Psychology Commons^™

Psychosocial Concerns And Childhood Overweight In Pediatric Primary Care Clinics Serving Rural Appalachia., Suzanne Allen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To examine the prevalence of psychosocial concerns presenting in 3 pediatric primary care clinics serving rural Appalachia. The association between pediatric weight status and psychosocial concerns was examined. Methods: Caregivers of children presenting in one of 3 pediatric primary care facilities completed a demographic questionnaire and the Pediatric Symptom Checklist. Results: Approximately 21.4% of children were identified as having a clinically significant behavioral health concern. Among children with available weight status data, ~53% of the children were identified as overweight. Children identified having significant behavioral concerns were more likely to have a lower weight status than those with nonsignificant …

The Bite Detector: A Device For The Behavioral Treatment Of Overweight And Obesity, Jenna Scisco

All Theses

Overweight and obesity are primary health concerns worldwide and particularly in the United States. Currently, the most effective treatments are behavioral interventions, and a reduction of eating rate is one behavioral method that may help individuals eat less and lose weight. Additionally, adaptive eating behaviors, such as intuitive eating, have been identified as healthy body weight predictors. The purpose of Study 1 was to examine the accuracy of the bite detector, a wrist-worn device designed to detect bites of food. Participants (N = 21) ate a meal in the laboratory, and the sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) of the …

Making Healthy Choices: Adolescent Preference Ratings Of School-Based Health Interventions, Nicholas Glover Baird

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated the effect of a Making Healthy Choices lesson on junior high school students' preference rankings of items used to motivate students to increase academic performance. Results indicated that the lesson resulted in increased ranking scores on healthy items. This study used an assessment procedure that may be used to identify healthy rewards that may motivate students to increase academic performance as well as practice healthy decision making to prevent obesity.

Pathways To Obesity In Women : The Role Of Coping And Emotional Eating, Veronica Nicole Stotts

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Obesity is a major health crisis in the United States, with approximately two-thirds of the population qualifying as overweight and, of those, almost one half qualifying as obese (CDC, 2007). While there are a myriad of causes of obesity, a great deal of evidence shows that many individuals, and particularly women, eat as a coping response to stress (e.g., Greeno & Wing, 1994). Therefore, one's ability to cope, or the process by which individuals deal with situations that involve stress or threat, may be a factor that contributes to increased body mass index, or BMI, a common measure of obesity. …

Food For Thought: The Relationship Between Thought Suppression And Weight Control, Rachel Peterson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study assessed the relationship between individuals' tendency to suppress thoughts, particularly related to food and body weight/shape, and outcomes such as weight loss maintenance and diet sabotaging experiences (e.g., binge eating). Community and university individuals (N = 347) who are or previously were overweight completed self-report measures of thought suppression, weight history, and eating behaviors. Suppression of specific thoughts about food/weight/shape was related to weight cycling, binge eating, and food cravings. Participants who believed thoughts of food lead to eating were more likely to attempt suppression of food-related thoughts. Results have implications for improving weight loss maintenance and …

Integration Of The Stereotype Content Model And Implicit Theories : A Dynamic Understanding Of Stereotyping Against Obese Individuals, Jenna Sorge

Honors Theses

The current paper integrated Fiske and colleague’s (2002) Stereotype Content Model (SCM) with the implicit theoretical approach to investigate the stereotyping process against obese individuals. Two studies evaluated the proposition that implicit theories of weight, the belief that weight is fixed (entity theorist) versus malleable (incremental theorist), and implicit person theories, the belief that human attributes are fixed or malleable, will predict how people categorize and discriminate against obese individuals. A pilot study found that entity and incremental theorists of weight have equal knowledge of societal stereotypes against obese individuals. Study 1 revealed those whose endorse an entity theory of …

Changes In Body Image And Body Weight And Shape Goals Associated With Weight Loss And Maintenance In Overweight/Obese Adults Diagnosed With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Amy Rzeznikiewicz Bachand

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary aim of this study was to test for changes in body image in males and females in a randomized controlled trial of weight loss for older overweight/obese adults who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (Look AHEAD: Action for Health in Diabetes). A computerized morphing assessment program (The Body Morph Assessment; BMA 2.0) was used to assess estimates of perceived current body size (CBS), ideal body size (IBS), acceptable body size (ABS), body dissatisfaction based on the discrepancy between participants’ perceived CBS and IBS (CBS-IBS) and ABS (CBS-ABS), as well as participants’ weight loss goals in terms …

