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Biomedical subjects

L E Burke

Publications and source records attributed to L E Burke.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Psychometric development of a multidimensional measure of weight-related attitudes and behaviors.

Most weight control programs facilitate weight loss by encouraging participants to adopt healthy eating patterns and increase physical activity. There is a need for a relatively brief measure of eating habits and physical activity that could be used to evaluate changes in behavior during weight loss treatment. The purpose of this series of four studies was to develop and validate such a measure, which was subsequently named the Weight Loss Behavior Scale (WLBS). Study 1 (n = 533) included item and scale development and examination of the WLBS's factor structure and internal consistency. Study 2 (n = 226) evaluated the test-retest reliability and convergent validity of its subscales. Study 3 examined their reliability and internal consistency scales in a predominantly overweight sample (n = 36). Study 4 evaluated the WLBS as a treatment outcome measure in a weight loss intervention (n = 50). Study 1 found that the WLBS contained five internally consistent and stable factors: 1) Concern with Dieting and Weight, 2) Exercise, 3) Overeating, 4) Avoidance of Fattening Foods and Sweets, and 5) Emotional Eating. Study 2 found convergent validity for the WLBS by assessing the correlation of its factors/scales with established inventories of comparable constructs, e.g., dietary restraint, disinhibited eating, and physical activity. Test-retest reliability of the five scales was also supported in this second study. In Study 3, support for the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the WLBS among overweight individuals was found. Study 4 found that all scales significantly changed in the expected directions after a 5-month behavioral weight loss treatment. The findings from this series of studies suggest that the WLBS is a reliable and valid self-report inventory of cognitive and behavioral scales associated with weight control that can be utilized as an outcome measure for weight loss interventions.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Vegetarian and weight-loss diets among young adults.

OBJECTIVE: Young adults frequently experiment with vegetarian and weight-loss diets. Comparisons of their experiences on these two different diets may help in the development of approaches to improve long-term adherence to weight-loss regimens. In the current study vegetarian and weight-loss diets were compared on how long and how strictly they were followed, and reasons why they were initiated and discontinued. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: From 428 college students surveyed, four groups were delineated: 1) 59 participants had been following a vegetarian diet but not a weight-loss diet (Vegetarian), 2) 117 participants had tried a weight-loss diet but not a vegetarian diet (Weight Loss), 3) 133 participants had followed both a vegetarian and a weight-loss diet (Both), and 4) 119 participants had not tried either diet (Neither). RESULTS: Differences were examined by comparing the Vegetarian and Weight-Loss groups as well as by comparing the two diets within the Both group. Duration of the vegetarian diet was much greater than the weight-loss diet; most participants in the Vegetarian group (62%) remained on their diet for more than 1 year, whereas the majority of the Weight-Loss participants (61%) followed their diet for 1 to 3 months. Similar results were found when comparing the two diets within the Both group. How strictly the two diets were followed, however, did not differ. Analyses revealed that reasons for discontinuing a diet varied; participants were more likely to cite boredom as a reason for discontinuing a weight-loss diet than a vegetarian diet (53% vs. 5% between groups and 30% vs. 10% within the Both group). DISCUSSION: The longer duration of the vegetarian diet relative to the weight-loss diet warrants further investigation. Results could possibly be applied to behavioral weight-loss treatment to improve long-term maintenance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Assessing individual family members' constructions of family problems.

Much contemporary family therapy theory and practice takes into account clients' cognitive constructions of their family problems. Recent calls for therapists to elicit and work with clients' causal explanations and narratives parallel accumulating evidence in the social-clinical literature about the predictive importance of attributions in family relationships. In this article, we introduce the Constructions of Problems Scale (CPS), provide preliminary evidence of its reliability and validity, and suggest ways in which it can be used clinically to reveal new areas for questioning and to generate new ideas. The CPS is a brief questionnaire that can be used to create a profile of each individual family member's private constructions. To complete the CPS, each family member writes a free-form narrative of the presenting problem and then rates his or her perceptions of the contributing causes. The CPS profiles can be used to compare the perspectives of different family members and to assess cognitive constructions at different points in treatment. We discuss its potential for these and other clinical uses.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Compliance with cardiovascular disease prevention strategies: a review of the research.

