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Formidable health problems are often best addressed by teams of scientists with varied expertise. This diversity among team members and complexities in managing teams can lead to challenges in designing, funding, conducting, and reporting research. Team science difficulties can be addressed by sophisticated planning, frequent reassessment and realignment of team strategies with goals, and consistent transparent communication. This article addresses specific strategies to build and sustain research teams, manage team meetings, strategically develop publications and grants, thrive in the midst of disciplinary and individual team member differences, embrace new ideas and change to maintain creativity, and build future team scientists and projects. The potential value in team science justifies the effort required to build and maintain efficient and effective research teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Junior faculty follow a research path replete with challenges as they strive to create knowledge in their area of interest while balancing new responsibilities. Unlike graduate school, where students focus inward on personal development, junior faculty must add responsibilities in ways that hold them accountable as members of a university. This special article deals with three themes of interest to new junior faulty launching research programs: personal development, collaboration and team development within university settings, and funding advice. Strategies in these areas provide guidance on navigating early careers and finding success in the academic setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excellent medication adherence contributes to decreases in morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. Although researchers have tested many interventions to increase adherence, results are sometimes conflicting and often unclear. This systematic review applied meta-analytic procedures to integrate primary research that tested medication adherence interventions. Comprehensive searching completed in 2015 located 771 published and unpublished intervention studies with adherence behavior outcomes. Random-effects model analysis calculated standardized mean difference effect sizes. Meta-analytic moderator analyses examined the association between adherence effect sizes and sample, design, and intervention characteristics. Analyses were conducted in 2016. A standardized mean difference effect size of 0.290 comparing treatment and control groups was calculated. Moderator analyses revealed larger effect sizes for habit-based and behavioral-targeted (vs. cognitive-focused) interventions. The most effective interventions were delivered face-to-face, by pharmacists, and administered directly to patients. Effect sizes were smaller in studies with older and homeless participants. Risks of bias were common; effect sizes were significantly lower among studies with masked data collectors and intention-to-treat analyses. The largest effect sizes were reported by studies using medication electronic event monitoring and pill count medication adherence measures. Publication bias was present. This most comprehensive review to date documented that, although interventions can increase adherence, much room remains for improvement. Findings suggest health care providers should focus intervention content on behavioral strategies, especially habit-based interventions, more so than cognitive strategies designed to change knowledge and beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Publication in refereed journals is an important responsibility of PhD-prepared nurses. Specialized writing skills are crucial for effective professional publication. The capacity to develop and publish articles is best learned during doctoral education. This Western Journal of Nursing Research Editorial Board Special Article addresses multi-dimensional strategies to develop authorship competence among doctoral students. The article outlines structured PhD program experiences to provide the context for students to develop authorship capacity. The authors identify multi-faceted faculty endeavors and student activities that are essential to foster authorship competence. Students who embrace opportunities to acquire authorship qualifications will be well prepared for their post-graduation role as stewards of the nursing discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an editorial on the importance of team science which can helpful towards developing knowledge for challenging health problems.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including challenges to research productivity faced by Midcareer nursing faculty; college, university, and national context factors that impact midcareer faculty research success; and performance of midcareer faculty.

The article discusses a study on the overall mean impact of adherence interventions on blood pressure outcomes among subjects with hypertension. Study highlights include ancestry searches on eligible studies and review papers, summary measure and method of analyses, and a table that outlines characteristics of primary studies included in blood pressure meta-analyses.

