All in the Family: A Qualitative Study of the Early Experiences of Adults with Younger Onset Type 2 Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: Adults with type 2 diabetes diagnosed at a younger age are at increased risk for poor outcomes. We examined life stage-related facilitators and barriers to early self-management among younger adults with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted 6 focus groups that each met twice between November 2017 and May 2018. Participants (n = 41) were aged 21 to 44 years and diagnosed with type 2 diabetes during the prior 2 years. Transcripts were coded using thematic analysis and themes were mapped to the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behavior framework. RESULTS: Participants were 38.4 (±5.8) years old; 10 self-identified as Latinx, 12 as Black, 12 as White, and 7 as multiple or other races. We identified 9 themes that fell into 2 categories: (1) the impact of having an adult family member with diabetes, and (2) the role of nonadult children. Family members with diabetes served as both positive and negative role models, and, for some, personal familiarity with the disease made adjusting to the diagnosis easier. Children facilitated their parents' self-management by supporting self-management activities and motivating their parents to remain healthy. However, the stress and time demands resulting from parental responsibilities and the tendency to prioritize children's needs were perceived as barriers to self-management. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight how the life position of younger-onset individuals with type 2 diabetes influences their early experiences. Proactively addressing perceived barriers to and facilitators of self-management in the context of family history and parenthood may aid in efforts to support these high-risk, younger patients.

Screening for Interpersonal Violence: Missed Opportunities and Potential Harms.

INTRODUCTION: Screening for interpersonal violence is used in healthcare settings to identify patients experiencing violence. However, using unvalidated screening tools may misclassify patients' experience with violence. The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation adapted a previously validated intimate partner violence screening tool for use in assessing interpersonal violence and retained the tool's original scoring rubric, despite the new tool's broader scope. This study evaluates the scoring system for detecting safety concerns. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample of adult patients and caregivers of pediatric patients at 7 primary care clinics and 4 emergency departments (2018-2019). Surveys included the adapted 4-item Hurt Insult Threat Scream tool. Questions are scored by frequency on a Likert scale (1=never; 5=frequently). Scores of 11-20 are considered positive for safety concerns. Two-sided Fisher's exact tests were used for descriptive analyses. Data analyses occurred in 2019-2020. RESULTS: Of 1,014 participants, 66 (6.5%) reported any frequency of physical violence. Of these, 54 (81.8%) did not reach the threshold score of 11. Of the 1,014 participants, 93 (9.2%) reported any frequency of physical violence or being threatened with harm; 76 of 93 participants (81.7%) scored <11. CONCLUSIONS: Using the original scoring criteria for the adapted Hurt Insult Threat Scream, >80% of participants reporting physical violence did not screen positive for potential safety concerns. The scoring criteria did not reliably identify participants experiencing or at high risk for violence. To improve patient safety, the adapted Hurt Insult Threat Scream scoring rubric should be updated on the basis of stakeholder input and additional validation studies.

Self-management support for chronic disease in primary care: frequency of patient self-management problems and patient reported priorities, and alignment with ultimate behavior goal selection.

