environment. Thirty-two females completed three sessions. During session one, exercise intensity was determined for the subsequent two sessions. During the next two sessions participants performed eight exercises either with or without mirrors. Affect was measured prior to, during, immediately following and 15 minutes post-exercise. Affect was more pleasant and activated during and following exercise, but did not differ by condition. The inability to find a difference in mirrored condition may be a result of participants using the mirrors for technique as opposed to self-evaluation purposes.

Changing Nutrition, Physical Activity and Body Weight among Student Nurses and Midwives: Effects of a Planning Intervention and Self-efficacy Beliefs

Luszczynska, A., Haynes, C. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:37:51 PDT

The study tested if effects of a planning intervention on fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity and body weight may be moderated by self-efficacy. Student nurses and midwives (N = 182) were randomly assigned to the planning or the control condition. The intervention included action and coping plans and was followed by two booster sessions. Follow-up took place at two months after last booster session. The intervention affected fruit and vegetable intake. Additionally, body mass index of overweight participants was reduced. Baseline self-efficacy moderated the effects of the intervention: only respondents reporting strong efficacy beliefs improved their diet and exercise.

Anxiety Sensitivity and Catastrophizing: Associations with Pain and Somatization in Non-clinical Children

Tsao, J. C.I., Allen, L. B., Evans, S., Lu, Q., Myers, C. D., Zeltzer, L. K. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:37:51 PDT

This study examined the relationships among anxiety sensitivity (AS), catastrophizing, somatization and pain in 240 non-clinical children (121 girls; mean age = 12.7 years). Children with pain problems (n = 81; 33.8%) reported greater AS and catastrophizing (ps < .01) relative to children without pain problems. AS but not catastrophizing was significantly associated with current pain. However, both AS and catastrophizing were significantly associated with somatization. AS and catastrophizing represent related but partially distinct cognitive constructs that may be targeted by interventions aimed at alleviating pain and somatization in children.

The Impact of Gender and Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Activity on Depressive Symptoms Following Surgical Stress

Pinna, K., Cremeans-Smith, J. K., Greene, K., Delahanty, D. L. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:37:51 PDT

The impact of gender and cortisol levels on depression following planned surgery was examined in 95 men and women. Patients were assessed prior to surgery and at one and three months following surgery. Higher cortisol levels conferred greater risk for depression at one and three months following surgery. This effect was stronger for men than women at one month following surgery, but did not differ between genders at three months post-surgery. Results support a mechanistic role of HPA alterations in depression following a surgical stressor that differs in strength between men and women.

The individual health burden of acne: Appearance-related distress in male and female adolescents and adults with back, chest and facial acne

Hassan, J., Grogan, S., Clark-Carter, D., Richards, H., Yates, V. M. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:37:51 PDT

This study examined appearance-related distress in patients with acne. One hundred and thirty-two people attending a specialist acne clinic completed questionnaires including the Derriford Appearance Scale and three self-rated acne scales covering more (facial) and less visible (chest, back) acne sites. Women with acne demonstrated greater self-consciousness of appearance and negative self-concept than men. Subjective rating of severity of facial acne was significantly associated with increased social self-consciousness in women, but not in men. Back acne was significantly associated with sexual and bodily self-consciousness of appearance in both men and women. Patients 20 years and above were significantly more likely to suffer appearance-related distress than 16—19-year-olds. Although not a key focus of this study, ethnicity was also implicated in appearance concern arising from acne.

Protection Motivation Theory and Physical Activity: A Longitudinal Test among a Representative Population Sample of Canadian Adults

Plotnikoff, R. C., Rhodes, R. E., Trinh, L. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:37:51 PDT

The purpose of this study was to examine the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to predict physical activity (PA) behaviour in a large, population-based sample of adults. One thousand six hundred and two randomly selected individuals completed two telephone interviews over two consecutive six-month periods assessing PMT constructs. PMT explained 35 per cent and 20 per cent of the variance in intention and behaviour respectively. Coping cognitions as moderators of threat explained 1 per cent of the variance in intention and behaviour. Age and gender as moderators of threat did not provide additional variance in the models. We conclude that salient PMT predictors (e.g. self-efficacy) may guide the development of effective PA interventions in the general population.

