Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Here For Good: Foundations Of Wellbeing, Darren Morton

Darren Morton

Here For Good is a podcast series from leading researchers at Avondale College of Higher Education. This episode features Senior Lecturer in Health and Exercise Science Dr Darren Morton from the Discipline of Education in conversation with Associate Dean (Research) Dr Carolyn Rickett.

The Influence Of Human Support On The Effectiveness Of A Web And Mobile App-Based Multimodal Lifestyle Intervention Targeting Mental Health: A Randomised Comparative Study, Mel Renfrew, Darren Morton, Jason K. Morton, Jason Hinze, Peter Beamish, Geraldine Przybylko

Darren Morton

Introduction: There is a need for efficacious lifestyle interventions that promote the mental health and emotional wellness of both healthy and clinical cohorts. Evidence regarding the usefulness of adding human support (i.e. guidance) to improve the outcomes of web- and mobile app-based psychological interventions for clinical populations is mixed,^1-3 however little is known about healthy cohorts.

Methods: 458 self-selected participants registered to join a 10-week, web- and mobile app-based, multimodal lifestyle intervention. The participants were randomised into three groups, differentiated by support mode: standard, who received automated emails only (S); standard plus personalised SMS messages (S+pSMS); standard plus online …

Protocol For A Study Investigating The Influence Of Graded Levels Of Human Support On Adherence And Outcomes Of An Online, Multimodal Lifestyle Intervention To Improve Mental Health, Mel Renfrew, Darren Morton, Lillian Kent, Peter Beamish, Jason Hinze, Geraldine Przybylko, Bevan Craig

Darren Morton

Introduction: Mental health is in global jeopardy and devising effective preventative and curative solutions are vital. Lifestyle interventions have been shown to be efficacious for improving mental health; however, in a progressively digital culture, face-to-face (F2F) interventions are being replaced by online and mobile options.¹ While online delivery can overcome ‘hurdles’ of inaccessibility and may also be more ‘scalable’, it poses unique challenges, as decreasing levels of human support can affect adherence to lifestyle interventions and associated outcomes.^2,3,4 Research is needed to better understand the importance of human support in online interventions and the type and dosage of …

The Association Between Self-Rated Health And Social Environments, Health Behaviors And Health Outcomes: A Structural Equation Analysis, Bevan Craig, Darren Morton, Peter Morey, Lillian Kent, Barry Gane, Terry Butler, Paul Rankin, Kevin Price

Darren Morton

Background

The factors shaping the health of the current generation of adolescents are multi-dimensional and complex. The purpose of this study was to explore the determinants of self-rated health (SRH) of adolescents attending a faith-based school system in Australia.

Methods

A total of 788 students attending 21 Seventh-day Adventist schools in Australia responded to a health and lifestyle survey that assessed SRH as well as potential determinants of SRH including the health outcomes mental health, vitality, body mass index (BMI), select health behaviors, social factors and personal demographics. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data and examine the …

Hdl Subfraction Changes With A Low-Fat, Plant-Based Complete Health Improvement Program (Chip), Lillian Kent, Ross Grant, Greg Watts, Darren Morton, Paul Rankin, Ewan Ward

Darren Morton

Background and Objectives: Low HDL concentrations are considered an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Interventions promoting a low-fat, plant-based eating pattern appear to reduce CVD risk while paradoxically also reducing HDL concentrations. Recent studies show HDL to comprise a range of subfractions, but the role these play in ameliorating the risk of CVD is unclear. The purpose of this study was to characterise changes in HDL subfractions in participants where HDL decreased following the CHIP intervention which promotes a low-fat, plant-based diet, with physical activity. Methods and Study Design: Individuals (n=22; mean age=55.4±16.3 years; 45.5% men, 54.5% women) participating …

Combining Lifestyle Medicine And Positive Psychology To Improve Mental Health And Emotional Well-Being, Darren Morton

Darren Morton

This article presents the evidence for a variety of lifestyle-based and non-pharmacological approaches for improving mental health and emotional well-being. The strategies presented arise from the lifestyle medicine literature as well as the complementary discipline of positive psychology, which is a branch of psychology that adopts a strengths-based approach to helping individuals to flourish.

Protocol For A Randomised Clinical Trial Investigating The Clinical Effectiveness And Cost Benefit Of A Lifestyle Intervention Targeting Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Linda Cloete, Brett G. Mitchell, Darren Morton

Darren Morton

No abstract provided.

Treat The Cause: Evidence-Based Practice, James M. Rippe, Michael Greger, David L. Katz, John H. Kelly, Margaret Moore, Darren Morton

Darren Morton

Darren was invited by the board of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine to represent the Australasian Lifestyle Medicine perspective on the opening panel of the 2014 American College of Lifestyle Medicine conference in San Diego (Nov, 2014). The dialogue, intended for an international audience, was later published as the mentioned journal article.