BACKGROUND: To enable delivery of high quality patient-centered care, as well as to allow primary care health systems to allocate appropriate resources that align with patients' identified self-management problems (SM-Problems) and priorities (SM-Priorities), a practical, systematic method for assessing self-management needs and priorities is needed. In the current report, we present patient reported data generated from Connection to Health (CTH), to identify the frequency of patients' reported SM-Problems and SM-Priorities; and examine the degree of alignment between patient SM-Priorities and the ultimate Patient-Healthcare team member selected Behavioral Goal. METHODS: CTH, an electronic self-management support system, was embedded into the flow of existing primary care visits in 25 primary care clinics and was used to assess patient-reported SM-Problems across 12 areas, patient identified SM-Priorities, and guide the selection of a Patient-Healthcare team member selected Behavioral Goal. SM-Problems included: BMI, diet (fruits and vegetables, salt, fat, sugar sweetened beverages), physical activity, missed medications, tobacco and alcohol use, health-related distress, general life stress, and depression symptoms. Descriptive analyses documented SM-Problems and SM-Priorities, and alignment between SM-Priorities and Goal Selection, followed by mixed models adjusting for clinic. RESULTS: 446 participants with ≥ one chronic diseases (mean age 55.4 ± 12.6; 58.5% female) participated. On average, participants reported experiencing challenges in 7 out of the 12 SM-Problems areas; with the most frequent problems including: BMI, aspects of diet, and physical activity. Patient SM-Priorities were variable across the self-management areas. Patient- Healthcare team member Goal selection aligned well with patient SM-Priorities when patients prioritized weight loss or physical activity, but not in other self-management areas. CONCLUSION: Participants reported experiencing multiple SM-Problems. While patients show great variability in their SM-Priorities, the resulting action plan goals that patients create with their healthcare team member show a lack of diversity, with a disproportionate focus on weight loss and physical activity with missed opportunities for using goal setting to create targeted patient-centered plans focused in other SM-Priority areas. Aggregated results can assist with the identification of high frequency patient SM-Problems and SM-Priority areas, and in turn inform resource allocation to meet patient needs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01945918 .

Practice Characteristics Associated with Better Implementation of Patient Self-Management Support.

BACKGROUND: Advanced primary care models emphasize patient-centered care, including self-management support (SMS). This study aimed to promote the translation of SMS into primary care practices and reported on key baseline practice characteristics that may impact SMS implementation. METHODS: Thirty-six practices in Colorado and California participated in the study from December 2013 to March 2017. Practice administrators completed a Practice Information Form describing practice characteristics. Clinicians and staff (n = 716) completed the Practice Culture Assessment and the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Monitor. Descriptive statistics were computed to determine practice characteristics related to culture, quality improvement, level of PCMH, and SMS implementation. Field notes and key informant interviews provided contextual details about practices. Iterative qualitative analyses identified important facilitators and barriers and change capabilities around SMS implementation. RESULTS: In bivariate analyses, rural locations, fewer uncontrolled patients with diabetes, higher Medicaid or uninsured populations, underserved designation, and higher level of "PCMHness" were associated with greater reported implementation of patient SMS (all P < .05) at baseline. In the final multilevel model, specialty (FM vs mixed, P = .0081), rural location (P = .0109), and higher percent Medicaid (P < .0001) were associated with greater SMS. Practices described key facilitators (alignment, motivation, a visible champion, supporting infrastructure, and functional quality improvement and care teams) and barriers (no shared vision, no visible champion, siloed infrastructure, competing programs, turnover, and time constraints) to improving SMS delivery. CONCLUSIONS: Careful attention-and action-on key practice characteristics and context may create more favorable initial conditions for practice change efforts to improve SMS in primary care practices.

A Cluster Randomized Trial Comparing Strategies for Translating Self-Management Support into Primary Care Practices.

INTRODUCTION: Self-management support (SMS) is a key factor in diabetes care, but true SMS has not been widely adopted by primary care practices. Interactive behavior-change technology (IBCT) can provide efficient methods for adoption of SMS in primary care. Practice facilitation has been effective in assisting practices in implementing complex evidence-based interventions, such as SMS. This study was designed to study the incremental impact of practice education, the Connection to Health (CTH) IBCT tool, and practice facilitation as approaches to enhance the translation of SMS for patients with diabetes in primary care practices. METHODS: A cluster-randomized trial compared the effectiveness of 3 implementation strategies for enhancing SMS for patients with diabetes in 36 primary care practices: 1) SMS education (SMS-ED); 2) SMS-ED plus CTH availability (CTH); and 3) SMS-ED, CTH availability, plus brief practice facilitation (CTH + PF). Outcomes including hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels and SMS activities were assessed at 18 months post study initiation in a random sample of patients through medical record reviews. RESULTS: A total of 488 patients enrolled in the CTH system (141 CTH, 347 CTH + PF). In the intent-to-treat analysis of patients with medical record reviews, HbA1c slopes did not differ between study arms (CTH vs SMS-ED: P = .2243, CTH + PF vs SMS-ED: P = .8601). However, patients from practices in the CTH + PF arm who used CTH showed significantly improved HbA1c trajectories over time compared with patients from SMS-ED practices (P = .0422). SMS activities were significantly increased in CTH and CTH + PF study arms compared with SMS-ED (CTH vs SMS-ED: P = .0223, CTH + PF vs SMS-ED: P = .0013). The impact of CTH on SMS activities was a significant mediator of the impact of the CTH and CTH + PF interventions on HbA1c. CONCLUSION: An interactive behavior change technology tool such as CTH can increase primary care practice SMS activities and improve patient HbA1c levels. Even brief practice facilitation assists practices in implementing SMS.

