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Survey says…parent education in NY is working!

September 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Cooperative Extension in New York offers parents and caregiver a variety of programs designed to promote positive parenting and healthy child development.  But are these programs making a difference?

A new analysis by Cornell faculty members suggests they are. Researchers surveyed more than 400 people who participated in parent education classes in nine New York counties. The classes each included at least six hours of instruction.

Before and after the courses, participants were asked ten questions about parenting attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge designed to capture some of what was taught in the class.

Participants showed significant improvements on eight of the ten questions, including:

  • making rules that take their child’s needs into consideration.
  • decreases in how often they yell at their child.
  • decreases in the number of hours their children spend watching television.
  • increased patience with their children.
  • increased time spent reading with their child.
  • increased use of explanations for rules they make.
  • increased feelings of support.
  • increased confidence in having the skills necessary to be a good caregiver.

The results suggest that these parent education courses are having a positive impact on their participants.  You can learn more about the programs at http://www.parenting.cit.cornell.edu.

Filed Under: Cornell Cooperative Extension, Evidence-Based Living, Youth Development Tagged With: , , , ,

EFNEP: An evidence-based approach to nutrition education

September 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Across the state of New York, there are thousands of families who worry about their next meal, or whether there will be enough money for a weekly grocery-shopping trip.

For the past 41 years, the Expanded Food Education and Nutrition Program has been using an evidence-based approach to help those families improve their nutrition and use their resources more wisely. Cornell faculty in the Division of Nutritional Sciences provide leadership for the program, and work with Cooperative Extension Educators across the state to conduct research and translate those findings into programming that helps families with children.

The program involves hands-on, experiential learning taught to individuals or small groups by a member of their own community.  Local educators undergo extensive training designed by Cornell Nutrition faculty members.

“Many of our community educators haven’t had formal training before, because the focus in recruiting is to hire local community members who can relate to the course participants,” said Joan Doyle Paddock, senior extension associate in Nutritional Sciences. “We’ve developed and rolled out a 19-session training session that provides them with the latest information on nutrition and the most effective educational methods, both based on scientific research.” 

Evaluation conducted a few years ago found that participants taught individually, rather than in group settings, reported greater improvements in nutrition behaviors.  Based on this, the 19-session training was developed to improve group facilitation skills and the result has been improved outcomes for all types of participants.

“We’re not interested in just teaching people information; we’re looking for them to make behavioral changes in their lives,” she said. “Over the years, we’ve collected a lot of evidence that shows this program really does make a difference.”

Among one of the most important findings is this: EFNEP is yielding results for New York families.  A 2008 study found that every $1 spent on the program reaps $10 in health benefits. Jamie Dollahite, associate professor of nutritional sciences, conducted the study, which looked at the costs and benefits of the program for 5,730 low-income adults who “graduated” from New York’s program.

“Cost-effectiveness was estimated to be as great as for many current health interventions, such as lifestyle changes to prevent diabetes,” Dollahite explained.

Other findings include:

  • The program is most successful when the community educators believe in the value of the program and feel they are making a difference in the lives of EFNEP families.
  • Nutrition education increases food security for low-income families, and there is a dose response relationship between the number of lessons received and increases in food security.
  • Nutrition educators are motivated by perceptions of EFNEP’s value to families, relationships with their coworkers, and having a voice in decisions at work.
Filed Under: Cornell Cooperative Extension, Evidence-Based Living, Health and Wellness Tagged With: , , , ,

More evidence on living the good life

September 3, 2010 By 2 Comments

Last week, you read about an evidence-based center focused on social and emotional well-being.

Cornell psychologist Anthony Ong has dedicated his career on a related topic: how can some cope with life’s stressful events and still remain positive, while others spiral into negative emotions?

Ong’s work focuses on the complex interplay of social, emotional, cognitive, and cultural resources that people draw upon to adapt to stressful life circumstances as they age, and the ways these factors have an effect on health and well-being.

