• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.95-102
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• 2019

Background: In a cluster-randomized trial, the Safety and Health Involvement For Truck drivers intervention produced statistically significant and medically meaningful weight loss at 6 months (-3.31 kg between-group difference). The current manuscript evaluates the relative impact of intervention components on study outcomes among participants in the intervention condition who reported for a post-intervention health assessment (n = 134) to encourage the adoption of effective tactics and inform future replications, tailoring, and enhancements. Methods: The Safety and Health Involvement For Truck drivers intervention was implemented in a Web-based computer and smartphone-accessible format and included a group weight loss competition and body weight and behavioral self-monitoring with feedback, computer-based training, and motivational interviewing. Indices were calculated to reflect engagement patterns for these components, and generalized linear models quantified predictive relationships between participation in intervention components and outcomes. Results: Participants who completed the full program-defined dose of the intervention had significantly greater weight loss than those who did not. Behavioral self-monitoring, computer-based training, and health coaching were significant predictors of dietary changes, whereas behavioral and body weight self-monitoring was the only significant predictor of changes in physical activity. Behavioral and body weight self-monitoring was the strongest predictor of weight loss. Conclusion: Web-based self-monitoring of body weight and health behaviors was a particularly impactful tactic in our mobile health intervention. Findings advance the science of behavior change in mobile health intervention delivery and inform the development of health programs for dispersed populations.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.150-157
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• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the overall effects of a tailored Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) nutritional intervention program which included omega-3 fatty acids supplementation, on dietary self-efficacy, dietary knowledge, and dietary behaviors in Korean elderly women with abdominal obesity. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of the program on metabolic syndrome parameters including the antioxidant capacities in these subjects. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A randomized, controlled trial was conducted for 8 weeks. The experimental group (n = 21) received a weekly tailored nutritional program for 8 weeks and the control group (n = 18) received only one educational session. The clinical survey was conducted before and after the intervention period. RESULTS: After the intervention, dietary self-efficacy (P = 0.023), frequency of fruit intake (P = 0.019), and dietary fiber intake (P = 0.044) were higher in the experimental group than in the control group. The oxidative stress (P < 0.001) was lower in the experimental group than in the control group. Moreover, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (P = 0.023) had significantly decreased in the experimental group but not in the control group after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: The intervention program including omega-3 fatty acid supplementation had a positive effect on dietary self-efficacy, dietary behaviors, and oxidative stress among aged women with abdominal obesity.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.79-86
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• 2015

Objective: This study was carried out to compare changes in pain, swelling and range of motion (ROM) between the two groups according to physical therapy intervention. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: There were a total of 20 elderly subjects ages 65-75 years old who have been admitted to the hospital for a total knee arthroplasty. After surgery, the experimental group (n=10) carried out quadriceps femoris muscle strengthening exercise, hamstring stretching exercises and gastrocnemius stretching exercise with a physical therapist for 30 minutes and additionally, received ice pack therapy for 20 minutes once a day. The control group (n=10) carried out continuous passive motion for 30 minutes and received ice pack therapy for 20 minutes once a day. The experimental group and control group carried out each intervention program for 2 weeks 3 times a week. The Visual Analogue Scale was used to assess pain, tape measurements were taken to assess swelling, and a steel goniometer was used to assess knee joint ROM. Results: As a result, the experimental group showed a statistically significant decrease in the pain and swelling, and a significant increase in knee flexion ROM after the intervention, compared to the control group (p<0.05). There was a significant improvement in pain, edema, and knee flexion and extension ROM in all subjects after intervention (p<0.05). Conclusions: According the results of this study, exercise in the experimental group is effect on the pain, swelling and ROM for total knee arthroplasty.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.352-358
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• 2016

