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Self-regulation processes assume a major role in health behaviour theory and are postulated as important mechanisms of action in behavioural interventions to improve health prevention and management. The need to better understand mechanisms of behaviour change interventions for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) called for conducting a meta-review of meta-analyses for interventions targeting self-regulation processes. The protocol, preregistered on Open Science Framework (OSF), found 15 eligible meta-analyses, published between 2006 and August 2019, which quantitatively assessed the role of self-regulatory mechanisms and behaviour change techniques (BCTs). Quality of the meta-analyses varied widely according to AMSTAR-2 criteria. Several BCTs, assumed to engage self-regulatory mechanisms, were unevenly represented in CVD meta-analytic reviews. Self-monitoring, the most frequently studied self-regulatory BCT, seemed to improve health behaviour change and health outcomes but these results merit cautious interpretation. Findings for other self-regulatory BCTs were less promising. No studies in the CVD domain directly tested engagement of self-regulation processes. A general challenge for this area stems from reliance on post-hoc tests of the effects of BCTs in multiple-component interventions. Recent advances in BCT taxonomies and the experimental medicine approach to engaging self-regulation mechanisms, however, provide opportunities to improve CVD prevention and management behavioural interventions.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), CVD-related conditions, and mental health disorders are prevalent in the US workforce. We examined associations between metabolic syndrome (METS), blood pressure (BP), and mental health indicators in 1813 employees (25.4% women; 74.6% men) from a large manufacturing firm.Employees participated in a health screen. Biometric measures were body mass index, waist circumference, BP, and fingerstick determinations of blood lipid-lipoproteins and glucose. Mental health was assessed with 5 self-reported questions regarding anger, depression, anxiety, and family and work stress. Multivariate analysis of covariance tested for differences in BP and mental health indicators in employees (370 employees with METS, and 1443 employees without).Participants were primarily middle-aged (44.8 +/- 0.3 years), overweight (27.9 +/- 0.1 kg/m(2)) men (n = 1352) and women (n = 461) with a resting BP of 122.5 +/- 0.3 mm Hg and 79.8 +/- 0.2 mm Hg, respectively. Diastolic BP (DBP) was found to be 5 mm Hg higher in men with METS compared with men who did not have METS. When questioned, men with higher DBP stated that they often experienced anxiety (n = 39; 91.0 +/- 2 mm Hg) compared with men who reported they rarely experienced anxiety (n = 112; 86.2 +/- 1.9 mm Hg) (P = 0.020). Similarly, systolic BP (SBP) tended to be 4 mm Hg higher in men with METS who stated they often experienced anxiety (n = 39; 138.9 +/- 2 mm Hg) compared with men who reported they rarely experienced anxiety (n = 112; 134.5 +/- 1.2 mm Hg) (P = 0.119). Diastolic BP tended to be 2 mm Hg higher among men with METS who stated they often experienced anger (n = 117; 89.4 +/- 0.9 mm Hg) compared with those who indicated they rarely experienced anger (n = 157; 87.3 +/- 0.8 mm Hg) (P = 0.086), and DBP was 3 mm Hg higher in men with METS who reported overwhelming work stress (n = 83; 89.7 +/- 1.1 mm Hg) compared with those reporting little work stress (n = 79; 86.6 +/- 1.2 mm Hg) (P = 0.176). In contrast, no associations were found between BP and mental health in men without METS, and in women, regardless of the presence or absence of METS (P0.05).Men with METS who reported higher levels of anxiety, anger, and work stress had higher BP than men without METS, who also reported lower levels of these mental health indicators. The METS appeared to adversely interact with BP and mental health in men at this worksite. Our findings suggest worksite health promotion programs can improve the cardiometabolic and mental health profile of US employees.

Linda S Pescatello1, Bruce E Blanchard2, Gregory J Tsongalis3, Ann A O’Connell4, Heather Gordish-Dressman5, Carl M Maresh1, Paul D Thompson61Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA; 2Department of Pathology; 3Department of Pathology, Dartmouth Medical School and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA; 4School of Educational Policy and Leadership, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; 5Research Center for Genetic Medicine, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA; 6Division of Cardiology, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT, USAAbstract: We compared the genetic and clinical profile of men who lower and do not lower blood pressure (BP) after acute aerobic exercise. Volunteers were 45 men (Mean ± SEM, 43.5 ± 1.5 yr) with high BP (145.7 ± 1.5/85.7 ± 1.1 mmHg). They completed three experiments: nonexercise control and two cycle exercise sessions at 40% and 60% peak oxygen consumption, and were then instrumented to an ambulatory BP monitor. Logistic regression determined the genetic and clinical profile of men who lowered BP after exercise (responders [ExR n = 36]); and those who did not (nonresponders [ExNR n = 9]). ExR had higher C-reactive protein (CRP), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the metabolic syndrome, family history of hypertension, more renin-angiotensin system (RAS) common alleles, and α-adducin Trp460 and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (ENOS) C786 risk alleles. ExNR had lower CRP and HDL, did not have the metabolic syndrome and a family history of hypertension, had more RAS risk alleles, and had the α-adducin Gly460Gly and ENOS T786T genotypes. This model had a sensitivity of 97.1%, specificity of 75.0%, and accounted for 46.3%–74.4% of the BP response. These results suggest genetic and clinical information may eventually be used to characterize people who do and do not respond to exercise as antihypertensive therapy.Keywords: blood pressure, genetics, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, physical activity

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of an educational intervention on the knowledge and attitudes of pre-allied health students toward older adults. The subjects were 41 pre-allied health students assigned to an intervention (n = 19) or comparison group (n = 22). The intervention group participated in a six-hour multi-modal workshop consisting of didactic lecture, group activities, and simulation activities. A posttest only quasi-experimental design over time was used. Palmore's FACTS on Aging Quiz and Kogan's Old People Scale were used to measure knowledge and attitude towards older adults one week and 10 weeks following the workshop. The intervention significantly improved knowledge in the short term (p = 0.031). No significant difference was noted between the two groups on the attitudinal surveys.

The purpose of this study was to describe the point prevalence of gait limitations among elderly women participating in community health screenings. Ninety-six community-dwelling women (mean age = 75.2 years) participated. Individuals were considered to have limitations if: (1) they self-reported their health limiting them when walking “a block,” “several blocks,” or “more than one mile,” or (2) their speed over 7.62 meters was below 1.22 meters/second. More elders were identified with limitations by self-report (n = 54) than by gait speed (n = 36). Using both methods, 66 elders (68.8%) were noted to have gait limitations. Interestingly, there was poor agreement (kappa = .152) between self-report and gait speed as indicators of gait limitations. Thirty women who reported walking limitations did not appear limited by virtue of the speed test and 12 women who reported no limitations did not surpass the speed criterion. If nonobvious limitations are to be identified in women attending health screenings, both...

The purpose of this study was to garner expert opinion from health care (HC) (n = 68) and non-HC (n = 15) managers on the issues likely to impact the work of entry level physical therapists and qualities for employment success. Students enrolled in a professional phase physical therapy (PT) course conducted 83 manager interviews. The authors arrived at consensus regarding manager opinions on important HC issues and qualities for employment success with a modified Delphi technique. The Chi-square test was used to determine if HC issues and employment qualities differed among the managers' professions and settings. PT managers (n = 50) found ancillary staff use to be a more important HC issue than did other HC managers (n = 18), 68.0% versus 27.8%, respectively (p = 0.009). Otherwise, PT managers were similar to other HC managers in their opinions on the pertinent HC issues. HC managers reported business skills to be not as essential for career success as non-HC managers did (n = 15), 22.1% versus 66.7%, re...