Predictors of Familism in the Caregiver Role: A Pilot Study

Parveen, S., Morrison, V. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:37:51 PDT

This study aimed to investigate whether age, gender and ethnicity were predictive of familism in caregivers; and whether familism was associated with coping. Forty-five British South-Asian and 43 British Caucasian caregivers completed a cross-sectional questionnaire of demographics, the brief Cope and the Heller Familism scale. Asian and younger caregivers endorsed higher levels of familsim than Caucasian and older caregivers. In the final model, demographic variables, humour, religious, active and instrumental coping explained 41 per cent of the variance in caregiver familism. The findings suggest the need to consider familism values when providing caregiver services to minimize the potential negative impact of caregiving.

'Football Is Good for Your Sleep': Favorable Sleep Patterns and Psychological Functioning of Adolescent Male Intense Football Players Compared to Controls

Brand, S., Beck, J., Gerber, M., Hatzinger, M., Holsboer-Trachsler, E. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:37:51 PDT

It is commonly assumed that physical activity exerts a favorable impact on sleep, although scientific evidence is lacking. This study investigated the impact of football sports on the sleep patterns of 36 male chronic and intense football players and 34 controls. Participants completed a sleep log for seven consecutive days. Compared to controls, football players reported shorter sleep onset latency, fewer awakenings, higher scores of sleep quality and a lower variability of sleep from weekdays to weekends. The findings suggest that football sports activity is positively associated with both quantitative and qualitative dimensions of sleep.

Crossed Evaluations of Temptation to Drink, Strain and Adjustment in Couples with Alcohol Problems

Antoine, P., Christophe, V., Nandrino, J.-L. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:37:51 PDT

The aim was to describe discrepancies between patients’ and spouses’ dyadic adjustment scores, spouse strain and patients’ temptation to drink during abstinence. Patients overestimated the dyadic adjustment scores of their partner and spouses underestimated patients’ scores. Spouses overestimated patients’ temptation to drink. Correlations between patients’ and spouses’ scores were generally high (.61 to .78) except for five measures of spouse strain which were lower (.31 to .50). Results show discrepancies concerning marital function and the temptation to drink which could be important when planning treatment and prevention of relapse.

Development and Validation of the Physician--Patient Humor Rating Scale

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:37:51 PDT

The purpose of this study was the development of a rating instrument to assess the use of humor in physician— patient interactions, and to compare humor use as a function of patients’ socioeconomic status. The 46-item Physician—Patient Humor Rating Scale (PPHRS) was used to rate 246 audiotaped primary care interactions. Four subscales were reliable and valid, demonstrating correlations with patient satisfaction and reports of physician humor, with physician satisfaction and with separate affective communication ratings. There was a significant difference in use of humor as a function of patient socioeconomic status, such that there was greater mutual trust between physicians and high versus low income patients.

Using the Constructive Narrative Perspective to Understand Physical Activity Reasoning Schema in Sedentary Adults

Buman, M. P., Giacobbi, P. R., Yasova, L. D., McCrae, C. S. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:37:51 PDT

We used the Constructive Narrative Perspective (CNP), a three-level, progressively complex reasoning schema, to examine how individuals perceive barriers to physical activity. Sedentary adults (N = 23) aged 50 years and older (M = 65.23; SD = 6.03) participated in semi-structured interviews regarding their reasons for physical inactivity. The results provided initial support for using the CNP framework. Level II (self-relevant) and Level III (cognitive-affective schema-related) reasons were most commonly reported. Level I (evidence-based) reasons were less commonly reported. The CNP framework could become a useful tool in tailoring intervention strategies based upon progressively more complex reasoning schema.

Interrelationships of Adult Attachment Orientations, Health Status and Worrying among Fibromyalgia Patients

Oliveira, P., Costa, M. E. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:37:52 PDT

This study examined associations between adult attachment dimensions, perceived health status and worrying (coping strategy with chronic pain), and explored whether worrying mediated observed relationships between attachment dimensions and health outcomes within a sample of 128 Portuguese female fibromyalgia patients. Physical health status was inversely correlated with dependence and worrying; mental health status was positively correlated with trust, and inversely related to attachment-related ambivalence, dependence and worrying. Finally, worrying mediated relationships between dependence and both physical and mental health status; moreover, worrying partially mediated the relationship between ambivalence and mental health status. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Strength of Exercise Identity and Identity-Exercise Consistency: Affective and Social Cognitive Relationships

Strachan, S. M., Brawley, L. R., Spink, K. S., Jung, M. E. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:37:52 PDT

This study examined Identity Theory hypotheses about identity—behaviour consistency. Exercise-identity strength and judgments about consistency were hypothesized to relate to perceptions of percent consistency and frequency of vigorous exercise. Identity strength and percent consistency were hypothesized to interact in their relationship with affective reactions to extent of consistency. Measures of exercise-identity strength, perceived consistency, exercise frequency, self-regulatory efficacy and consistency-related affect were completed by 528 exercisers. Exercise-identity strength and consistency judgments related to percent consistency and exercise frequency. Exercise-identity strength and percent consistency interacted in their relationship with consistency-related affect and also were related to self- regulatory efficacy.