Recruiting Primary Care Practices for Research: Reflections and Reminders.

BACKGROUND: Recruiting primary care practices for research projects has always required carefully tended relationships, a compelling message, and good timing. Recruiting practices to participate in practice transformation research trials may take more and different efforts. We reflect on practice recruitment for a recently-concluded trial of a diabetes self-management support system in 2 states and 36 practices. METHODS: Iterative qualitative analysis of field notes, semistructured clinician and staff interviews, and meeting notes from a 2-state, cluster-randomized trial that aimed to improve self-management support for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. RESULTS: Although all 36 enrolled practices finished the study, fully recruiting practices early on took considerable effort, yielding 2 primary lessons: 1) practice-based research networks (PBRNs) must recruit more stakeholders at more levels, at the clinic, in the system, and across roles; and 2) practice recruitment is a process and may take longer than expected with unplanned turnover of key contacts. Adjusting our recruitment strategies required: helping with communication efforts in practices; aligning our study message according to stakeholders' interests; allowing for minor adaptations at the practice-level to align with critical practice workflows, staffing, and resources; re-engaging with clinical leadership over time; and identifying a "backup" champion due to turnover. CONCLUSIONS: When undertaking a pragmatic clinical trial requiring substantial practice change in a PBRN setting across a large number of practices, it is important that PBRN leaders develop a comprehensive strategy to identify and engage a broad group of stakeholders within each practice, understand their needs and priorities around research, and design and implement a structured communications strategy to maintain engagement throughout every phase of the project.

A protocol for a cluster randomized trial comparing strategies for translating self-management support into primary care practices.

BACKGROUND: Advanced primary care models emphasize patient-centered care, including self-management support (SMS), but the effective use of SMS for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) remains a challenge. Interactive behavior-change technology (IBCT) can facilitate the adoption of SMS interventions. To meet the need for effective SMS intervention, we have developed Connection to Health (CTH), a comprehensive, evidence-based SMS program that enhances interactions between primary care clinicians and patients to resolve self-management problems and improve outcomes. Uptake and maintenance of programs such as CTH in primary care have been limited by the inability of practices to adapt and implement program components into their culture, patient flow, and work processes. Practice facilitation has been shown to be effective in helping practices make the changes required for optimal program implementation. The proposed research is designed to promote the translation of SMS into primary care practices for patients with T2DM by combining two promising lines of research, specifically, (a) testing the effectiveness of CTH in diverse primary-care practices, and (b) evaluating the impact of practice facilitation to enhance implementation of the intervention. METHODS: A three-arm, cluster-randomized trial will evaluate three discrete strategies for implementing SMS for patients with T2DM in diverse primary care practices. Practices will be randomly assigned to receive and implement the CTH program, the CTH program plus practice facilitation, or a SMS academic detailing educational intervention. Through this design, we will compare the effectiveness, adoption and implementation of these three SMS practice implementation strategies. Primary effectiveness outcomes including lab values and evidence of SMS will be abstracted from medical records covering baseline through 18 months post-baseline. Data from CTH assessments and action plans completed by patients enrolled in CTH will be used to evaluate practice implementation of CTH and the impact of CTH participation. Qualitative data including field notes from encounters with the practices and interviews of practice personnel will be analyzed to assess practice implementation of SMS. DISCUSSION: This study will provide important information on the implementation of SMS in primary care, the effectiveness of an IBCT tool such as CTH, and the use of practice facilitation to assist implementation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered with ClinicalTrials.gov - ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01945918 , date 08/27/2013. Modifications have been updated.

