Field Trials of Health Interventions


Book Description

This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC 4.0 International licence. It is free to read at Oxford Scholarship Online and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations. Before new interventions are released into disease control programmes, it is essential that they are carefully evaluated in field trials'. These may be complex and expensive undertakings, requiring the follow-up of hundreds, or thousands, of individuals, often for long periods. Descriptions of the detailed procedures and methods used in the trials that have been conducted have rarely been published. A consequence of this, individuals planning such trials have few guidelines available and little access to knowledge accumulated previously, other than their own. In this manual, practical issues in trial design and conduct are discussed fully and in sufficient detail, that Field Trials of Health Interventions may be used as a toolbox' by field investigators. It has been compiled by an international group of over 30 authors with direct experience in the design, conduct, and analysis of field trials in low and middle income countries and is based on their accumulated knowledge and experience. Available as an open access book via Oxford Medicine Online, this new edition is a comprehensive revision, incorporating the new developments that have taken place in recent years with respect to trials, including seven new chapters on subjects ranging from trial governance, and preliminary studies to pilot testing.




Public Health Ethics: Cases Spanning the Globe


Book Description

This Open Access book highlights the ethical issues and dilemmas that arise in the practice of public health. It is also a tool to support instruction, debate, and dialogue regarding public health ethics. Although the practice of public health has always included consideration of ethical issues, the field of public health ethics as a discipline is a relatively new and emerging area. There are few practical training resources for public health practitioners, especially resources which include discussion of realistic cases which are likely to arise in the practice of public health. This work discusses these issues on a case to case basis and helps create awareness and understanding of the ethics of public health care. The main audience for the casebook is public health practitioners, including front-line workers, field epidemiology trainers and trainees, managers, planners, and decision makers who have an interest in learning about how to integrate ethical analysis into their day to day public health practice. The casebook is also useful to schools of public health and public health students as well as to academic ethicists who can use the book to teach public health ethics and distinguish it from clinical and research ethics.




Behavioral Clinical Trials for Chronic Diseases


Book Description

This is the first comprehensive guide to the design of behavioral randomized clinical trials (RCT) for chronic diseases. It includes the scientific foundations for behavioral trial methods, problems that have been encountered in past behavioral trials, advances in design that have evolved, and promising trends and opportunities for the future. The value of this book lies in its potential to foster an ability to “speak the language of medicine” through the conduct of high-quality behavioral clinical trials that match the rigor commonly seen in double-blind drug trials. It is relevant for testing any treatment aimed at improving a behavioral, social, psychosocial, environmental, or policy-level risk factor for a chronic disease including, for example, obesity, sedentary behavior, adherence to treatment, psychosocial stress, food deserts, and fragmented care. Outcomes of interest are those that are of clinical significance in the treatment of chronic diseases, including standard risk factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose, and clinical outcomes such as hospitalizations, functional limitations, excess morbidity, quality of life, and mortality. This link between behavior and chronic disease requires innovative clinical trial methods not only from the behavioral sciences but also from medicine, epidemiology, and biostatistics. This integration does not exist in any current book, or in any training program, in either the behavioral sciences or medicine.




Theory at a Glance


Book Description




Self-Management in Chronic Illness


Book Description

Self-management is a term that was used as early as the 1960s when it was applied during the rehabilitation of chronically ill children. Subsequently, self-management was applied as formalized programs for a variety of populations and health issues. In reflecting on self-management, it is important to note that it would be difficult for individuals not to be aware of their specific health behaviors, which could include unhealthy behaviors. As self-management has evolved, essential skills identified include behavioral modeling, decision making, planning, social persuasion, locating, accessing and utilizing resources, assisting individuals to form partnerships with their health care providers and taking action. These are key skills that would benefit health professional educators, clinicians and patients. This book, consisting of three parts, provides insights into the aspects of self-management as it relates to its definition and application. It highlights how self-management can be applied to various long-term health conditions, for different populations or target groups and in different contexts. The text provides an overview of self-management and the rationale for its applications by illustrating its use in specific clinical conditions and in different sub-populations and target groups. Academics can use the book as a textbook when teaching postgraduate and undergraduate students about self-management as a technique to facilitate community reintegration for individuals living with long-term conditions. It can also be used by clinicians to enhance their management of individuals with long-term conditions. Furthermore, researchers can use the text to expand and support their research in this area.




The Handbook of Behavior Change


Book Description

Social problems in many domains, including health, education, social relationships, and the workplace, have their origins in human behavior. The documented links between behavior and social problems have compelled governments and organizations to prioritize and mobilize efforts to develop effective, evidence-based means to promote adaptive behavior change. In recognition of this impetus, The Handbook of Behavior Change provides comprehensive coverage of contemporary theory, research, and practice on behavior change. It summarizes current evidence-based approaches to behavior change in chapters authored by leading theorists, researchers, and practitioners from multiple disciplines, including psychology, sociology, behavioral science, economics, philosophy, and implementation science. It is the go-to resource for researchers, students, practitioners, and policy makers looking for current knowledge on behavior change and guidance on how to develop effective interventions to change behavior.




Health Behavior Change


Book Description

We live in an era where people live longer but also suffer from more chronic illnesses. Yet these two issues present not only significant challenges to healthcare professionals, but also governments seeking cost-effective ways to manage their health and social care budgets. Encouraging people to live healthier lifestyles is, therefore, a fundamental issue for both those at risk as well as for society as a whole. This is the first textbook to present not only the theoretical foundations that explain health behavior change but also the methods by which change can be assessed and the practical contexts where theory and method can be applied. Covering behavior change aimed at improving health as well as preventing disease, it places behavior change firmly in context with the social and demographic changes which make it such an urgent issue, from the rise in levels of obesity to an aging population. The book considers the role of individuals but also other important influences on health behavior, such as the environment in which people live, public policy and technological changes. Fostering a critical perspective, and including case studies in each chapter with key issues highlighted throughout, the book provides a complete understanding of health behavior change, from its theoretical building blocks to the practical challenges of developing and testing an intervention. It will be essential reading for students and researchers of health psychology, public health and social work, as well as any professional working in this important area.




Health Behavior


Book Description

The essential health behavior text, updated with the latest theories, research, and issues Health Behavior: Theory, Research and Practice provides a thorough introduction to understanding and changing health behavior, core tenets of the public health role. Covering theory, applications, and research, this comprehensive book has become the gold standard of health behavior texts. This new fifth edition has been updated to reflect the most recent changes in the public health field with a focus on health behavior, including coverage of the intersection of health and community, culture, and communication, with detailed explanations of both established and emerging theories. Offering perspective applicable at the individual, interpersonal, group, and community levels, this essential guide provides the most complete coverage of the field to give public health students and practitioners an authoritative reference for both the theoretical and practical aspects of health behavior. A deep understanding of human behaviors is essential for effective public health and health care management. This guide provides the most complete, up-to-date information in the field, to give you a real-world understanding and the background knowledge to apply it successfully. Learn how e-health and social media factor into health communication Explore the link between culture and health, and the importance of community Get up to date on emerging theories of health behavior and their applications Examine the push toward evidence-based interventions, and global applications Written and edited by the leading health and social behavior theorists and researchers, Health Behavior: Theory, Research and Practice provides the information and real-world perspective that builds a solid understanding of how to analyze and improve health behaviors and health.




Current Catalog


Book Description

First multi-year cumulation covers six years: 1965-70.