Objective: Using meta-analytic procedures to synthesize changes in patient-centered outcomes after medication adherence interventions.Methods: Strategies to locate studies included online searches of 13 databases and 19 research registries, hand searches of 57 journals, and author and ancestry searches of all eligible studies. Search terms included patient compliance, medication adherence, and related terms. Searches were conducted for all studies published since 1960. Eligible published or unpublished primary studies tested medication adherence interventions and reported medication knowledge, quality of life, physical function, and symptom outcomes. Primary study attributes and outcome data were reliably coded. Overall standardized mean differences (SMDs) were analyzed using random-effects models. Dichotomous and continuous moderator analyses and funnel plots were used to explore risks of bias.Results: Thorough searching located 141 eligible reports. The reports included 176 eligible comparisons between treatment and control subjects across 23,318 subjects. Synthesis across all comparisons yielded statistically significant SMDs for medication knowledge (d = 0.449), quality of life (d = 0.127), physical function (d = 0.142), and symptoms (d = 0.182). The overall SMDs for studies focusing on subsamples of patients with specific illnesses were more modest but also statistically significant. Of specific symptoms analyzed (depression, anxiety, pain, energy/vitality, cardiovascular, and respiratory), only anxiety failed to show a significant improvement after medication adherence interventions. Most SMDs were significantly heterogeneous, and risk of bias analyses suggested links between study quality and SMDs.Conclusions: Modest but significant improvements in patient-centered outcomes were observed after medication adherence interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the impact of theory- and model-linked interventions on medication adherence (MA). It discusses the importance of MA in the effective treatment of several diseases, the meta-analysis of health behavior theory- and model-linked intervention research and finding indicating that theory- and model-linked interventions have a modest effect on MA behavior.

Getting turned down for grant funding or having a manuscript rejected is an uncomfortable but not unusual occurrence during the course of a nurse researcher’s professional life. Rejection can evoke an emotional response akin to the grieving process that can slow or even undermine productivity. Only by “normalizing” rejection, that is, by accepting it as an integral part of the scientific process, can researchers more quickly overcome negative emotions and instead use rejection to refine and advance their scientific programs. This article provides practical advice for coming to emotional terms with rejection and delineates methods for working constructively to address reviewer comments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses how researchers can get their studies pass peer review and get published in respected publications. Topics covered include the possible outcomes of the review process such as rejection, revision and acceptance for publication. Also mentioned is the systematic approach to be used to revise manuscripts of researchers.

The authors analyze ways of calculating researcher impact indices. Bibliometric methods to quantify publication output are stated including citation analysis, content and career index as well as online citation database tools such as Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. An overview of scientific impact indices is presented which includes g-index, m-quotient, and h-index or Hirsch number. Alternative metrics are suggested, notably altmetrics such as blogs, tweets, and article downloads.

An editorial is presented on creating Interesting Review Papers by Emphasizing Novel Themes. The article discuses that Stellar review articles summarize extant research methods, synthesize previous study results, and stimulate new directions for future research; and this editorial identifies some strategies to write thought-provoking review papers that justify publication because they contribute new knowledge.

The article reports that the journals invite authors to revise manuscripts when peer reviewer evaluations suggest that a paper could be publishable if it were improved by revision and clarification. Topics include considered authors are required to address peer reviewer comments in the revised paper and these comments are written at varied levels of specificity and clarity.

The article offers instructions for submitting manuscripts to the periodical.