Motivation and attitudes toward changing health (MATCH): A new patient-reported measure to inform clinical conversations.

OBJECTIVE: To identify and assess patient motivation to initiate or maintain behavior changes. METHODS: Attitudinal statements were developed from structured patient interviews and translated into 18 survey items. Items were analyzed with exploratory factor analysis (EFA). RESULTS: An EFA with 340 type 2 diabetes patients identified three areas of patient attitudes toward changing health behaviors: (1) willingness to make changes (3 items; α = 0.69), (2) perceived ability to make or maintain changes (3 items; α = 0.74), and (3) and feeling changes are worthwhile (3 items; α = 0.61). Greater perceived ability and feelings of worthwhileness were associated with positive psychosocial and behavioral management indicators. All three areas were associated with confidence and attitudes toward making a specific behavioral change (e.g., improve diet). CONCLUSIONS: MATCH is an internally consistent and valid 9-item scale that provides a profile of factors influencing motivation that can be used in clinical and research settings.

The Effects of Sexual Victimization History, Acute Alcohol Intoxication, and Level of Consensual Sex on Responses to Sexual Assault in a Hypothetical Scenario.

Assertive resistance to sexual assault can decrease the likelihood of completed rape and its subsequent aftermath; however, this relationship may be influenced by situational characteristics. This study examined how 2 manipulated variables, level of consensual sex during an encounter and acute alcohol intoxication, along with sexual victimization history, affected women's responses to a hypothetical sexual assault scenario. Female participants were assigned to a drink condition (alcohol/control) and to a consent history condition (low/high). Path analysis found that women who were previously victimized, consumed alcohol, and who were in the high consent condition endorsed greater immobility intentions during the assault; only level of consent predicted likelihood of assertive resistance. Resistance strategies were related to subsequent responding. Results suggest that interventions should seek to decrease negative consequences by empowering women to assertively resist unwanted sexual advances.

Health and Psychosocial Outcomes of a Telephonic Couples Behavior Change Intervention in Patients With Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare glycemic control and secondary outcomes of a 4-month telephonic couples behavioral intervention to individual intervention, and to education, for adults with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A randomized trial with the following three arms: couples calls (CC) (n = 104); individual calls (IC) (n = 94); and diabetes education (DE) (n = 82). All arms had self-management education (two calls). CC and IC had 10 additional behavior change calls. CC addressed collaboration and relationships/communication. Participants consisted of 280 couples, among whom one partner had type 2 diabetes and an A1C level ≥7.5%. Blinded assessments occurred at 4, 8, and 12 months. The primary outcome was change in A1C; and secondary outcomes were BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, depressive symptoms, diabetes self-efficacy, and diabetes distress. RESULTS: Patients had a mean age of 56.8 years; 61.6% were male, and 30.4% were minorities. The baseline mean A1C level was 9.1%. Intention-to-treat analyses found significant A1C reductions for all (12 months: CC -0.47%, IC -0.52%, DE -0.57%), with no differences between arms. Preplanned within-arm analyses were stratified by baseline A1C tertiles: lowest tertile (7.5-8.2%), no change from baseline; middle tertile (8.3-9.2%), only CC led to significantly lower A1C level; and highest tertile (≥9.3%), significant improvement for all interventions. For BMI, CC showed significant improvement, and CC and DE led to decreased waist circumference. The IC group showed greater blood pressure improvement. Results for secondary psychosocial outcomes favored the CC group. CONCLUSIONS: In adults with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes, a collaborative couples intervention resulted in significant, lasting improvement in A1C levels, obesity measures, and some psychosocial outcomes. For those with exceedingly high A1C levels, education alone was beneficial, but additional intervention is needed to achieve glycemic targets.