The Effectiveness Of The Complete Health Improvement Program (Chip) In Australasia For Reducing Selected Chronic Disease Risk Factors: A Feasibility Study, Darren Morton, Paul Rankin, Peter Morey, Lillian Kent, Trevor Hurlow, Esther Chang, Hans A. Diehl

Darren Morton

Abstract Aim To examine the effectiveness within the Australasian context of the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) lifestyle intervention, which has been shown to produce meaningful reductions in selected chronic disease risk factors in the United States. Methods Changes in body weight, blood pressure, blood lipid profile and fasting plasma glucose were assessed in 836 self-selected participants (age=55.9±12.7 yrs, 35% male/65% female) from 18 sites throughout New Zealand (N=731) and Australia (N=105). Results In the 30 days of the program, significant overall reductions (pConclusions Significant reductions in selected chronic disease risk factors were observed in 30 days using the CHIP …

The Effect Of A Low-Fat, Plant-Based Lifestyle Intervention (Chip) On Serum Hdl Levels And The Implications For Metabolic Syndrome Status - A Cohort Study, Lillian Kent, Darren Morton, Paul Rankin, Ewan Ward, Ross Grant, John Gobble, Hans A. Diehl

Darren Morton

Background

Low levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) are considered an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and constitute one of the criteria for the Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). Lifestyle interventions promoting a low-fat, plant-based eating pattern appear to paradoxically reduce cardiovascular risk but also HDL levels. This study examined the changes in MetS risk factors, in particular HDL, in a large cohort participating in a 30-day lifestyle intervention that promoted a low-fat, plant-based eating pattern.

Methods

Individuals (n = 5,046; mean age = 57.3 ± 12.9 years; 33.5% men, 66.5% women) participating in a in a Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) …

The Complete Health Improvement Program (Chip), Darren Morton

Darren Morton

Over 2,000 years ago Hippocrates asserted: "Food and exercise... work together to produce health". Evidence for the wisdom of this Hippocratic council emerged throughout the 20th Century as large epidemiological studies, including the Framingham Heart Study, Nurses Health Study, EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) and the Adventist Health Study, highlighted the relationship between lifestyle and disease.

Runner's Stitch And The Thoracic Spine, Darren Morton, T Aune

Darren Morton

The cause of the abdominal pain commonly referred to as "stitch", but more accurately known as exercise related transient abdominal pain (ETAP), had until recently attracted more speculation than research. Explanations for the pain have included diaphragmatic ischaemia, (1) stress on peritoneal ligaments, (2) and irritation of the parietal peritoneum. (3) Although the exact cause of the pain remains to be elucidated, a neurogenic explanation has not appeared in the literature. We present the case of an elite runner who, after a thoracic spine trauma, developed severe and recurrent episodes of ETAP which were relieved by localised treatment. As a …

Short-Term Effectiveness Of A Lifestyle Intervention Program For Reducing Selected Chronic Disease Risk Factors In Individuals Living In Rural Appalachia: A Pilot Cohort Study, David Drozek, Hans A. Diehl, Masato Nakazawa, Tom Kostohryz, Darren Morton, Jay Shubrook

Darren Morton

Most Western chronic diseases are closely tied to lifestyle behaviors, and many are preventable. Despite the well-distributed knowledge of these detrimental behaviors, effective efforts in disease prevention have been lacking. Many of these chronic diseases are related to obesity and type " diabetes, which have doubled in incidence during the last 35 years. The Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) is a community-based, comprehensive lifestyle modification approach to health that has shown success in addressing this problem. This pilot study demonstrates the effectiveness of CHIP in an underserved, rural, and vulnerable Appalachian population. Two hundred fourteen participants in CHIP collectively demonstrated …

Long-Term Effectiveness Of The Community-Based Complete Health Improvement Program (Chip) Lifestyle Intervention: A Cohort Study, Lillian Kent, Darren Morton, Trevor Hurlow, Paul Rankin, Althea Hanna, Hans A. Diehl

Darren Morton

Objective: To examine the long-term (three or more years) effectiveness of the volunteer-delivered CHIP intervention.

Design: Cohort study

Setting: Hawera, New Zealand

Participants: Of the total cohort of 284 individuals who self-selected to complete the CHIP lifestyle intervention between 2007 and 2009, 106 (37% of the original cohort, mean age = 64.9±7.4 years, range 42-87 years; 35% males, 65% female) returned in 2012 for a complimentary follow-up health assessment (mean follow-up duration = 49.2+10.4 months).