The efficacy of cardiovascular risk-reduction programs has been established. However, the extent to which risk-reduction interventions are effective may depend on adherence. Non-compliance, or non-adherence, may occur with any of the recommended or prescribed regimens and may vary across the treatment course. Compliance problems, whether occurring early or late in the treatment course, are clinically significant, as adherence is one mediator of the clinical outcome. This article, which is based on a review of the empirical literature of the past 20 years, addresses compliance across four regimens of cardiovascular risk reduction: pharmacological therapy, exercise, nutrition, and smoking cessation. The criteria for inclusion of a study in this review were: (a) focus on cardiovascular disease risk reduction; (b) report of a quantitative measure of compliance behavior; and (c) use of a randomized controlled design. Forty-six studies meeting these criteria were identified. A variety of self-report, objective, and electronic measurement methods were used across these studies. The interventions employed diverse combinations of cognitive, educational, and behavioral strategies to improve compliance in an array of settings. The strategies demonstrated to be successful in improving compliance included behavioral skill training, self-monitoring, telephone/mail contact, self-efficacy enhancement, and external cognitive aids. A series of tables summarize the intervention strategies, compliance measures, and findings, as well as the interventions demonstrated to be successful. This review reflects the progress made over two decades in compliance measurement and research and, further, advances made in the application of behavioral strategies to the promotion of cardiovascular risk reduction.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed1995

Investigation of the energy requirement and targeting signal for the import of glycolate oxidase into glyoxysomes.

The uptake of glycolate oxidase into peroxisomes has been studied using an in vitro import system. Import of glycolate oxidase was found to be ATP-dependent and temperature-dependent and specific for glyoxysomes. In these respects it resembles the import of isocitrate lyase into both glyoxysomes and leaf-type peroxisomes; thus the ATP-dependence and temperature dependence appear to be general properties of plant microbody protein import. Two mutant versions of glycolate oxidase were prepared lacking 59 amino acids of the N-terminus and 53 amino acids of C-terminus, respectively. Both were capable of ATP-dependent import, whereas a fusion protein consisting of the cytosolic protein dihydrofolate reductase linked to the last 20 amino acids of glycolate oxidase bound to glyoxysomes but did not enter the organelle.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1995

Adherence to medication, diet, and activity recommendations: from assessment to maintenance.

Inadequate adherence to treatment regimens has been a concern of health care providers for more than two decades. However, it continues to have a significant impact on morbidity and health care cost. Poor adherence crosses ethnic and age groups, socioeconomic strata, acute and chronic diseases, and treatment regimens. Depending on the population, the prescribed regimen, and the definition or measure of adherence used, rates vary from 10% to 85%. The consequences of absent or partial adherence are observed in the research arena and all types of clinical settings. Educational and behavioral strategies may prevent or remediate adherence problems.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1991

Dietary management of hyperlipidemia.

The atherogenic effects of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and the relationship between high levels of LDL-C and coronary heart disease are well established. The article briefly reviews significant research that has provided the rationale for dietary intervention in hyperlipidemia. The focus is the principles of dietary treatment and their clinical application. Methods of counseling and instruction aimed at lowering fat, cholesterol, and calorie consumption and strategies to improve patient compliance are discussed.

Counseling↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The influence of the guess factor on the speech reception threshold.

Thirty normal hearing subjects were utilized in an investigation designed to determine the extent to which guessing on the part of the listener may influence the speech reception threshold. Results suggest that the magnitude of the speech reception threshold may be significantly altered as a result of the degree of guessing which occurs during the administration of the test. Clinical implications of this finding are discussed.

Adolescent↗