Understanding the sources of diabetes distress in adults with type 1 diabetes.

AIMS: To identify the unique sources of diabetes distress (DD) for adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D). METHODS: Sources of DD were developed from qualitative interviews with 25 T1D adults and 10 diabetes health care providers. Survey items were then developed and analyzed using both exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory CFA) analyses on two patient samples. Construct validity was assessed by correlations with depressive symptoms (PHQ8), complications, HbA1C, BMI, and hypoglycemia worry scale (HWS). Scale cut-points were created using multiple regression. RESULTS: An EFA with 305 U.S. participants yielded 7 coherent, reliable sources of distress that were replicated by a CFA with 109 Canadian participants: Powerlessness, Negative Social Perceptions, Physician Distress, Friend/Family Distress, Hypoglycemia Distress, Management Distress, Eating Distress. Prevalence of DD was high with 41.6% reporting at least moderate DD. Higher DD was reported for women, those with complications, poor glycemic control, younger age, without a partner, and non-White patients. CONCLUSIONS: We identified a profile of seven major sources of DD among T1D using a newly developed assessment instrument. The prevalence of DD is high and is related to glycemic control and several patient demographic and disease-related patient characteristics, arguing for a need to address DD in clinical care.

Diabetes peer coaching: do "better patients" make better coaches?

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify characteristics of peer coaches associated with improvement in diabetes control among low-income patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Low-income patients with type 2 diabetes who spoke English or Spanish from 6 urban clinics in San Francisco, California, were invited to participate in the study. Twenty participants received training and provided peer coaching to 109 patients over a 6-month peer coaching intervention. Primary outcome was average change in patient glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C). Characteristics of peer coaches included age, gender, years with diabetes, A1C, body mass index (BMI), levels of diabetes-related distress, self-efficacy in diabetes self-management, and depression. RESULTS: Patient improvement in A1C was associated with having a coach with a lower sense of self-efficacy in diabetes management (P < .001), higher level of diabetes-related distress (P = .01), and lower depression score (P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: Coach characteristics are associated with patient success in improving A1C. "Better" levels of coach diabetes self-efficacy and distress were not helpful and, in fact, were associated with less improvement in patient A1C, suggesting that some coach uncertainty about his or her own diabetes might foster improved patient self-management. These coach characteristics should be considered when recruiting peer coaches.

Health and psychosocial outcomes in U.S. adult patients with diabetes from diverse ethnicities.

Within the United States, diabetes is a serious public health concern and patients with diabetes are more likely to experience clinical depression, psychological distress, and depressive symptoms than those without. Negative psychosocial factors are associated with poorer diabetes management and glycemic control. Overall, both the rates of diabetes and related psychological distress are greater for persons of diverse ethnicities than for non-Latino whites, and have reached epidemic proportions in certain groups. The following article will provide an overview across ethnicities of the rates of diabetes, health outcomes, psychosocial outcomes, and unique cultural and linguistic challenges that contribute to disparities within US diabetes patients of diverse ethnicities. Using this information, our hope is that health care practitioners and researchers alike can better respond to the psychosocial needs of ethnically diverse patients.

