Bmc Public Health
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Randomised controlled trial of a complex intervention by primary care nurses to increase walking in patients aged 60-74 years: protocol of the PACE-Lift (Pedometer Accelerometer Consultation Evaluation - Lift) trial.
Physical activity is essential for older peoples' physical and mental health and for maintaining independence. Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes weekly, of at least moderate intensity physical activity, with activity on most days. Older people's most common physical activity is walking, light intensity if strolling, moderate if brisker. Less than 20% of United Kingdom 65-74 year olds report achieving the guidelines, despite most being able to. Effective behaviour change techniques include strategies such as goal setting, self-monitoring, building self-efficacy and relapse prevention. Primary care physical activity consultations allow individual tailoring of advice. Pedometers measure step-counts and accelerometers measure physical activity intensity. This protocol describes an innovative intervention to increase walking in older people, incorporating pedometer and accelerometer feedback within a primary care nurse physical activity consultation, using behaviour change techniques. ⋯ The PACE-Lift trial will determine the feasibility and efficacy of an intervention for increasing physical activity among older primary care patients. Steps taken to minimise bias and the challenges anticipated will be discussed. Word count 341.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Prevention of low back pain and its consequences among nurses' aides in elderly care: a stepped-wedge multi-faceted cluster-randomized controlled trial.
A high prevalence of low back pain has persisted over the years despite extensive primary prevention initiatives among nurses' aides. Many single-faceted interventions addressing just one aspect of low back pain have been carried out at workplaces, but with low success rate. This may be due to the multi-factorial origin of low back pain. Participatory ergonomics, cognitive behavioral training and physical training have previously shown promising effects on prevention and rehabilitation of low back pain. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to examine whether a multi-faceted workplace intervention consisting of participatory ergonomics, physical training and cognitive behavioral training can prevent low back pain and its consequences among nurses' aides. External resources for the participating workplace and a strong commitment from the management and the organization support the intervention. ⋯ Intervention effectiveness trials for preventing low back pain and its consequences in workplaces with physically demanding work are few, primarily single-faceted, with strict adherence to a traditional randomized controlled trial design that may hamper implementation and compliance, and have mostly been unsuccessful. By using a stepped wedge design, and obtain high management commitment and support we intend to improve implementation and aim to establish the effectiveness of a multi-faceted intervention to prevent low back pain. This study will potentially provide knowledge of prevention of low back pain and its consequences among nurses' aides. Results are expected to be published in 2015-2016.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial of electronic cigarettes versus nicotine patch for smoking cessation.
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes or electronic nicotine delivery systems [ENDS]) are electrically powered devices generally similar in appearance to a cigarette that deliver a propylene glycol and/or glycerol mist to the airway of users when drawing on the mouthpiece. Nicotine and other substances such as flavourings may be included in the fluid vaporised by the device. People report using e-cigarettes to help quit smoking and studies of their effects on tobacco withdrawal and craving suggest good potential as smoking cessation aids. However, to date there have been no adequately powered randomised trials investigating their cessation efficacy or safety. This paper outlines the protocol for this study. ⋯ This trial will inform international debate and policy on the regulation and availability of e-cigarettes. If shown to be efficacious and safe, these devices could help many smokers as an alternative smoking cessation aid to standard nicotine products.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Children, parents and pets exercising together (CPET): exploratory randomised controlled trial.
Levels of physical activity (PA) in UK children are much lower than recommended and novel approaches to its promotion are needed. The Children, Parents and Pets Exercising Together (CPET) study is the first exploratory randomised controlled trial (RCT) to develop and evaluate an intervention aimed at dog-based PA promotion in families. CPET aimed to assess the feasibility, acceptability and potential efficacy of a theory-driven, family-based, dog walking intervention for 9-11 year olds. ⋯ The acceptability of the CPET intervention and outcome measures was high. Using pet dogs as the agent of lifestyle change in PA interventions in children and their parents is both feasible and acceptable, but did not result in a significant increase in child PA in this exploratory trial.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Parent smoker role conflict and planning to quit smoking: a cross-sectional study.
Role conflict can motivate behavior change. No prior studies have explored the association between parent/smoker role conflict and readiness to quit. The objective of the study is to assess the association of a measure of parent/smoker role conflict with other parent and child characteristics and to test the hypothesis that parent/smoker role conflict is associated with a parent's intention to quit smoking in the next 30 days. As part of a cluster randomized controlled trial to address parental smoking (Clinical Effort Against Secondhand Smoke Exposure-CEASE), research assistants completed exit interviews with 1980 parents whose children had been seen in 20 Pediatric Research in Office Settings (PROS) practices and asked a novel identity-conflict question about "how strongly you agree or disagree" with the statement, "My being a smoker gets in the way of my being a parent." Response choices were dichotomized as "Strongly Agree" or "Agree" versus "Disagree" or "Strongly Disagree" for the analysis. Parents were also asked whether they were "seriously planning to quit smoking in 30 days." Chi-square and logistic regression were performed to assess the association between role conflict and other parent/children characteristics. A similar strategy was used to determine whether role conflict was independently associated with intention to quit in the next 30 days. ⋯ This study demonstrated an association between parent/smoker role conflict and readiness to quit. Interventions that increase parent/smoker role conflict might act to increase readiness to quit among parents who smoke.