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Nutrition is a determinant factor of health in elderly people. Independent living in elderly people can be maintained or enhanced by improvement of nutritional behavior. Hence, the present study was conducted to determine the impact of Health Belief Model (HBM)-based intervention on the nutritional behavior of elderly women. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Cluster-random sampling was used to assess the sample of this clinical trial study. The participants of this study attended a 12-week nutrition education program consisting of two (2) sessions per week. There was also a follow-up for another three (3) months. Smart PLS 3.5 and SPSS 19 were used for structural equation modeling, determination of model fitness, and hypotheses testing. RESULTS: The findings indicate that intervention had a significant effect on knowledge improvement as well as the behavior of elderly women. The model explained 5 to 70% of the variance in nutritional behavior. In addition, nutritional behavior was positively affected by the HBM constructs comprised of perceived susceptibility, self-efficacy, perceived benefits, and barriers after the intervention program. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that HBM-based educational intervention has a significant effect in improving nutritional knowledge and behavior among elderly women.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.46 no.sup1
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• pp.22-27
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine the beneficial effects of a new cognitive intervention program designed for the care and prevention of dementia, namely Learning Therapy. The training program used systematized basic problems in arithmetic and Japanese language as training tasks. In study 1, 16 individuals in the experimental group and 16 in the control group were recruited from a nursing home. In both groups, all individuals were clinically diagnosed with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type. In study 2, we performed a single-blind, randomized controlled trial in our cognitive intervention program of 124 community-dwelling seniors. In both studies, the daily training program using reading and arithmetic tasks was carried out approximately 5 days a week, for 15 to 20 minutes a day in the intervention groups. Neuropsychological measures were determined simultaneously in the groups both prior to and after six months of the intervention. The results of our investigations indicate that our cognitive intervention using reading and arithmetic problems demonstrated a transfer effect and they provide convincing evidence that cognitive training maintains and improves the cognitive functions of dementia patients and healthy seniors.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.470-478
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• 2021

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) balance exercise on the ability to balance and walk in patients with hemiplegia caused by stroke. Design: A randomized controlled trial Methods: Following baseline measurements, patients (n=24) with hemiplegia caused by stroke were randomized into two groups: the PNF balance group (n=12) that received PNF balance exercise and the balance group (n=12) that received general balance exercise. Each group joined the intervention for 30 minutes, 5 times per week for 6 weeks. Both groups performed the Timed Up and Go test (TUG) and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) for balance, as well as the 10-meter walking test (10MWT) and 6-minute walk test (6MWT) for walking. The data were collected both before and after the intervention. The paired t-test was used to compare the post-intervention changes compared with pre-intervention data. An independent t-test was used to analyze the differences in the dependent variables between the two groups. Results: After the 6-week intervention, both groups showed significant improvements in balance (TUG, BBS) and walking (10MWT, 6MWT) parameters (p<0.05). The patients in the PNF balance group showed greater improvements in balance (TUG, BBS) and walking (10MWT, 6MWT) than those in the balance group (p<0.05). Conclusions: PNF balance exercise shows improvements in balance and walking parameters in patients with hemiplegia caused by stroke.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.2891-2896
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• 2013

Background: To illustrate multiple approaches and to assess participation rates adopted for a community based smoking cessation intervention programme in rural Kerala. Materials and Methods: Resident males in the age group 18-60 years who were 'current daily smokers' from 4 randomly allocated community development blocks of rural Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala (2 intervention and 2 control groups) were selected. Smoking status was assessed through house-to-house survey using trained volunteers. Multiple approaches included awareness on tobacco hazards during baseline survey and distribution of multicolour anti-tobacco leaflets for intervention and control groups. Further, the intervention group received a tobacco cessation booklet and four sessions of counselling which included a one-time group counselling cum medical camp, followed by proactive counselling through face-to-face (FTF) interview and mobile phone. In the second and fourth session, motivational counselling was conducted. Results: Among 928 smokers identified, smokers in intervention and control groups numbered 474 (mean age: 44.6 years, SD: 9.66 years) and 454 respectively (44.5 years, SD: 10.30 years). Among the 474 subjects, 75 (16%) had attended the group counselling cum medical camp after completion of baseline survey in the intervention group, Among the remaining subjects (n=399), 88% were contacted through FTF and mobile phone (8.5%). In the second session (4-6 weeks time period), the response rate for individual counselling was 94% (78% through FTF and 16% through mobile phone). At 3 months, 70.4% were contacted by their mobile phone and further, 19.6% through FTF (total 90%) while at 6 months (fourth session), the response rate was 74% and 16.4% for FTF and mobile phone respectively, covering 90.4% of the total subjects. Overall, in the intervention group, 97.4% of subjects were being contacted at least once and individual counselling given. Conclusion: Proactive community centred intervention programmes using multiple approaches were found to be successful to increase the participation rate for intervention.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.281-290
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• 2004