When is diabetes distress clinically meaningful?: establishing cut points for the Diabetes Distress Scale.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the pattern of relationships between the 17-item Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS17) and diabetes variables to establish scale cut points for high distress among patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Recruited were 506 study 1 and 392 study 2 adults with type 2 diabetes from community medical groups. Multiple regression equations associated the DDS17, a 17-item scale that yields a mean-item score, with HbA(1c), diabetes self-efficacy, diet, and physical activity. Associations also were undertaken for the two-item DDS (DDS2) screener. Analyses included control variables, linear, and quadratic (curvilinear) DDS terms. RESULTS: Significant quadratic effects occurred between the DDS17 and each diabetes variable, with increases in distress associated with poorer outcomes: study 1 HbA(1c) (P < 0.02), self-efficacy (P < 0.001), diet (P < 0.001), physical activity (P < 0.04); study 2 HbA(1c) (P < 0.03), self-efficacy (P < 0.004), diet (P < 0.04), physical activity (P = NS). Substantive curvilinear associations with all four variables in both studies began at unexpectedly low levels of DDS17: the slope increased linearly between scores 1 and 2, was more muted between 2 and 3, and reached a maximum between 3 and 4. This suggested three patient subgroups: little or no distress, <2.0; moderate distress, 2.0-2.9; high distress, ≥3.0. Parallel findings occurred for the DDS2. CONCLUSIONS: In two samples of type 2 diabetic patients we found a consistent pattern of curvilinear relationships between the DDS and HbA(1c), diabetes self-efficacy, diet, and physical activity. The shape of these relationships suggests cut points for three patient groups: little or no, moderate, and high distress.

Psychosocial correlates of HIV-monoinfection and HIV/HCV-coinfection among men who have sex with men.

Rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) among HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) appear to be high and rising. In other demographic groups, HIV/HCV-coinfection is associated with poor physical and psychological outcomes. In this study, we examined health-related and psychosocial correlates of HIV/HCV-coinfection in a clinic sample of MSM. Cross-sectional data were collected from 171 MSM. One-third of the sample was coinfected. Higher rates of depressive and PTSD symptoms were observed in coinfected patients. Coinfected men were more likely to report perfect 30-day medication adherence, but exhibited lower CD4 cell counts and more past year emergency room visits. Despite consistent engagement with care and higher rates of medication adherence, HIV/HCV-coinfected MSM exhibited significantly more mental health problems. Medical and mental health providers should be especially attentive to the mental health status of HIV/HCV-coinfected MSM, despite adequate health behaviors and physical health status.

Patient age: a neglected factor when considering disease management in adults with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: The average age at diagnosis for type 2 diabetes is decreasing. However, because age is most often controlled for in clinical research, little is known regarding how adult age is associated with diabetes disease-related variables. METHODS: In a community based study with type 2 diabetes patients (N=506), after adjusting for potentially confounding variables, we examined associations between patients' age and: stress, depression, diabetes-related distress, self-efficacy, diet, exercise, and glycemic control. We then explored to what extent age interacts with these variables in their association with glycemic control. RESULTS: Younger age was independently associated with: greater chronic stress and negative life events, higher levels of diabetes-related distress, higher depressed affect, eating healthier foods and exercising less frequently, lower diabetes self-efficacy, and higher HbA1c. Interactions showed that younger patients with high stress and/or low self-efficacy were more likely to have higher HbA1c levels than older patients. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest younger adult patients with type 2 diabetes represent a unique patient subgroup with specific needs and health risks based on their developmental stage and life context. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Treatment programs need to target younger adult patients and may need to utilize different media or modalities (e.g., social media) to reach this group.

Using the Teamlet Model to improve chronic care in an academic primary care practice.