Changes In Bmi Among First Semester College Students, Rachel L. Walker

Theses and Dissertations

The transition to college has been identified as a critical period for weight gain; however, only a limited number of studies have examined this phenomenon. The college setting may promote weight gain, thus the purpose of the present study was to quantify changes in BMI in first year students during their first semester of college and to understand factors associated with weight gain, such as eating behaviors, physical activity, and body shape ideals. Significant changes in weight were detected between Time 1 and 2 with a mean weight gain of 1.24 kg. The majority of participants (73.1 %) gained weight …

Binge Eating In Ethnically Diverse Obese Adolescents, Clarice K. Gerke

Theses and Dissertations

Rates of pediatric obesity in America are reaching epidemic proportions. Studies using both community and treatment-seeking samples of obese adolescents indicate that a subset engage in binge eating behaviors. This study investigated the prevalence and severity of binge eating behaviors among 86 primarily African American 11 to 17 year old adolescents seeking outpatient treatment for obesity. This study also examined the associations of stressful experiences (specifically, weight-related teasing, trauma, and daily hassles) with binge eating, as well as potential mediators and moderators of these relationships. Twenty-eight percent of the sample reported at least one episode of binge eating in the …

The Effect Of Adolescent Physical And Sexual Dating Violence On The Nutritional And Psychological Health Of Adolescent Girls, Jerris Laverne Raiford

Psychology Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the stress-eating relation established in the literature by examining a naturally occurring stressor, adolescent dating violence, and its effect on eating in adolescent girls. Specifically, analyses focused on assessing the mediating role of depression in the adolescent dating violence-fruit and vegetable intake relation and the moderating role of sports team involvement in the adolescent dating violence-depression relation. A nationally representative sample of 5,892 black, Hispanic, and white adolescent girls were surveyed using measures assessing physical and sexual dating violence experiences, depressed affect, suicidal thoughts, plans, and/or attempts, fruit and vegetable intake and …

Impact Of A Stage-Matched Weight Loss Intervention On Stage Of Change Progression In Predominantly African-American Female Primary Care Patients, Jamie Sue Bodenlos

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Obesity is associated with several chronic medical conditions. Certain individuals are at higher risk for obesity including low-income African American females. Despite the many benefits to weight loss, many individuals do not seek treatment. Individuals are likely to attend primary care appointments where obesity can be targeted. Although stage matched interventions based on the Transtheoretical Model (TM) have been used successfully to aid in health behavior change, few studies have examined the use of stage matched weight loss interventions in African American females. There is also a paucity of research examining the effects of stage matched weight loss interventions on …

The Role Of Expectancies In Binge Eating Behavior, Jessica Larose

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The central aim of the present study was to examine the role of expectancies in binge eating behavior. Two distinct statistical techniques were used to accomplish this goal. First, regression analyses were conducted using variables previously identified in the literature, as well as eating expectancies as measured by the Eating Expectancy Inventory (EEI). For both females and males, regression equations including expectancies accounted for a substantial portion of the variance in binge eating behavior. Second, memory modeling techniques were used to model the probable organization of eating expectancies. Memory modeling of hypothetical expectancy networks has lead to successful interventions in …

Implicit Theories Of Weight Management: A Social Cognitive Approach To Motivation, Jeni L. Burnette

Theses and Dissertations

Just as scientists develop general conceptual explanations of the phenomena they investigate, individuals also develop intuitive theories about such human characteristics as intelligence, personality, and athletic ability. These theories, unlike scientist's theories, are not explicitly articulated or documented, and so they are termed implicit theories. Implicit theories, in achievement motivation, distinguish between the belief that human attributes are fixed (entity theory) or malleable (incremental theory) and have been shown to have far-reaching consequences for motivation, goal-orientations, and regulatory strategies in an array of domains. This dissertation extended implicit theories research to the domain of body-weight management. Drawing from an elaborate …

Mediators Of Weight Loss In An Internet-Based Intervention For African American Adolescent Girls, Marney A. White

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary aim of this study was to assess the process variables involved in a weight loss program for African-American adolescent girls. This internet-based intervention compared a behavioral treatment program to an educational treatment program; it was hypothesized that participants randomized to the behavioral condition would lose more weight at 6 months than those in the educational condition. Several process variables have been identified as affecting success in in vivo weight loss programs for adults and children, including program adherence, self-efficacy, and social support. The current study sought to broaden the understanding of these process variables as they pertain to …

A Path Analysis Of Binge Eating And Obesity In African Americans: Acculturation, Racism, Emotional Distress, Binge Eating, Body Dissatisfaction, Attitudes Towards Obesity, Dietary Restraint, Dietary Fat Intake, And Physical Activity, Joy Rose Kohlmaier