The purpose of this project was to evaluate whether daily fruit juice consumption could reduce the DNA damage in healthy subjects. The study was performed using 67 healthy volunteers (29 smokers, 38 nonsmokers) who were supple-mented with 480 m1 of grape juice for 8 weeks. Eight weeks of grape juice consumption did not change any anthropometric parameters. Lymphocyte DNA damage before the study was significantly greater (p<0.05) in smoker than nonsmoker, but, grape juice consumption significantly reduced DNA damage in both smoker (26%) and nonsmoker (I7%) to the level where there was no difference remained between the two groups after the intervention trial. This preventive effect of grape juice against DNA damage was not affected by sex of the subjects in non-smokers. Plasma $\alpha$-carotene, Iyco-pene and ${\gamma}$-totopherol was significantly increased after the trial in smokers, while erythrocyte catalase was significan-tly increased in both smokers and nonsmokers. Total radical-trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP) level in all subjects was significantly reduced after the intervention, while GSH-Px activity was increased only in nonsmokers. These results suggests that daily consumption of grape juice may protect DNA damage in peripheral lymphocytes, and supports the hypothesis that grape juice might exert their effect partially via a decrease in oxidative damage to DNA in humans partly by improving their antioxidative defense system.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.393-397
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• 2017

Background: It has been suggested that engaging technology can empower individuals to be more proactive about their health and reduce their health risks. The aim of the present intervention was to study the effects of technology-aided testing and feedback on physical activity and biological age of employees in a middle-sized enterprise. Methods: In all, 121 employees (mean age $42{\pm}10$ years) participated in the 12-month three-arm cluster randomized trial. The fitness measurement process (Body Age) determined the participants' biological age in years. Physical activity was measured with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form. Results: Physical activity did not change during the intervention. Biological age (better fitness) improved in all groups statistically significantly (p < 0.001), but with no interaction effects. The mean changes (years) in the groups were -2.20 for the controls, e2.83 for the group receiving their biological age and feedback, and -2.31 for the group receiving their biological age, feedback, and a training computer. Conclusion: Technology-aided testing with feedback does not seem to change the amount of physical activity but may enhance physical fitness measured by biological age.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.1-11
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• 2023

PURPOSE: This study examined the immediate effects of applying ankle eversion taping using kinesiology tape in chronic stroke patients-design: a randomized cross-over trial. METHODS: Seventeen stroke patients underwent three interventions in random order. The subjects were initially assigned randomly to an ankle eversion taping, placebo taping, or no taping for each intervention. Ankle eversion taping was used for mechanical correction and was involved in ankle dorsiflexion and eversion. The tape was stretched by 30-40%. Placebo tapping was applied in the same form as eversion tapping but was not stretched. The balance ability was assessed using the Y-balance test. The gait ability was assessed by maximum foot pressure and time of stance phase, and gait speed was assessed using a 10 m walk test (10MWT). All measurements were performed immediately after the intervention. RESULTS: The results showed that the dynamic balance and stance phase time in chronic stroke patients was improved after ankle eversion taping. The ankle eversion taping conditions increased significantly (p < .05) compared to the placebo and no taping conditions. CONCLUSION: The application of ankle eversion taping that uses kinesiology tape instantly increased the gait ability of chronic stroke patients. On the other hand, more research will be needed to identify the long-term effects of ankle eversion taping.