Intervention: 30-day lifestyle modification program (diet, physical activity, substance use and stress management) delivered by volunteers in a community setting.

Main outcome measures: Changes in …

Gender Differences In Effectiveness Of The Complete Health Improvement Program, Lillian Kent, Darren Morton, Paul Rankin, John Gobble, Hans A. Diehl

Darren Morton

Objective: To determine the differential effect of gender on outcomes of the Complete Health Improvement Program, a chronic disease lifestyle intervention program.

Design: Thirty-day cohort study.

Setting: One hundred thirty-six venues around North America, 2006 to 2009.

Participants: A total of 5,046 participants (33.5% men, aged 57.9 ± 13.0 years; 66.5% women, aged 57.0 ± 12.9 years).

Intervention: Diet, exercise, and stress management.

Main Outcome Measures: Body mass index, diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, lipids, and fasting plasma glucose (FPG).

Analysis: The researchers used t test and McNemar chi-square test of proportions, at P < .05.

Results: Reductions were significantly greater …

Heart Rate Responses And Fluid Balance Of Competitive Cross-Country Hang Gliding Pilots, Darren Morton

Darren Morton

Purpose: To evaluate the physiological challenges of competitive cross-country hang gliding.

Methods: Seventeen experienced male pilots (age = 41 ± 9 y; mean ± SD) were fitted with a monitor that recorded heart rate and altitude at 0.5 Hz throughout a competitive flight. Fluid losses were evaluated by comparing pilot pre- and postflight mass.

Results: The pilots’ displacement was 88.4 ± 43.7 km in 145.5 ± 49.4 min. Mean flight altitude was 1902 ± 427 m (range = 1363–2601 m) with a maximum altitude of 2925 ± 682 m (1870–3831 m). The mean in-flight heart rate of the pilots was …

Exercise-Related Transient Abdominal Pain, Darren Morton, Robin Callister

Darren Morton

Exercise-related transient abdominal pain (ETAP), commonly referred to as “stitch”, is an ailment well known in many sporting activities. It is especially prevalent in activities that involve repetitive torso movement with the torso in an extended position, such as running and horse riding. Approximately 70% of runners report experiencing the pain in the past year and in a single running event approximately one in five participants can be expected to suffer the condition. ETAP is a well-localized pain that is most common in the lateral aspects of the mid abdomen along the costal border, although it may occur in any …

Exercise Related Transient Abdominal Pain, Darren Morton

Darren Morton

The causes of exercise related abdominal pain remain to be elucidated.

Effect Of Ingested Fluid Composition Of Exercise-Related Transient Abdominal Pain, Darren Morton, Luis Fernando Aragon-Vargas, Robin Callister

Darren Morton

The present study investigated the effect of ingested fluid composition on the experience of exercise-related transient abdominal pain (ETAP). Forty subjects, susceptible to ETAP, completed 4 treadmill exercise trials: a no-fluid trial and flavored water (FW, no carbohydrate, osmolality = 48 mosmol/L, pH = 3.3), sports drink (SD, freshly mixed Gatorade®, 6% total carbohydrate, 295 mosmol/L, pH = 3.3), and reconstituted fruit juice (FJ, BERRI® orange, 10.4% total carbohydrate, 489 mosmol/L, pH = 3.2) trials. Measures of the experience of ETAP and gastrointestinal disturbances, particularly bloating, were quantified. The FJ was significantly (p < .01) more provocative of both ETAP and bloating than all other trials. There was no difference among the no-fluid, FW, and SD in the severity of ETAP experienced, although the difference between the no-fluid and SD approached significance at the .05 level (p = .056). There was a significant relationship between both the mean (r = 0.40, p < .01) and peak (r = 0.44, p < .01) levels of ETAP and bloating. When the level of bloating was controlled for, the FJ remained significantly (p < .01) more provocative of ETAP than the other conditions, with no difference between the FW and SD (p = .37). The results indicate that in order to avoid ETAP, susceptible individuals should refrain from consuming reconstituted fruit juices and beverages similarly high in carbohydrate content and osmolality, shortly before and during exercise. Further, the mechanism responsible for the heightened experience of ETAP in the FJ trial extends beyond a gastric mass explanation.

Don't Forget The Brain: Lifestyle Medicine In The Century Of Neurodegeneration, Bruce Thompson, Darren Morton, Lillian Kent

Darren Morton

Neurology is often not discussed in lifestyle medicine circles, but it might be an area that will propel the cause of lifestyle medicine in the future. This is especially relevant in increasingly common neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, which have no known disease modifying therapy but lifestyle factors are implicated in causation.