The Influence of Family--Work Role Experience and Mastery on Psychological Health of Chinese Employed Mothers

Tang, C. S.-K. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:37:52 PDT

Four-hundred-and-thirty-five Chinese married nurses with children were surveyed on their family—work role experience, sense of mastery, and psychological distress. Hierarchical regression analyses showed spillover effects of role experience on psychological health as well as asymmetrical permeability of family and work boundaries. The hypothesis that mastery acted as a moderator between role experience and psychological health was supported. In general, a higher level of mastery augmented positive but mitigated negative influence of role experience on psychological functioning. Findings provide useful information to practitioners and policy makers on issues related to family—work stress and women’s health in contemporary Chinese society.

Representations of voluntary childlessness in the UK press, 1990--2008

Giles, D., Shaw, R. L., Morgan, W. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:37:52 PDT

Representations of voluntary childlessness — the declaration by an individual that he or she does not wish to bear or raise children — were studied in 116 articles published in British national newspapers in the period 1990—2008. Media framing analysis was used to examine broad patterns of framing of the topic, identifying four frames: voluntary childlessness as an individual rights issue, as a form of resistance, as a social trend, and as a personal decision. These frames, it is argued, may act as potential ‘scripts’ for newspaper readers who are debating the decision to start a family.

How Do People Change Their Diet?: An Exploration into Mechanisms of Dietary Change

Chapman, K., Ogden, J. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:37:52 PDT

The present study explored how people change their diet over the course of their lifespan and what factors facilitate this process. Twenty participants’ narratives were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The participants’ narratives indicated that diet changes can occur either with or without the individual’s active involvement. We labelled these the active path and the passive path. Four themes emerged denoting the mechanisms of change: accumulation of evidence; trigger to action; imposed change; and seamless change. These results indicate that dietary changes may not be as infrequent and difficult as often assumed and highlight an array of new mechanisms which could be explored further to promote behaviour change.

Illness Acceptance, Hospitalization Stress and Subjective Health in a Sample of Chronic Patients Admitted to Hospital

Karademas, E. C., Tsagaraki, A., Lambrou, N. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:37:52 PDT

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of illness acceptance on the subjective health of hospitalized chronic medical patients. Participants were 128 patients with a previous diagnosis of chronic coronary artery disease, cancer, or chronic renal disease, who were admitted to a public hospital. Illness acceptance was associated with higher levels of subjective health. It was negatively related to psychological symptoms and positively to self-rated health, even after controlling for demographic variables, type of disease, years since diagnosis, health-related quality of life and hospitalization stress. Furthermore, acceptance mediated the effects of hospitalization stress on subjective health measures.

Sleep Apnea and Psychological Functioning in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Libman, E., Creti, L., Baltzan, M., Rizzo, D., Fichten, C. S., Bailes, S. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:37:52 PDT

Objectives were to explore: (1) whether sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) should be considered a chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) comorbidity, rather than a diagnostic exclusion criterion; and (2) to compare sleep/wake/ psychopathology in individuals with CFS, controls and another illness. Participants (CFS, SAHS, controls) completed questionnaires and were evaluated for SAHS; 68 percent were subsequently diagnosed with SAHS. CFS participants with and without SAHS did not differ. Both clinical groups were less well adjusted than controls. We conclude that SAHS should not be an exclusion criterion for CFS and that psychological problems in CFS seem a consequence of coping with illness.

Fathers' Views and Understanding of their Roles in Families with a Child with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Hill, K., Higgins, A., Dempster, M., McCarthy, A. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:37:52 PDT

This study explored how fathers of children diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) perceived and understood the roles they had within their family over the course of their child’s illness and treatment. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with five fathers. Transcripts were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). The major themes that emerged were: adjusting to the diagnosis; the experience of maternal gate-keeping; striving for normalization; experiences of giving and receiving support. Overall, the fathers perceived themselves as having significant responsibility in helping their child and family cope with the illness experience. Clinical implications, including the need for professionals to recognize and more openly acknowledge the father’s position, are considered.