Objective: Inadequate medication adherence is a widespread problem that contributes to increased chronic disease complications and health care expenditures. Packaging interventions using pill boxes and blister packs have been widely recommended to address the medication adherence issue. This meta-analysis review determined the overall effect of packaging interventions on medication adherence and health outcomes. In addition, we tested whether effects vary depending on intervention, sample, and design characteristics. Research design and methods: Extensive literature search strategies included examination of 13 computerized databases and 19 research registries, hand searches of 57 journals, and author and ancestry searches. Eligible studies included either pill boxes or blister packaging interventions to increase medication adherence. Primary study characteristics and outcomes were reliably coded. Random-effects analyses were used to calculate overall effect sizes and conduct moderator analyses. Results: Data were synthesized across 22,858 subjects from 52 reports. The overall mean weighted standardized difference effect size for two-group comparisons was 0.593 (favoring treatment over control), which is consistent with the mean of 71% adherence for treatment subjects compared to 63% among control subjects. We found using moderator analyses that interventions were most effective when they used blister packs and were delivered in pharmacies, while interventions were less effective when studies included older subjects and those with cognitive impairment. Methodological moderator analyses revealed significantly larger effect sizes in studies reporting continuous data outcomes instead of dichotomous results and in studies using pharmacy refill medication adherence measures compared with studies with self-report measures. Conclusions: Overall, meta-analysis findings support the use of packaging interventions to effectively increase medication adherence. Limitations of the study include the exclusion of packaging interventions other than pill boxes and blister packs, evidence of publication bias, and primary study sparse reporting of health outcomes and potentially interesting moderating variables such as the number of prescribed medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This meta-analysis systematically compiles intervention research designed to increase medication adherence among underrepresented adults. Method Comprehensive searching located published and unpublished studies with medication adherence behavior outcomes. Studies were included if samples were adults living in North America who had any of the following backgrounds or identities: African American, Native American, Latino, Latino American, Asian, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Native Alaskan, or Native Hawaiian. Random-effect analyses synthesized data to calculate effect sizes as a standardized mean difference and variability measures. Exploratory moderator analyses examined the association between specific efforts to increase the cultural relevance of medication adherence studies and behavior outcomes. Results Data were synthesized across 5559 subjects in 55 eligible samples. Interventions significantly improved medication adherence behavior of treatment subjects compared to control subjects (standardized mean difference = 0.211). Primary studies infrequently reported strategies to enhance cultural relevance. Exploratory moderator analyses found no evidence that associated cultural relevance strategies with better medication adherence outcomes. Conclusion The modest magnitude of improvements in medication adherence behavior documents the need for further research with clear testing of cultural relevance features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To meta-analyze lipid outcomes from supervised exercise interventions among healthy adults. Methods: Comprehensive search strategies identified trials testing supervised exercise interventions in samples of healthy adults. Data were coded and analyzed using random effects meta-analysis methods. Moderator analyses explored whether design, sample, or intervention characteristics were linked with lipid outcomes. Results: Data were analyzed from 344 comparisons. The overall mean effect size for 2-group comparisons was 0.28, corresponding to reduced total cholesterol of 8.65 mg/dl. Study effect sizes were greater where participants were obese at baseline, and for interventions utilizing low-intensity exercise. Conclusions: Supervised exercise interventions can improve lipid outcomes for healthy adults, with possible greater improvement for obese individuals, and through low-intensity exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on manuscript publication at "Western Journal of Nursing Research (WJNR)" and include topics on WJNR's relationship with the Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS) and the strategies a potential author can consider to have their research published at WJNR.

The author discusses the decision of the "Western Journal of Nursing Research" to publish review papers, the different types of reviews and a systematic process for conducting a review.

An editorial is presented on effective abstracts being essential for enticing potential readers in examining research reports. Topics include potential readers being aware of the significance of the topic not need to be addressed unless the study filling an unusual gap in extant knowledge; and poorly constructed or marginally informative abstracts dissuading journal editors and potential peer referees.

An introduction is presented in which the editors discuss the submission process of research reviews on nursing topics published within the journal.

Background: Motivational physical activity (PA) interventions are effective in increasing PA behavior among healthy adults; however, the impact of these interventions on cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) has not yet been examined. Objective: The purpose of this meta-analysis is to quantitatively synthesize CRF outcomes of motivational PA interventions among healthy adults. Methods: Comprehensive searching identified studies testing motivational PA interventions with CRF outcomes. Two independent coders extracted data. Data were synthesized using standardized mean difference effect sizes (ESs, d) under a random effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed, and moderator analyses were conducted using subgroup analyses and meta-regression. Results: Data were analyzed from 11,458 primary study subjects. The overall mean ES for CRF was 0.48 (p < .01), which corresponds to a difference in VO2 max of 2.5 mL/kg/min between treatment and control groups. Studies were significantly heterogeneous (0 = 133.29, p < .01). Significant moderators included age (ß = -0.02, p = .01) and recommending endurance plus resistance exercises (d = 1.04) versus recommending only endurance exercise (d = 0.47). Discussion: Motivational interventions designed to increase PA can improve CRF among healthy adults. Clinicians should recommend endurance and resistance exercise to improve CRF in this population. Future primary research should test interventions longitudinally and across more diverse populations. Although other moderators examined in this study did not show a significant effect on ES, the number of comparisons available for moderator analyses was small. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses various reports within the issue and in previous issue which are all concerned with the theme of comparative effectiveness research, including articles by Hastings-Tolma et al., McDonald et al. and Hendrix et al.

The editorial comments on implementing policies at nursing schools that consider faculty time as a limited resource and will increase research productivity. The article states academic leaders need to allocate faculty time across research and teaching responsibilities. Topics include hiring non-nurses as teachers to ease researchers' workload and rotating teaching assignments.

