Total force fitness: the military family fitness model.

The military lifestyle can create formidable challenges for military families. This article describes the Military Family Fitness Model (MFFM), a comprehensive model aimed at enhancing family fitness and resilience across the life span. This model is intended for use by Service members, their families, leaders, and health care providers but also has broader applications for all families. The MFFM has three core components: (1) family demands, (2) resources (including individual resources, family resources, and external resources), and (3) family outcomes (including related metrics). The MFFM proposes that resources from the individual, family, and external areas promote fitness, bolster resilience, and foster well-being for the family. The MFFM highlights each resource level for the purpose of improving family fitness and resilience over time. The MFFM both builds on existing family strengths and encourages the development of new family strengths through resource-acquiring behaviors. The purpose of this article is to (1) expand the military's Total Force Fitness (TFF) intent as it relates to families and (2) offer a family fitness model. This article will summarize relevant evidence, provide supportive theory, describe the model, and proffer metrics that support the dimensions of this model.

Health information sources accessed by college females: differences between body-image distorted and non-body-image distorted.

This study examined and compared sources of health-related information accessed by female college students with and without body image distortions, and the believability of those sources. Survey data from the American College Health Association, National College Health Assessment were studied retrospectively (N = 27,648). Body image distorted (BID) and non-BID students' most frequent health information sources were parents (76.1% BID; 77.1% non-BID) and internet (70.3% BID; 69.5% non-BID). Believability was greatest for health educators (90.6% BID; 91.1% non-BID) and lowest for television (14.4% BID; 14.5% non-BID). Health intervention strategies for college women should market to parents and teach recognition of credible internet sources of health information.

Perceived control moderated the self-efficacy-enhancing effects of a chronic illness self-management intervention.

OBJECTIVE: Identifying moderators of the effects of self-efficacy-enhancing interventions could improve their efficiency. We examined the effects of a home-based variant of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program on self-efficacy, and explored the moderating effects of perceived control over self-management (PCSM). METHODS: In a randomized controlled trial, patients (N= 415) aged>40 years with various chronic conditions plus basic activity impairment and/or significant depressive symptoms were randomized to one of three groups: intervention provided in homes or by telephone, v. usual care control. We used mixed effects linear models for repeated measures to examine effects on self-management self-efficacy at 6-month follow-up and explore moderation by PCSM. RESULTS: Only the home intervention had a significant self-efficacy-enhancing effect (Wald test, chi( 2) = 13.8, p = 0.008; effect size = 0.3). The effect was moderated by PCSM, considered as a continuous [effective in subjects with lower PCSM (Wald test, chi(2) = 13.4, p = 0.009)] or categorical (effective only for subjects in the lowest tercile) variable. CONCLUSIONS: People with lower PCSM appear more likely to experience enhanced self-efficacy from chronic illness self-management training than those with higher PCSM. These findings, although preliminary, suggest that office-based measurement of PCSM might identify those chronically ill patients likely to benefit most from self-management training.

High-risk health and credit behavior among 18- to 25-year-old college students.

UNLABELLED: The number of students accumulating credit card debt--and the amount of debt itself--on college campuses is increasing. If high-risk credit and health behavior are associated, health behavior interventions might apply to high-risk credit behavior. OBJECTIVE: The authors' purpose was to examine these possible associations. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: They used a retrospective design with existing data from a sample of 45,213 US college students and several ordinal regression models, which corresponded with high priority college health issues. RESULTS: Students with high-risk credit behavior were more likely to have driven after drinking, used amphetamines in the previous 30 days, felt functionally impaired by depression in the previous 12 months, had a higher body mass index (BMI), or had a lower grade-point average (GPA). They were less likely to have participated in vigorous physical activity, used condoms for oral or vaginal sex in the prior 30 days, or used marijuana. The findings support the notion that high-risk health and credit behaviors are associated. CONCLUSIONS: Further research could clarify the nature of this relation.

The relationship between physical activity and mental health in a national sample of college females.

The objective of the present analysis was to examine the relationship between vigorous/moderate or strength training exercise, and mental health in a national sample of college females. Secondary data (n = 22,073) from the National College Health Assessment administered during the Spring 2002 and 2003 semesters were used in a cross-sectional design. Depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and perceived health were the dependent variables; and two measures of weekly exercise frequency were the independent variables. Vigorous/moderate exercise was associated with positively associated perceived health and modestly negatively associated with depression. Strength training exercise was positively associated with perceived health and modestly negatively associated with depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. These findings support an association between two forms of exercise and several indicators of mental health. Additional longitudinal research is needed prior to endorsing exercise as treatment for mental disorders.

Patients' perceived barriers to active self-management of chronic conditions.

Few studies have elicited barriers to patient self-management of chronic conditions, and only one concerned people with two or more conditions. To inform development of Homing in on Health (HioH), a home delivery variant of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP), we conducted 10 focus groups involving 54 chronically ill people, 46 (85%) of whom had multiple conditions. The goals were to elicit perceived barriers to active self-management and to accessing self-management support resources. Depression, weight problems, difficulty exercising, fatigue, poor physician communication, low family support, pain, and financial problems were the most frequently noted barriers to active self-management. The most common barriers to accessing self-management support resources were lack of awareness, physical symptoms, transportation problems, and cost/lack of insurance coverage. Our findings provided initial support for the Homing in on Health approach, since many of the barriers identified may be more amenable to home-based intervention than to centralized, facility-based programs.