The role of self-compassion and its individual components in adaptive responses to dietary lapses.

Dietary lapses (i.e., instances of dietary non-adherence) are common during weight loss attempts, and compromise success in two ways: increasing caloric intake and demoralizing the participant, sometimes leading them to abandon their weight control goals altogether. Efforts to understand and prevent demoralization have received almost no research attention. Self-compassion has high potential to promote adaptive responses to these setbacks because it reframes "failure" and promotes self-improvement. Past research shows that when participants experience a lapse, those practicing higher self-compassion report higher self-efficacy and intentions to continue dieting. The current study extended this literature to examine whether self-compassion in response to a lapse would predict lower likelihood of a subsequent same-day lapse and greater reports of perceived control over weight management behaviors. We also examined whether the individual facets of self-compassion, including self-kindness (treating oneself the way one would a friend); common humanity (the understanding that everyone has struggles); and mindfulness (non-judgmental awareness of thoughts and feelings) are associated with these outcomes. Participants (N = 140) enrolled in a behavioral weight loss trial completed 6 ecological momentary assessment (EMA) surveys a day for seven days. Total self-compassion and each facet of self-compassion individually were all associated with less negative affect after a lapse. None of the self-compassion variables predicted the likelihood of participants reporting a lapse again that day. However, higher total self-compassion and higher self-kindness after a lapse were both associated with greater perceived self-control over weight management behaviors in the hours following. Common humanity and mindfulness, respectively, were not associated with reports of perceived control. Results suggest that self-compassion following dieting setbacks may prevent goal disengagement, and that self-kindness is the facet most strongly associated with adaptive responses to these setbacks.

Momentary predictors of dietary lapse from a mobile health weight loss intervention.

Identifying factors that influence risk of dietary lapses (i.e., instances of dietary non-adherence) is important because lapses contribute to suboptimal weight loss outcomes. Existing research examining lapse risk factors has had methodological limitations, including retrospective recall biases, subjective operationalizations of lapse, and has investigated lapses among participants in gold-standard behavioral weight loss programs (which are not accessible to most Americans). The current study will address these limitations by being the first to prospectively assess several risk factors of lapse (objectively operationalized) in the context of a commercial mobile health (mHealth) intervention, a highly popular and accessible method of weight loss. N = 159 adults with overweight or obesity enrolled in an mHealth commercial weight loss program completed ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) of 15 risk factors and lapses (defined as exceeding a point target for a meal/snack) over a 2-week period. N = 9 participants were excluded due to low EMA compliance, resulting in a sample of N = 150. Dietary lapses were predicted by momentary increases in urges to deviate from one's eating plan (b = .55, p < .001), cravings (b = .55, p < .001), alcohol consumption (b = .51, p < .001), and tiredness (b = .19, p < .001), and decreases in confidence related to meeting dietary goals (b = -.21, p < .001) and planning food intake (b = -.15, p < .001). This study was among the first to identify prospective predictors of lapse in the context of a commercial mHealth weight loss program. Findings can inform mHealth weight loss programs, including just-in-time interventions that measure these risk factors, calculate when risk of lapse is high, and deliver momentary interventions to prevent lapses.

Associations between fear of weight gain and exercise in binge-spectrum eating disorders.

PURPOSE: Maladaptive exercise (i.e., exercise that is either driven or compensatory) is thought to momentarily down-regulate elevated fear of weight gain (FOWG). However, little research has examined associations between FOWG and exercise, and no research has measured FOWG at a momentary level or considered exercise type (i.e., maladaptive vs. adaptive). Thus, we examined both within- and between-subject associations between FOWG and exercise among individuals with trans-diagnostic binge eating. METHODS: We recruited treatment-seeking adults (N = 58, 82.9% female) to complete a 7-14-day ecological momentary assessment protocol which assessed levels of FOWG and exercise engagement and type. Mixed models and generalized estimating equations assessed within-subject associations, and linear regression assessed between-subject associations. RESULTS: There was no main effect of FOWG on exercise engagement at the next survey. However, unexpectedly, exercise type moderated this relationship such that the relationship between FOWG and exercise was strongest for episodes of adaptive exercise. Overall exercise frequency accounted for 10.4% of the variance in FOWG and exercise type explained an additional 1.7% of the variance in FOWG. CONCLUSION: The findings of the current study indicate that momentary levels of FOWG are associated with subsequent adaptive exercise episodes, while higher overall levels of maladaptive exercise were associated with higher levels of FOWG. Future treatments should place a greater emphasis on reducing the frequency of maladaptive exercise by providing strategies for reducing FOWG. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV: Evidence obtained from multiple time series analysis such as case studies.

Current directions in military health-care provider resilience.

After more than a decade of war, the US military continues to place significant emphasis on psychological health and resilience. While research and programs that focus on the broader military community's resilience continue to emerge, less is known about and until recently little focus has been placed on military medical provider resilience. In this article, we review the literature on military medical provider resilience, provide an overview of the programmatic and technological advances designed to sustain and develop military medical provider resilience, and finally offer recommendations for future research.

Evaluating the efficacy of mindfulness and acceptance-based treatment components for weight loss: Protocol for a multiphase optimization strategy trial.

Behavioral weight loss treatment (BT) for individuals with overweight and obesity is effective but leaves room for improvement. Mindfulness and acceptance-based treatments may bolster weight loss outcomes; yet, little is known about the efficacy of the individual components or the combinations of components that are most effective in producing weight loss above and beyond standard BT strategies for weight loss. This protocol manuscript describes the use of a multiphase optimization strategy to evaluate the independent and combinatory efficacy of three mindfulness and acceptance-based components (mindful awareness, willingness, values). Using a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design, participants (N = 288) will be randomized to one of eight conditions, each representing a combination of core MABT strategies in addition to foundational BT strategies. Assessments occur at baseline, mid-treatment (week 24 through 26), post-treatment, and at 6, 12, and 24-month follow-up. The primary aim is to elucidate the independent efficacy of each MABT component on weight loss above gold-standard BT. The secondary aims are to evaluate the independent effect of these components on calorie intake, physical activity, and overall quality of life; evaluate target engagement (i.e., the degree to which each treatment component affects proposed mechanisms of action); and evaluate the potential moderating effect of susceptibility to internal and external food cues on outcomes. The exploratory aim is to quantify any component interaction effects (which may be synergistic, fully additive, or partially additive).

Health Care Workers' Suggestions for Improving HIV-Related Maternal Care in South Africa: "Listen to Us".

INTRODUCTION: South Africa has the highest rate of individuals infected with HIV in the world. Women in particular are at increased risk for HIV infection and typically receive care from nurses and midwives who are on the front lines of health care policy and program implementation. The primary objective of this study was to compile and analyze suggestions generated by health care professionals on how to improve HIV-related maternal care in South Africa. This information can then be used to inform the direction of future programs across the country and beyond. METHODS: Two hundred forty-nine nurses, midwives, and nursing students enrolled in a South African university completed surveys as part of this qualitative cross-sectional study. Responses were transcribed and coded by independent researchers who met frequently to discuss and come to consensus on emerging themes. RESULTS: Four primary strategies to improve HIV-related maternal care emerged from the data. These women's health professionals suggested improving education, increasing grassroots-level participation by government officials, improving resources, and developing strategies aimed at decreasing the risk of secondary transmission of HIV. DISCUSSION: Nurses and midwives are frontline health care professionals who are in unique positions to offer feedback on how HIV-related maternal care can be improved. The identified strategies should be integrated into future programs, and human rights implications must be examined.