Russell C, Conn V, Ashbaugh C, Madsen R, Wakefield M, Webb A, Coffey D, Peace L. Taking immunosuppressive medications effectively (TIMELink): a pilot randomized controlled trial in adult kidney transplant recipients. Clin Transplant 2011: 25: 864-870. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract: Background: Immunosuppressive medication non-adherence is one of the most prevalent but preventable causes of poor outcomes in adult renal transplant recipients, yet there is a paucity of studies testing interventions in this area. Methods: Using a randomized controlled trial design, 30 adult renal transplant recipients were screened for medication non-adherence using electronic monitoring. Fifteen non-adherent participants were randomized to receive either a continuous self-improvement intervention or attention control management. The six-month continuous self-improvement intervention involved the participant and clinical nurse specialist collaboratively identifying the person's life routines, important people, and possible solutions to enhance medication taking. The participant then received individual monthly medication taking feedback delivered via a graphic printout of daily medication taking generated from electronic monitoring. Results: The mean medication adherence score for the continuous self-improvement intervention group (n = 8) was statistically significantly higher than the attention control group's (n = 5) mean medication adherence score (p = 0.03). The continuous self-improvement intervention effect size (Cohen's d) was large at 1.4. Participants' perceptions of the intervention were highly favorable. Conclusions: The continuous self-improvement intervention shows promise as an effective and feasible approach to improve medication adherence in adult renal transplant recipients. A fully-powered study with a diverse sample is needed to confirm these preliminary findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. We conducted a meta-analysis summarizing the effects of interventions designed to increase physical activity among healthy adults. Methods. Our comprehensive searches located 358 reports eligible for inclusion. We used random-effects analyses to synthesize data, and we used meta-analytic analogues of regression and analysis of variance to examine potential moderator variables. We also explored moderator variable robustness and publication bias. Results. We computed meta-analytic results from studies comprising 99011 participants. The overall mean effect size for comparisons of treatment groups versus control groups was 0.19 (higher mean for treatment participants than for control participants). This effect size is consistent with a mean difference of 496 ambulatory steps per day between treatment and control participants. Exploratory moderator analyses suggested that the characteristics of the most effective interventions were behavioral interventions instead of cognitive interventions, face-to-face delivery versus mediated interventions (e.g., via telephone or mail), and targeting individuals instead of communities. Participant characteristics were unrelated to physical activity effect sizes. Substantial between-studies heterogeneity remained beyond individual moderators. Conclusions. Interventions designed to increase physical activity were modestly effective. Interventions to increase activity should emphasize behavioral strategies over cognitive strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The editor discusses why authors should view an invitation to revise and resubmit as good news because it means the journal has found value with the article and mentions how if authors make an effort to address reviewers' comments the resubmitted article will be accepted for publication..

The article presents results from of a 2008 meta-analysis that synthesized data on how to promote physical activity in adults with chronic illness. Physical activity has been found to slow down the atherosclerotic process, improve glycemic control and increase physical function in individuals with arthritis. Supervised exercise, self monitoring and behavioral approaches are interventions discussed in the article for promoting activity.