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test a general stress-related health behavior model as it applied to binge eating and obesity in African Americans using path analysis. Acculturation, racism, emotional distress, binge eating, and obesity were among the variables related to this theory, and included in the model. Other variables that have been implicated in the study of obesity in African Americans were also included, such as; lack of body dissatisfaction, accepting attitudes towards obesity, decreased dietary restraint, increased dietary fat intake and decreased physical activity. The study sample was 325 African Americans, including 187 females with a mean …

Psychosocial Predictors Of Visceral Adiposity, Paula C. Rhode

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Psychosocial factors are thought to influence health through primarily direct physiological mechanisms or the alteration of health related behaviors. Three factors hypothesized to negatively impact health include arousal, life stress, and depressive symptomatology. One recent theorist suggests that the interaction between psychological stress and stress hormones on the neuroendocrine system may result in adverse changes to body composition, most notably the increased deposition of visceral adipose tissue (Bjorntorp, 1993). The current study prospectively examined the relationship between self-reported stressful life events, depressive symptoms and trait arousal on the deposition of visceral fat, as measured by computerized tomography (CT). Subjects were …

Predictors Of Large Women's Satisfaction With Health Care, Virginia M. Koutsouros

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This cross-sectional observational study identifies specific predictors of large women's satisfaction with health care and participation in preventive care as measured by pelvic screening examinations. A total of 87 large adult women completed a survey, including measures of self-objectification, affective experience, satisfaction with health care, and health care locus of control. Multiple regression analysis was employed to analyze results. The hypotheses of this study were as follows: (1) BMI, self-objectification, negative affect and locus of control will predict satisfaction with medical care; (2) pelvic screening examinations and patient satisfaction with medical care will be positively related (3) self-objectification and negative …

Binge Eating Disorder And Its Relationship To Bulimia Nervosa And Obesity, Lara Schultz Lacaille

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Recent research indicates that 2% to 4% of the population meet diagnostic criteria for the newly proposed binge eating disorder, and that it is much more common (30%) among the treatment-seeking obese. Although recognized as a significant problem, binge eating disorder is l1l not well understood, and there is debate about whether binge eating disorder is a distinct disorder. It has been argued that binge eating disorder is simply a variant or milder form of bulimia nervosa and not a separate and distinct disorder. Researchers have begun to study this population in greater depth in order to assess the characteristics …

Relationship Between Weight Loss And Body Image In Obese Individuals Seeking Weight Loss Treatment, Deborah Lynn Reas

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The present study investigated the nature and extent of changes in body image following weight loss treatment in an obese sample and examined the role of weight loss in predicting body image improvement. Participants were 53 obese individuals (BMI > 30) recruited from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, the Scripps Clinic in San Diego, CA, and the Weight Management Center at the St. Charles Hospital in New Orleans. Measures of psychological functioning and a figural body image rating procedure (Body Image Assessment for Obesity; BIA-O, Williamson, et al., 2000) were administered at baseline and after a 6-month follow-up …

Who's Not Dieting In America And Who Should Be? Results From The 1994-1996 Diet And Health Knowledge Survey (Dhks 1994-1996), Emily York-Crowe

LSU Master's Theses

The rising rates of obesity and overweight are contributing to higher costs for the individual and the nation, both medically and financially. There is a greater need for education and other preventive measures, but in order to tailor such programs effectively to the individuals most in need, it is important to examine the current trends, knowledge, and practices of adults in the United States. Previous research has examined the prevalence rates and practices of specific populations and individuals in limited geographical locations but, due to obvious constraints, few nationally representative samples have been examined. This study analyzed the results of …

Treatment Acceptability For The Prevention Of Obesity And Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The Effects Of Ethnicity, Weight, And Genetic Predisposition, Jean Marie Thaw

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Childhood obesity and its associated health consequences, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, have dramatically increased over the past 30 years, with the greatest rise in African-American female children and adolescents. Although current prevention efforts show promising results, recent genetic findings may soon expand treatment strategies to include new medications and gene therapies specifically designed to prevent the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes in children. However, little is known about the acceptability of these interventions. The primary aim of this study was to examine the hypothetical impact of genetic knowledge on treatment acceptability in the prevention of childhood …

Relationship Between Body Image Dissatisfaction And Fear Of Fatness To Severity Of Smoking Behavior In A Non-Clinical Adolescent Population, Louis J. Bevilacqua, Jr.