BACKGROUND: Team care can improve management of chronic conditions, but implementing a team approach in an academic primary care clinic presents unique challenges. OBJECTIVES: To implement and evaluate the Teamlet Model, which uses health coaches working with primary care physicians to improve care for patients with diabetes and/or hypertension in an academic practice. DESIGN: Process and outcome measures were compared before and during the intervention in patients seen with the Teamlet Model and in a comparison patient group. PARTICIPANTS: First year family medicine residents, medical assistants, health workers, and adult patients with either type 2 diabetes or hypertension in a large public health clinic. INTERVENTION: Health coaches, in coordination with resident primary care physicians, met with patients before and after clinic visits and called patients between visits. MEASUREMENTS: Measurement of body mass index, assessment of smoking status, and formulation of a self-management plan prior to and during the intervention period for patients in the Teamlet Model group. Testing for LDL and HbA1C and the proportion of patients at goal for blood pressure, LDL, and HbA1C in the Teamlet Model and comparison groups in the year prior to and during implementation. RESULTS: Teamlet patients showed improvement in all measures, though improvement was significant only for smoking, BMI, and self-management plan documentation and testing for LDL (p = 0.02), with a trend towards significance for LDL at goal (p = 0.07). Teamlet patients showed a greater, but non-significant, increase in the proportion of patients tested for HbA1C and proportion reaching goal for blood pressure, HgbA1C, and LDL compared to the comparison group patients. The difference for blood pressure was marginally significant (p = 0.06). In contrast, patients in the comparison group were significantly more likely to have had testing for LDL (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The Teamlet Model may improve chronic care in academic primary care practices.

Domestic violence and longitudinal associations with children's physiological regulation abilities.

The present study examined the impact of domestic violence (DV) on children's emotion regulation abilities measured via baseline vagal tone (VT). Specifically, the authors examined the relationship between DV exposure and children's regulatory functioning over time, investigating whether DV exposure was related to the trajectory of children's physiological regulatory abilities from the preschool period to middle childhood. Covariates, including marital dissatisfaction and conduct-problem status, along with potential gender differences, were examined. Though all children increased in baseline VT from Time 1 to Time 2, children exposed to DV displayed less increase in baseline VT over time as compared to nonexposed children. Results in terms of the long-term outcomes of DV on children and implications for interventions were taken into consideration and discussed in the article.

Mental health pathways from interpersonal violence to health-related outcomes in HIV-positive sexual minority men.

OBJECTIVE: We examined mental health pathways between interpersonal violence (IPV) and health-related outcomes in HIV-positive sexual minority men engaged with medical care. METHOD: HIV-positive gay and bisexual men (N = 178) were recruited for this cross-sectional study from 2 public HIV primary care clinics that treated outpatients in an urban setting. Participants (M age = 44.1 years, 36% non-White) filled out a computer-assisted survey and had health-related data extracted from their electronic medical records. We used structural equation modeling to test associations among the latent factors of adult abuse and partner violence (each comprising indicators of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse) and the measured variables: viral load, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), HIV medication adherence, and emergency room (ER) visits. Mediation was tested for the latent construct mental health problems, comprising depression, anxiety, symptomatology of posttraumatic stress disorder, and suicidal ideation. RESULTS: The final model demonstrated acceptable fit, chi(2)(123) = 157.05, p = .02, CFI = .95, TLI = .94, RMSEA = .04, SRMR = .06, accounting for significant portions of the variance in viral load (13%), HRQOL (41%), adherence (7%), and ER visits (9%), as well as the latent variable mental health problems (24%). Only 1 direct link emerged: a positive association between adult abuse and ER visits. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate a significant role of IPV and mental health problems in the health of people living with HIV/AIDS. HIV care providers should assess for IPV history and mental health problems in all patients and refer for evidence-based psychosocial treatments that include a focus on health behaviors.

College women's sexual decision making: cognitive mediation of alcohol expectancy effects.

OBJECTIVE: Alcohol has been linked to a variety of risky sexual practices, including inconsistent condom use. Due to the high rates of alcohol consumption among underage college women, greater understanding of the role of alcohol in young women's sexual decision making is warranted. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Female underage (18- to 20-year-old) social drinkers (N = 94) participated in an experiment in which they projected themselves into a written hypothetical sexual situation with a new partner. One half of the situations portrayed alcohol consumption; one half did not involve alcohol consumption. Their appraisals of the situation's sexual potential, impelling and inhibiting cognitions, and sexual behavior intentions were assessed. RESULTS: Results revealed that alcohol's expectancy effects on young women's unprotected sexual intentions were mediated by their cognitive appraisals of the situation. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that alcohol expectancies and their influence on women's sexual decisions should be incorporated into sexual risk reduction efforts.