Background: Although the mental health benefits of physical activity (PA) have been documented in numerous primary studies, anxiety outcomes of interventions to increase PA have net been examined through quantitative synthesis. Objectives. The objective of the study was to integrate extant research about anxiety outcomes from interventions to increase PA among healthy adults. Method: Through an extensive literature search, published and unpublished PA in intervention studios with anxiety outcomes were located. In eligible studies, findings we reported from interventions designed to increase PA delivered to healthy adults with anxiety disorders Data were coded from pharmacy studies. Random-effects meta-analytic procedures were completed. Exploratory moderator analyses using meta-analysis analysis of variance and regression analogues were conducted to determine if rep methods, sample, or intervention characteristics were associated with differences anxiety outcomes. Results: Data were synthesized across 3,289 participants from 19 eligible reports. overall mean anxiety effect size (d index) for two-group comparisons was .22 significant heterogeneity (Q = 32.15). With exploratory moderator analyses, large anxiety improvement effect sizes were found among studies that included larger samples, used random allocation of participants to treatment and control conditions targeted only PA behavior instead of multiple health behaviors, included supervised exercise (vs. home-based PA), used moderate- or high-intensity instead of low intensity PA, and suggested participants exercise at a fitness facility (vs. home) following interventions. Discussion: Some interventions can decrease anxiety symptoms among healthy adults. Exploratory moderator analyses suggest possible directions for future primary research to compare interventions in randomized trials to confirm causal relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity (PA) is consistently linked to mental health outcomes. This meta-analysis synthesized depressive symptom outcomes of supervised and unsupervised PA interventions among healthy adults. Comprehensive searching and coding were applied to PA interventions among adults without clinical depression. Analyses included random-effects standardized means, Q, and moderator analysis using analysis of variance and regression meta-analytic analogues. Treatment versus control comparisons yielded a standardized mean effect size of 0.372 among 38 supervised PA studies and 0.522 among 22 unsupervised PA studies. Preliminary moderator analyses suggested that supervised PA interventions may be more effective when they include flexibility/resistance and low-intensity exercise. Unsupervised PA interventions may be more effective when they recommend center-based PA. Methodological moderators (random assignment, control group management) were identified. These findings document that PA interventions reduce depressive symptoms even in adults without clinical depression. Moderator analyses suggest directions for future research as well as practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article summarizes the wisdom of five senior researchers and associate deans of research who discussed problem of increased co-authoring in science research papers at the 2016 Midwest Nursing Research Society special session dealing with career development for junior faculty. Topics discussed include schedule times for co-author input, need for adequate time to comment or produce content and tapping the social network.

The article offers guidelines for safeguarding science and individual careers. Topics including advantages of producing multiple publications from a single study like reporting multiple research questions, inappropriateness in writing more than one article from a single source such as data dealing, and electronic access to publications.

