Research Briefs
Systematic Review on How Peer and Professional Support Can Help Women Breastfeed
Nursing and Health Sciences released the results of a 31 article systematic review on woman’s perceptions and experiences of professional or peer breast feeding support. The review found breastfeeding occurs along a continuum from effective support called “authentic presence” to ineffective support called “disconnected encounters”. The author’s noted women receiving peer support more commonly had authentic presence support because of ongoing relationship and their supporter “being there.” (Nurs Health Sci, March 2012) [Full abstract]
Partnering with the Community as a Key Strategy for Program Recruitment
Andreae et al report the success of their recruitment and data collection strategies with African American Adults in a rural southern community for a peer support diabetes self-management intervention ( a Peers for Progress grantee project). These include early community engagement and strong partnerships, pilot testing of procedures as well as provision of a multi-disciplinary diabetes education program for both intervention and control participants. These strategies resulted in 78.9% of referrals completing telephone screening and of those eligible 81.4% enrolled in the study. (Contemp Clin Trials; Feb, 2012) )(Epub ahead of print) [Full abstract]
Social Relationships Are Core to Lay Health Worker Programs- Lessons Learned from UK
South et al. examines perspectives of lay health workers on their roles within three UK community-based health promotion projects: a breastfeeding peer support service, a walking for health scheme and a neighborhood health project. Emphasizing the function and responsibilities, results show how those roles provided personalized support and facilitated engagement in group activities, and reveal lay health workers’ potential in actively engaging the community in the project through their social relationships with others in the community. (Health Educ Res, Feb, 2012) (Epub ahead of print) [Full abstract]
Virtual Coach for Physical Activity Shows Promise but Modest Initial Results
A “virtual coach”, intervention by Watson and colleagues, provided automated, animated personalized goal-setting and feedback through participants’ home computers. Volunteer sample (BMI range 25-35, 97% college educated) wore pedometers and accessed a website to log and view step counts. Sixty-two of seventy participants completed study. Relative to controls, activity levels were better maintained but other outcomes not affected. (J Med Internet Res, Jan 2012) [Full abstract]
Vitality Coach and Vitality Exercise in Worksite Setting
In a study by Strijk et al., workers randomized to weekly exercise, weekly yoga, unsupervised aerobic exercise and three visits to a “Vitality Coach” showed greater gains in physical activity than controls. ( J Epidemiol Community Health. Jan 2012)(Epub ahead of print)[Full abstract] 62/70 participants completed study. Relative to controls, activity levels were better maintained but other outcomes not affected. (J Med Internet Res, Jan 2012)[Full abstract]
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