Exercise in the Treatment of Addiction: A Systematic Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Exercise has been recognized as a promising and emerging treatment for individuals recovering from addiction. The purpose of this article was to systematically review scientific studies using exercise as a means to improve, sustain, or treat addictions, and to provide suggestions for the future use of exercise as a treatment method for addiction. METHODS: Using PRISMA guidelines, a database search was conducted for articles that tested the impact of exercise interventions on addiction-related outcomes. To be included, peer-reviewed experimental design studies had to use human subjects to investigate the relationship between exercise and the treatment of or recovery from addiction. Garrard's Matrix Method was used to extract data from reviewed articles (n = 53). RESULTS: Nearly three quarters of the studies reviewed documented a significant change in addiction-related outcomes (e.g., more days abstinent, reduced cravings) in response to exercise exposure, particularly while someone was receiving treatment at an in or outpatient clinic. Many studies investigated the effect of acute bouts of exercise on nicotine dependence, and many studies had small sample sizes, leaving room for future research on how exercise might benefit people recovering from substance and process addictions. CONCLUSION: Results affirm that exercise can be a helpful aspect of addiction treatment. Future researchers should investigate different exercise settings (e.g., group-based exercise vs individual) and explore exercise maintenance and the long-term outcomes following discharge from treatment facilities.

Supporting and Enabling the Process of Innovation in Public Health: The Framework for Public Health Innovation.

This manuscript introduces a new framework for creating innovations in public health-the Framework for Public Health Innovation. The framework was developed through a longitudinal qualitative research study that investigated the process of creating innovative adolescent health programs. Interviews were conducted with a national sample of 26 organizations over two time points. Data collection focused on the process of innovative program development; organizational capacity; training; and technical assistance needs, successes, and barriers. The framework was developed and modified based on interview findings and expert advice; then, the final framework was validated with content experts. The framework illustrates a dynamic process of innovation that begins with dissatisfaction with the status quo, and then, illustrates three necessary components for innovation-space, process, and partnerships. Four categories of innovation, which range in complexity, are proposed: (1) creating a new component to an existing program, (2) adapting an existing program to meet new needs, (3) taking an alternative approach to addressing an existing program, and (4) reframing a health problem from a new perspective. As illustrated by a feedback loop, the resulting innovations disrupt the status quo. This model can be applied to any content area in public health and is useful for both research and practitioners.

COVID-19 among LGBTQ+ individuals living with HIV/AIDS: psycho-social challenges and care options.

Prolonged social isolation during the COVID-19 lockdown has adversely impacted the mental, social, and physical wellbeing of the global populace. Coping with mental and physical stressors amidst the global lockdown is especially strenuous for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and more (LGBT+) community, who are frequently subjected to social stigma and minority stress. Systematic stigma and discrimination place LGBT+ individuals at higher risk for deleterious behaviors, such as substance abuse (e.g., injection drug use, smoking, alcohol) and risky sexual practices (e.g., anal/vaginal/oral sex). Maladaptive coping behaviors consequently increase the chances of HIV/AIDS risk among LGBT+ individuals, compared to heterosexual individuals. LGBT+ individuals Living with HIV/AIDS perpetually face higher rates of unemployment, income disparity, and intimate partner violence. Prolonged home confinement, and impaired accessibility to healthcare, legal, and criminal justice services during lockdown may deplete the quality of life of LGBT+ individuals Living with HIV/AIDS. Therefore, it is critical that multidisciplinary service providers, including health professionals, employers, social services providers, educational institutions and community organizations, move toward online service delivery, so that homebound HIV-positive LGBT+ individuals are secured with a wide range of care options. Non-judgemental, tele-counseling may bridge the gap to mental health services. Community clinics catering to HIV-positive and/or LGBT+ clients may consider precociously supplying essential amenities, such as Preexposure (PrEP)/postexposure prophylaxis (PEP), condoms, emergency contraception, and sterile needles. Lastly, efforts directed at the sustenance of at-risk/HIV-positive LGBT+ health should persevere, even after the pandemic.

Network Analysis of the Social Environment Relative to Preference for and Tolerance of Exercise Intensity in CrossFit Gyms.

Known for its ability to improve fitness and health, high-intensity functional training (HIFT) focuses on functional movements completed at high intensities, often yielding outcomes superior to repetitive aerobic workouts. Preference for and tolerance of high-intensity exercise are associated with enjoyment of and adherence to HIFT. Similarly, the social environment present within CrossFit, a popular group-based HIFT modality, is important to the enjoyment of and adherence to HIFT. This study aimed to test whether preference and tolerance were related to social connections within CrossFit networks. Linear network autocorrelation models (LNAMs) and exponential random graph models (ERGMs) were computed on sociometric and attribute data from members of three CrossFit networks (n = 197). LNAMs showed the preference and tolerance scores of someone's social connections were associated with their own in all three gyms, and ERGMs demonstrated preference and tolerance scores were associated with the presence of social ties within all networks. This study is the first to provide evidence for a relationship between social connections and preference and tolerance. Future longitudinal research is needed to determine if the social environment may influence and optimize a person's preference of and tolerance for HIFT.

A pilot study using egocentric network analysis to assess holistic health benefits among a sample of university employees involved in a worksite fitness program.

BACKGROUND: Working adults in the United States often do not engage in enough exercise to experience health benefits. With workplaces becoming increasingly sedentary, more emphasis is placed on providing exercise opportunities at work. Evidence suggests participating in exercise during the workday and socially connecting with others while exercising, can lead to positive health outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to examine whether mental and social health factors were related to increased exercise among employees participating in a worksite group exercise program. METHODS: An egocentric network analysis was conducted on a sample of university employees (n = 57). RESULTS: Regression analyses (Adjusted R2 = 0.501, F = 4.686, p = 0.001) suggest that depression (ß= -0.548, p = 0.041), stress (ß= 0.530, p = 0.016), nominating alters who exercise similarly (ß= 0.326, t = 2.111, p = 0.045), average exercise scores across egonetworks (ß= -0.330, t = -2.135, p = 0.043), and nominating other group exercise members (ß= 0.579, t = 3.721, p = 0.001) were related to physical activity scores. CONCLUSION: These findings provide empirical support for using group exercise environments as a mechanism for increasing exercise among employees. Specifically, fostering social connections between employees involved in the program can lead to greater physical activity scores. Future research should confirm these results in larger samples, along with determining more causal relationships with longitudinal and experimental designs.