Purpose: Research development and regional consortium strategies are described to assist schools in all countries extend their gerontological nursing research productivity. The strategies, collaboration and mentoring experiences, and outcomes are also shared to illustrate a highly successful approach in increasing faculty programs of nursing research in a focused area of inquiry. Design: A case description of gerontological nursing research development and regional consortium strategies in schools of nursing is used. The regional consortium included 17 schools of nursing that are working to increase faculty programs of gerontological nursing research. Survey responses describing publications, presentations, and research funding awards from 65 of 114 total faculty participants in consortium opportunities (pilot and mentoring grant participants, participants in summer scholars’ grantsmanship seminars) were collected annually from 1995 through 2008 to describe outcomes. Findings: From 1994 through 2008, faculty participants from the consortium schools who responded to the annual surveys reported a total of 597 gerontological nursing publications, 527 presentations at research conferences, funding of 221 small and internal grants, and 130 external grant awards, including 47R-series grants and 4 K awards. Conclusions: There is an urgent need for more nurse faculty with programs of research to inform the health care of persons and support the preparation of nurse clinicians and faculty. The shortage of nurse scientists with active programs of gerontological research is especially serious and limits the number of faculty who are needed to prepare future gerontological nurses, particularly those with doctoral degrees who will assume faculty positions. Further, junior faculty with a gerontological nursing research foci often lack the colleagues, mentors, and environments needed to develop successful research careers. The outcomes of the development and regional consortium strategies suggest that the principles of extending collaboration, mentoring, and resource sharing are useful to augment faculty research opportunities, networking and support, and to increase productivity in individual schools. Clinical Relevance: Clinical relevance includes: (a) implications for preparing nurse scientists and academicians who are and will be needed to train nurses for clinical practice, and (b) development of more faculty programs of research to provide systematic evidence to inform nursing practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Most adults do not achieve adequate physical activity levels. Despite the potential benefits of worksite health promotion, no previous comprehensive meta-analysis has summarized health and physical activity behavior outcomes from such programs. This comprehensive meta-analysis integrated the extant wide range of worksite physical activity intervention research. Evidence acquisition: Extensive searching located published and unpublished intervention studies reported from 1969 through 2007. Results were coded from primary studies. Random-effects meta-analytic procedures, including moderator analyses, were completed in 2008. Evidence synthesis: Effects on most variables were substantially heterogeneous because diverse studies were included. Standardized mean difference (d) effect sizes were synthesized across approximately 38,231 subjects. Significantly positive effects were observed for physical activity behavior (0.21); fitness (0.57); lipids (0.13); anthropometric measures (0.08); work attendance (0.19); and job stress (0.33). The significant effect size for diabetes risk (0.98) is less robust given small sample sizes. The mean effect size for fitness corresponds to a difference between treatment minus control subjects'' means on VO2max of 3.5 mL/kg/min; for lipids, −0.2 on the ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein; and for diabetes risk, −12.6 mg/dL on fasting glucose. Conclusions: These findings document that some workplace physical activity interventions can improve both health and important worksite outcomes. Effects were variable for most outcomes, reflecting the diversity of primary studies. Future primary research should compare interventions to confirm causal relationships and further explore heterogeneity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: This study investigated the effectiveness of interventions to improve medication adherence (MA) in older adults. Design and Methods: Meta-analysis was used to synthesize results of 33 published and unpublished randomized controlled trials. Random-effects models were used to estimate overall mean effect sizes (ESs) for MA, knowledge, health outcomes, and health services utilization. Results: Data were synthesized across 11 ,827 participants. Interventions significantly improved MA (ES = 0.33), knowledge (ES = 0.48), and diastolic blood pressure (ES = 0.19). Nonsignificant effects were found for systolic blood pressure (ES = 0.21), other health outcomes (ES = 0.04), and health services utilization (ES = 0.16). Moderator analyses showed larger adherence ESs for interventions employing special medication packaging, dose modification, participant monitoring of medication effects and side effects, succinct written instructions, and standardized (not tailored) interventions. Larger effects were found when a moderate proportion of participants were women, for participants taking 3-5 medications, and when pill count adherence was measured. Implications: The findings document that interventions increase MA in older adults. The considerable heterogeneity in the magnitude of effects across studies and results of the moderator analyses demonstrate the need for additional empirical research to optimize interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Interventions to increase physical activity among adults with chronic illness are intended to improve quality of life and reduce disease complications or slow disease progression. Objective: The aim of this study was to integrate quality-of-life outcomes from primary research studies testing interventions to increase physical activity among adults with chronic illness. Methods: Extensive literature searching strategies were used to locate published and unpublished primary research testing physical activity interventions. Results were coded for studies that had at least 5 participants with chronic illness. Fixed- and random-effects meta-analytic procedures included moderator analyses. Results: Eighty-five samples from 66 reports with 7,291 subjects were synthesized. The mean quality-of-life effect size for two-group comparisons (treatment vs. control) was .11 (higher mean quality-of-life scores for treatment subjects than for control subjects). The treatment group pre-post comparison effect size was .27 for quality of life. Heterogeneity was modest in two-group comparisons. Most design and sample attributes were unrelated to intervention effects on quality of life. Studies that exclusively used supervised center-based exercise reported larger quality-of-life improvements than did studies that included any educational/ motivational content. Effect sizes were larger among unpublished and unfunded studies. The effect size for physical activity did not predict the quality-of-life effect size. Discussion: Subjects experience improved quality of life from exposure to interventions designed to increase physical activity, despite considerable heterogeneity in the magnitude of the effect. Future primary research should include quality-of-life outcomes so that patterns of relationships among variables can be explored further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented on peer review being a revered standard for scientific publication. Topics include journals accepting manuscripts without author revisions for addressing peer reviewer comments; detailed research questions with named variables showing a possible substitute for adding hypotheses; and discussing potential theory implications in the interpretation of findings.

