Public Health Education and Promotion Commons^™

Co-Active Life Coaching As A Treatment For Adults With Obesity, Courtney Newnham-Kanas, Jennifer Irwin, Don Morrow

Donald Morrow

This study evaluates the impact of one-on-one coaching on the waist circumference, BMI, self-esteem, self-efficacy, physical activity, and functional health status of adults with obesity. A one-group within- subjects, pre-test post-test study design was used. The study took place at the University of Western Ontario from June-October 2007. A total of 20 men and women aged 35-55, with a BMI ≥ 30 participated in the study. Each engaged in six to eight 35-minute sessions with a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach during which they explored desired changes and how to achieve them. Paired t-tests were used to analyse the pre- and …

Co-Active Coaching As An Intervention For Obesity Among Female University Students, Melissa Van Zandvoort, Jennifer Irwin, Don Morrow

Donald Morrow

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of Co-active coaching on obese female university students’ body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), functional health status and self-esteem, and conjointly to identify the coaching skills and primary agenda topics that facilitate coaching’s efficacy as an intervention for obesity.

Design: A multiple-baseline, single-subject research design was utilized.Methods: Two certified coaches provided an average of nine, 35-minute, one-on-one sessions with five students whose BMI?30kg/m2 (obesity threshold). Measures included BMI, WC, the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) Health Survey, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Visual inspection was used to analyze changes in …

The Impact Of Co-Active Life Coaching On Female University Students With Obesity, Melissa Van Zandvoort, Jennifer Irwin, Don Morrow

Donald Morrow

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the impact of Co-active life coaching on obese female university students. Five obese (BMI ≥ 30kg/m2), female university students received an average of nine weekly, 35-minute, one-on-one sessions with a certified coach. Semi- structured, in-depth interviews before and after participating in the coaching intervention were conducted, and inductive content analysis was utilized. Strategies to enhance data trustworthiness were incorporated throughout. Participants initially reported: struggling with barriers and experiencing pressure from family to lose weight; negative relationships with themselves; feeling self-conscious and remorse for their size and lifestyle choices. At the conclusion …

The Impact Of Co-Active Coaching On Physically Inactive 12 To 14 Year Olds In Ontario, Paul Gorczynski, Don Morrow, Jennifer Irwin

Donald Morrow

This study assessed the impact of life coaching on physical activity participation, self-efficacy, social support, and perceived behavioural control among physically inactive youth between the ages of 12 and 14 years in London, Ontario. The multiple-baseline across participants single case-experimental design study consisted of five 12 to 14 year olds. Six coaching sessions were conducted over two months by a certified professional Co-active coach. Physical activity increased for one participant while the other participants’ physical activity remained unchanged. No significant changes occurred in self-efficacy, social support, and perceived behavioural control with specific regard to becoming more physically active. Results indicted …

Health Promotion Theory In Practice: An Analysis Of Co-Active Coaching, Jennifer Irwin, Don Morrow

Donald Morrow

According to the World Health Organization (1986), “health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their own health.” To bring this process and its desired outcomes to fruition, many theories and models for understanding and altering health behaviours have been designed and utilized (Ajzen, 1988; Bandura, 1986; Fishbein & Ajzen; 1975; Freire, 1973, 1974; Jessor & Jessor, 1977; Prochaska, 1979). Practitioners of behaviour change implementation are legion, as therapists, counsellors, social workers and so forth. Coaching (in various iterations such as life coaching, personal coaching, executive coaching) is a recent and growing behavioural …