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in the U.S., yet it continues to kill more people than AIDS, automobile crashes, alcohol and drug abuse, murders, suicides, and fires---combined! In addition to a higher risk of dying prematurely, those who smoke are much more likely to experience numerous health problems. Other associated problems include dependency and tolerance to nicotine. Frequently, those who smoke are also more likely to use other substances such as marijuana, cocaine, heroine, and especially alcohol. These findings are frightening considering that it is estimated that 4.5 million are adolescents. The reasons why adolescents smoke range …

The Development Of An Instrument For The Assessment Of Obesity-Related Cognitions, David E. Christian

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation involved the design and validation of the Obesity Cognitions Inventory (OCI) which was intended to quantify cognitions associated with obesity. An initial pool of 117 items was refined through expert ratings, a pilot test involving 59 subjects, and a major test and validation using 217 subjects.

The resulting 56-item instrument contains scales measuring five types of cognitions: Personal Control, Dietary Restraint, Cost-Benefit Beliefs, Health Knowledge, and Self-Concept. Test-retest reliabilities for these scales range from .69 to .83 and Cronbach alphas range from .57 to .82. Concurrent criterion validity of the OCI was assessed through two methods (a) correlations …

The Predictive Value Of Mmpi Personality Style In Obesity Therapy, Jeffrey J. Harvey

Student Work

The present study assessed whether psychopathology influences obese subject’s ability to lose weight. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) was used to differentiate between 46 pathological and 52 nonpathological subjects. A repeated measures analysis of variance did not support the hypothesis that the degree of weight loss is negatively associated with the amount of psychopathology measured by the MMPI. In addition, an analysis of covariance was conducted in an attempt to control for possible confounding factors at the start of treatment and also failed to support the hypothesis.

Behavioral Variables In The Treatment Of Obesity, Karen M. Milo

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of current approaches to the treatment of obesity and to review literature on the effectiveness of the various treatments. Chapter 1 will present methods for measuring and diagnosing obesity. Some negative effects of obesity including physical and psychological factors will be specified briefly to stress the importance of treatment. The second chapter will provide a summary of medical, tradional psychological, and behavioral treatments including the underlying assumptions of each strategy, specific techniques used, and a summary of typical research results. Chapter 3 focuses on behavioral variables and techniques used in …

Ego Strengthening Hypnotic Suggestions Versus Specific Hypnotic Suggestions In The Treatment Of Obesity, Richard A. Hutchison

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A comparison was made of two types of hypnotic suggestions. Twenty seven subjects in two groups participated in eight weekly one-hour group hypnotic sessions. All subjects were given the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, and were weighed pre, post and at four month follow-up. Both types of hypnotic suggestions were equally effective in helping individuals lose weight. The average weight loss was 10 pounds at follow up. Both groups showed improvement on the personality tests. Those who received the ego-strengthening hypnotic suggestions showed more improvement and more long lasting improvement than did those who received the specific …

A Review Of The Behavioral Techniques For Weight Reduction And Control In Adults, Carol Kerr Hardee

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Obesity has been an increasing health problem in the United States. In recent years, extensive research has been on the use of behavioral techniques for weight control. Although traditional methods of treatment have not proven to be long-term, some behavioral studies have indicated maintenance. Findings indicated that self-control methods are most effective when they are presented through therapist instruction, which is gradually faded. A full behavioral program for weight control would also include basic adjunct procedures, i.e., monitoring of calories or food, exercise, stimulus control, and social reinforcement, as well as major behavioral methods such as covert sensitization, contracting, bibliotherapy, …

The Self-Recording Of Weight And Bites In The Treatment Of Obesity, Cris Quayle

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effects of self-recording bites and weight on subsequent weight was assessed utilizing a single-subject design. Subjects were exposed to a similar sequence of conditions which included: (1) weekly weigh-ins, (2) self-recording daily weights, (3) a control for observation, (4) self-recording bites, and finally (5) a reversal condition in which subjects stopped recording bites but continued recording weights and meeting for weekly weigh-ins. No significant weight reductions occurred in conjunction with weekly weigh-ins, self-recording daily weights, or the control for observation. Five of the six subjects lost more than 2 pounds while recording bites along with monitoring daily weights and …

An Interactional Approach To Weight Reduction, Carole T. Gygi

Dissertations and Theses

A treatment program was designed to enable subjects to lose weight through the use of self-confrontation as described in Saslow (1969), and the use of the General Relationship Improvement of the Human Development Institute (HDI), Berlin and Wyckoff (1964). Self-confrontation is a programmed rehearsal of a specific problem by one person alone, for a five-minute period. The rehearsal, or self-confrontation is to be as vivid as possible, intellectually, emotionally, visually and physically. The General Relationship Improvement Program is a 10-week text, worked in pairs, which is aimed at better intrapsychic and interpersonal communication and understanding. Four matched groups were used …