Nov. 18th: The Research/Health Outcomes

Question 1

What type of study allows us to make conclusions about causation?

(e.g., X causes Y)

Answer 1

Experimental design/randomized design

Question 2

What is it about an experimental design/randomized design that allows us to infer causation?

(3)

Answer 2

• Manipulation of an independant variable
• Randomization
• Control of confounding variables

• Manipulation ensures a direct test of cause and effect
• Randomization reduces bias and balances confounding variables
• Control eliminates alternative explanations

Question 3

Why is randomization to groups so important to an experimental design?

Answer 3

Randomizaiton (randomly assigning) ensures that individual differences (e.g., age, gender, prior knowledge) and unknown confounding variables are evenly distributed across groups

Question 4

What type of research design was employed in the Margarita et al. study of trait mindfulness and health behaviours?

Answer 4

Meta-analysis (Correlational or prospective studies)

Question 5

What is a meta analysis?

Answer 5

A study that combines and analyzes the results of multiple independent studies

Question 6

What were the findings of the Margarita et al. study of trait mindfulness and health behaviours?

(5)

Answer 6

1. Trait mindfulness has a small, positive association with health behaviors
2. Size of relationship is similar to other personality traits
3. Strongest relationship was found for physical activity
4. Significant relationshop also between mindfulness and sleep & alcohol use
5. Nonsignificant relationships between mindfulness and smooking & drug use

Question 7

What did Margarita et al. study?

Answer 7

Looked at the association between trait mindfulness and health behaviors

Question 8

What does the Margarita et al. study of trait mindfulness and health behaviours conclude/tell us?

(2)

Answer 8

• People who are generally mindful are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors and less likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors
• We cant assume causality

However this relationship is complex and nuanced

Also she didnt give us enough time to write this answer down so this is what NotebookLM helped me find

Question 9

What else might account for associations that were found in the Margarita et al. study?

Answer 9

Could be that both variables are associated with another variable that accounts for their association

Question 10

What can’t we conclude from the Margarita et al., study?

Answer 10

Cant make conclusions about directionality

Question 11

What type of design was used in the Raffault et al study that looked at mindfulness training on weight loss and health behaviours in overweight and obese adults?

Answer 11

Systematic review & Meta-analysis (Experimental design)

Question 12

What studies did they include?/What were the inclusion criteria (Raffault et al)?

(3 criteria)

Answer 12

Inclusion criteria:
* Randomized design
* Intervention incilved mindfulness training
* Adult participants

12 eligible studies

Question 13

What were the results of the Raffault et al. study?

Answer 13

Mindfulness training impacted:
* Implusive eating & binge eating
* Physical activity (significant increase)

Did not impact:
* Weight/BMI

Question 14

What were some of the weaknesses of the Raffault et al. study?

Answer 14

• Lots of variability between studies
• Quality of included studies is questionable

Question 15

What conclusions can we draw from the research on mindfulness and health behaviours?

Answer 15

• Research on the topic is on the rise
• Trait mindfulness has a small relationship with health behaviors
• Mindfulness traning may lead to changes in some heath behaviors
• More research is needed

Question 16

What is an active control group?

Answer 16

A group in a scientific study or clinical trial that receives an alternative treatment or intervention, rather than no treatment

(ex: as in a placebo or passive control group)

Question 17

What research design was used in the Victorson et al review on mindfulness meditation and chronic disease?

Answer 17

Systematic review & meta-analysis

Question 19

What studies did they include/What were their inclusion criteria (VIctorson et al.)?

Answer 19

Inclusion criteria:
* Experimental/randomized designs
* Group-based mindfulness interventions lasting 2+ weeks
* Broad populations (but community dwelling)
* Lifestyle medicine outcomes (physical syptoms)

Found 59 studies

Question 20

Who were most often participants of the studies included in the review (Victorson et al.)?

Answer 20

Adults

Question 21

What outcomes were assessed (Victorson et al.)?

(6)

Answer 21

1. Diet/weight
2. Negative affect
3. Pain
4. Smoking and substance use
5. Symptom burden
6. Cardiovascular symptoms

Question 22

What did they find (Victorson et al.)?

Answer 22

• Mindfulness interventions were superior to control groups on 2/6 outcomes: diet/weight & symptom burden
• No difference between groups on other outcomes
• Effect varied based on type of control group (active was better)
• Length of intervention made no difference

Question 23

What recommendations came from the Victorson et al study?

Answer 23

• Active control groups
• Populations other than white english speakers
• Determine best mode of delivery

Question 24

What are the summary of knowledge points for
cancer?

Answer 24

• Substantial fit on MBI’s and cancer
• Improving quality (active controls)
• MBI’s consistently lead to better outcomes right after intervention
• More researg on psychosocial vs. biological outcomes

Question 25

What are the summary of knowledge points for chronic pain?

Answer 25

• Growing support that MBI’s can help patients cope and adjust to pain
• Sample sizes are small
• Not established if better than other approaches

Question 26

What are the summary of knowledge points for cardiovascular?

Answer 26

MBI’s lead to initial psychosocial and symptom benefits that erode over time

Question 27

What are the summary of knowledge points for diabetes?

Answer 27

Intial evidence (few studies) that MBI’s can improve glycemic control and psychosocial outcomes when compared to usual care

Question 28

How might mindfulness interventions help people with chronic conditions (what are some possible mechanisms)?

Answer 28

• Acceptance of illness
• Emotional regulation (less stress)
• Psychology
• Universality of illness
• Shift in worldview

Question 29

What are some future research directions in mindfulness and chronic disease?

Answer 29

• Identifying mediators of change
• Determining who beneifits most from MBI’s
• More research on health outcomes (biological outcomes)
• Adapting MBI’s (ex: online surveys)

Question 30

Think through a correlational or prospective research study to examine the relationship between mindfulness and a health behaviors.

Answer 30

• They measured associations between trait mindfulness and health behaviors
• Stongest relationships with physical activity and sleeping
• People who are more mindful generally are more physically active and sleep better

Question 31

Think through an experimental research study to examine the effects of mindfulness on a health behaviors.

Answer 31

• Added an intervention
• Looked at specific population (overwieght people)
• Looked for an outcome

Question 32

What could be examples of an active control group when comparing the effects of mindfulness on health behaviors?

Answer 32

• Active control group could do an established method for improving health behaviors like exercise programs
• Could also do health education programs

Basically, instead of doing nothing like a regular control group, an active control group will do an already established/proven method that works