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Biomedical subjects

Jim McKenna

Publications and source records attributed to Jim McKenna.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Walking towards health in a university community: a feasibility study.

OBJECTIVE: Using a randomised control trial design, this study assessed the impact of two walking interventions, on the work day step counts and health of UK academic and administrative, university employees. METHOD: A convenience sample of 58 women (age 42+/-10 years) and 6 men (age 40+/-11 years) completed baseline and intervention measures for step counts, % body fat, waist circumference and systolic/diastolic blood pressure, during a ten-week period (October to December, 2005). Before intervention, baseline step counts (five working days) were used to randomly allocate participants to a control (maintain normal behaviour, n=22) and two treatment groups ("walking routes", n=21; "walking in tasks", n=21). Intervention effects were evaluated by calculating differences between pre-intervention and intervention data. A one-way ANOVA analysed significant differences between groups. RESULTS: A significant intervention effect (p<0.002) was found for step counts, with mean differences indicating a decrease in steps for the control group (-767 steps/day) and increases in the "walking routes" (+926 steps/day) and "walking in tasks" (+997 steps/day) groups. Small, non-significant changes were found in % body fat, waist circumference and blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Findings have implications for work-based physical activity promotion and the development of walking interventions within the completion of work-based tasks.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Prevalence of leisure-time physical activity in Taiwanese adults: results of four national surveys, 2000-2004.

OBJECTIVES: Literature on the prevalence of physical activity in Asian countries is limited, despite evidence of increasing rates of sedentary-related disease such as obesity and diabetes. It is important to establish nationally representative data in countries such as Taiwan to set up levels and patterns of activity and to inform health policy. METHODS: Unpublished data from four cross-sectional nationally representative surveys comprising 29,226 people aged 20 and older were analyzed. We explored the population prevalence of meeting national recommendations for health, examined temporal change across a 4-year period, and attempted comparisons with neighboring Asian and selected westernized countries. Logistic regression analysis provided adjusted odds ratios of physical activity engagement for several demographic variables. RESULTS: Around 14% of Taiwanese adults met national recommendations. Similar to other Asian countries, but in contrast to declines with age seen in western populations, people aged 45 and older were more likely to be active than younger people. High-risk groups for inactivity were those aged 20-44 with limited formal education and in paid employment. CONCLUSIONS: Overall prevalence in leisure-time physical activity was low. There is scope to increase active leisure for improving health, particularly among younger adults.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Physical activity promotion in general practices of Barcelona: a case study.

This case study aimed to generate explanations for the lack of integration of physical activity (PA) promotion in general practices of Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia. This explanatory study adopted a qualitative approach, based on three techniques; focus groups (n = 3), semi-structured (n = 25) and short individual interviews (n = 5). These approaches explored the wider environment surrounding primary care from a range of distinctive professional and personal perspectives. Participants were recruited as patients (n = 20), policy makers (n = 6), academics (n = 5), PA professionals (n = 3), medical doctors (n = 3), researchers (n = 2), media employees (n = 2) and one social worker. Phenomenological techniques were used for data coding and interpretation. Contributors confirmed the final interpretation. Three main factors underpinned the lack of integration of PA promotion approaches. PA promotion delivery rarely accounted for either patients' individual needs or the circumstances that influenced their interest in PA promotion. This was a missed opportunity in promotional consultations. There was also a lack of official support for general practitioner-based PA promotion. Finally, primary care staff intentionally isolated their practice from other professionals and/or services in the community. Community-based PA promotion could be better integrated by (i) introducing stage-based strategies, (ii) creating top-down approaches and (iii) connecting primary care with other professionals and institutions in the community.

Family Practice↗
PubMed2006

An alternative view of psychological well-being in cardiac rehabilitation: Considering temperament and character.

BACKGROUND: Research suggests that personality is related to recovery from cardiac events, yet few conceptions of personality provide hope or possibility of improvement for patients with the least adaptive personality types. Psychobiological theory of personality has potential in this regard, but, to date, no research has investigated temperament and character in cardiac settings. AIM: To explore relationships between temperament, character and psychological well-being among cardiac patients. METHOD: Self-report questionnaires were distributed to a convenience sample of 81 cardiac patients to obtain data on personality (TCI [Cloninger CR, Przybeck T, Svrakic D, & Wetzel RD. The Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI): A guide to its development and use. St Louis (MO), Center for Psychobiology of Personality, Washington University;1994]), anxiety and depression (HADS [Zigmond AS, Snaith RP. The hospital anxiety and depression scale. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1983;67(6): 361-70]) and satisfaction with life [Diener E, Emmons RA, Larsen RJ, Griffin S. The satisfaction with life scale. J Pers Assess 1985;49(1):71-5]. RESULTS: The interaction of two personality dimensions (harm avoidance and self-directedness) was significantly related to measures of psychological well-being. Patients with low self-directedness combined with high harm avoidance reported significantly higher levels of anxiety, depression and lower levels of satisfaction with life. CONCLUSION: This exploratory study suggests that psychobiological theory of personality may be useful for practitioners in cardiac rehabilitation seeking to identify patients at risk of poor psychological well-being.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2004

A randomised controlled trial of three pragmatic approaches to initiate increased physical activity in sedentary patients with risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but it is unclear what combination of feasible approaches, using existing resources in primary care, work best to initiate increased physical activity. AIM: To assess three approaches to initiate increased physical activity. DESIGN OF STUDY: Randomised controlled (2 X 2 X 2) factorial trial. SETTING: Four general practices. METHOD: One hundred and fifty-one sedentary patients with computer documented risk factors for cardiovascular disease were randomised to eight groups defined by three factors: prescription by general practitioners (GPs) for brisk exercise not requiring a leisure facility (for example, walking) 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week; counselling by practice nurses, based on psychological theory to modify intentions and perceived control of behaviour, and using behavioural implementation techniques (for example, contracting, 'rehearsal'); use of the Health Education Authority booklet 'Getting active, feeling fit'. RESULTS: Single interventions had modest effects. There was a trend from the least intensive interventions (control +/- booklet) to the more intensive interventions (prescription and counselling combined +/- booklet) for both increased physical activity and fitness (test for trend, P = 0.02 and P = 0.05, respectively). Only with the most intense intervention (prescription and counselling combined) were there significant increases in both physical activity and fitness from baseline (Godin score = 14.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 7.8 to 21, which was equivalent to three 15-minute sessions of brisk exercise and a 6-minute walking distance = 28.5 m, respectively, 95% CI = 11.1 to 45.8). Counselling only made a difference among those individuals with lower intention at baseline. CONCLUSION: Feasible interventions using available staff, which combine exercise prescription and counselling explicitly based on psychological theory, can probably initiate important increases in physical activity.

Analysis of Variance↗