Abstract: Background: Extensive primary research has tested interventions to increase physical activity (PA) among adults with cardiovascular disease. This meta-analysis integrates the extant research about how to increase PA in cardiac samples. Methods: Extensive literature searching located published and unpublished intervention studies that measured PA outcomes. Results were coded from primary studies. Fixed- and random-effects meta-analytic procedures included moderator analyses. Results: Data were synthesized across 11,877 subjects from 79 eligible research reports. The overall mean PA effect size for 2-group comparisons was 0.35 (higher mean for treatment than control), which is consistent with a difference of 1984 kcal/week for treatment subjects versus 1615 for control subjects. The fitness effect size for 2-group comparisons was .17. Other statistically significantly positive 2-group effect sizes were .24 for quality of life and .23 for subsequent cardiac events. Effect sizes for anthropometric measures and blood pressure did not differ significantly from 0. Exploratory moderator analyses found large effect sizes for PA among studies that had (1) an exclusive focus on PA versus diverse health behaviors, (2) more contact between interventionists and subjects, (3) supervised exercise sessions, (4) fitness testing, (5) face-to-face encounters versus mediated intervention delivery, and (6) more minutes of activity per week. Effect sizes were unrelated to funding status, dissemination vehicle, gender distribution, or attrition rate. Conclusions: These findings document that interventions can be effective in increasing PA among patients with cardiovascular diseases. Primary research should compare interventions in randomized trials to confirm causal relationships. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: To meta-analyze research testing interventions to improve health behaviors including exercise among adults with type 1 diabetes. Methods: Multiple literature-searching strategies identified published and unpublished studies reporting glycated hemoglobin outcomes. Fixed- and random-effects meta-analyses included moderator effects. Results: Data were synthesized across 1435 subjects. The overall effect size was 0.6. This translates into a reduction of 0.33 in mean HbA1c levels between treatment (8.47%) and control (8.80%) groups. Effect sizes were larger with more females, lower body mass index, higher baseline HbA1c, and interventons targeting multiple behaviors. Conclusions: Behavior change interventions improve metabolic control in type 1 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This meta-analysis integrates primary research testing the effect of patient education to increase physical activity (PA) on behavior outcomes among adults with diverse chronic illnesses. Methods: Extensive literature searching strategies located published and unpublished intervention studies that measured PA behavior outcomes. Primary study results were coded. Fixed- and random-effects meta-analytic procedures included moderator analyses. Results: Data were synthesized across 22,527 subjects from 213 samples in 163 reports. The overall mean weighted effect size for two-group comparisons was 0.45 (higher mean for treatment than control). This effect size is consistent with a difference of 48min of PA per week or 945 steps per day. Preliminary moderator analyses suggest interventions were most effective when they targeted only PA behavior, used behavioral strategies (versus cognitive strategies), and encouraged PA self-monitoring. Differences among chronic illnesses were documented. Individual strategies unrelated to PA outcomes included supervised exercise sessions, exercise prescription, fitness testing, goal setting, contracting, problem solving, barriers management, and stimulus/cues. PA outcomes were unrelated to gender, age, ethnicity, or socioeconomic distribution among samples. Conclusion: These findings suggest that some patient education interventions to increase PA are effective, despite considerable heterogeneity in the magnitude of intervention effect. Practice implications: Moderator analyses are preliminary and provide suggestive evidence for further testing of interventions to inform practice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The purpose of this prospective descriptive study was to explore the patterns of intrasubject (between medication) adherence of two similarly timed, twice-daily medications using the Medication Event Management System® electronic monitoring cap. Medication adherence was measured for 6 months using electronic monitoring in 25 adult renal-transplant recipients. Data were available from 7,119 electronic medication events. Results indicated that two twice-daily medications scheduled to be taken simultaneously were taken within 5 min of each other 77% of the time and within 10 min, 92% of the time. When only the first scheduled dose of the day was examined, the results are 79% and 95%, respectively. These findings are important to researchers and clinicians who must evaluate medication adherence in transplant recipients while balancing cost and subject burden. This study provides empirical support for monitoring a single immunosuppressive medication electronically to estimate medication adherence with double or triple immunosuppressive drug therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article highlights some considerations for investigators designing intervention studies when selecting comparison groups. Topics mentioned include the possibility of great variability in usual care, enhancements received by minimal-intervention comparison groups to usual care conditions, and how a study using any type of control or comparison group may show efficacy of the treatment intervention.

An Editorial is presented on Peer Reviewer Criticisms of Manuscripts. Abstract includes key details about methods and results. Paper contains methods descriptions adequate for meaningful interpretation of findings. Appropriate analysis of sample variations (vs. including heterogeneous subjects without attending to sample variations known to be linked to outcome variables).

Objective: To examine interventions and outcomes of medication compliance studies in older adults. Methods: An integrated review of randomized controlled trials was completed. Results: Thirty-one of 57 studies reported significantly greater medication compliance in treatment subjects versus control subjects. Interventions included counseling, education, self-medication programs, cues and organizers, and decreasing dosing frequency. Decreasing dosing frequency and self-medication programs were successful, although not frequently evaluated. Conclusions: Future studies should address methodologic flaws (eg, small sample sizes, measurement validity issues), test theory-based interventions delivered by diverse providers, evaluate intervention dose, and examine persistence of compliance behavior changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]