His research has shown that people who have positive emotions on a daily basis recover more easily from stressful events, both in daily life and major stressful events like the loss of a loved one. This work has raised the possibility that positive emotions are important factors in undoing the autonomic arousal generated by negative emotions.

Ong has found that this daily access to positive emotions actually creates a psychological antidote for people in times of crisis. The ability to experience a positive emotion despite a major stressor – such as a serious illness or the loss of a love one – provides a momentary respite from the ongoing stress.

A steady stream of positive emotions also leads to greater emotional and physical well-being. By undoing negative emotions and fueling psychological resilience, positive emotions trigger an upward spiral of contentment. This, in turn, creates a measureable difference in cardiovascular functioning.

 “When our positive emotions are in short supply — when we feel hemmed in by such negative emotions as fear and sadness — we become stuck in a rut and painfully predictable,” he said. “But when our positive emotions are in ample supply, we become generative, resilient versions of ourselves.”

Ong’s work has also shown that social connectedness – having a supportive relationships with those around you – contributes these daily positive emotions, and also leads people to be more resilient in the face of adversity. 

Based on findings from dozens of studies, Ong offers some practical advice for fostering positive emotions in everyday living:

  • Find meaning in everyday life through reframing adverse events in a positive light, infusing ordinary events with positive value, and pursuing and attaining realistic goals.
  • Explore relaxation techniques that create conditions conducive to experiencing contentment and inner calmness.
  • Make connections by reaching out to others.
  • Engage in activities that you enjoy and find intrinsically motivating.
  • Take care of yourself by eating right, getting enough sleep and engaging in regular physical activity.
Filed Under: Evidence-Based Living, Health and Wellness Tagged With: , , , , ,

The evidence on living a good life

August 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

For centuries, medical and social research has focused on human illness and dysfunction. But over the last decade, there is a growing cadre of researchers who are looking into specific factors that lead to social and emotional well-being.

A center at the University of California-Berkley called the Greater Good Science Center is focused on just that – the scientific research into social and emotional well-being, and how to help people apply this research to their personal and professional lives.

The center sponsors its own research, and also publishes on on-line magazine to disseminate the latest information to parents, educators, community leaders, and policy makers.

So, what really does make people happy?  A recent article on the Greater Good site summed up the evidence about specific actions that everyone can take to improve their own happiness.

  • Make time for quality, social interactions. The dominant finding in happiness research is that that social connections are key to bliss. Some research also shows that it’s the quality of our social interactions that really matter, not the quantity.
  • Learn forgiveness. New research show that when we forgive those who have wronged us, we feel better about ourselves, experience more positive emotions, and feel closer to others.
  • Be grateful. Studies show that simply counting listing things you are thankful for on a regular basis leads to more optimism and greater satisfaction.
  • Foster generosity. A 2008 study published in the journal Science found that people reported greater happiness when they spent money on others than when they spent it on themselves, even though they initially thought the opposite would be true.
  • Exercise.  Studies show that regular physical activity increases happiness and self-esteem, reduces anxiety and stress, and can even lift symptoms of depression.
  • Sleep enough. Research has consistently reduced amounts of sleep to reduced amounts of happiness.
  • Be mindful. Studies show that being aware of our thoughts, feelings and circumstances reduces hostility and anxiousness, and leads to greater life satisfaction.
Filed Under: Evidence-Based Living, Health and Wellness, In The Media Tagged With: , , , ,

The science behind barefoot running

August 12, 2010 By 1 Comment

Humans have been running long distances for millions of years, well before the advent of the modern running shoe. In fact, it’s only in the past three decades that athletic companies have developed cushioned, supportive shoes for runners.

Recently, a movement of runners have gone back to their roots – forgoing shoes for running barefoot or with minimal footwear. Why the heck would they do that? Thanks to sports historian Michael Civille for posing this question, and we’ll take a look at the evidence here.

There is some evidence that barefoot running reduces the amount of force on the foot and knee joints. Daniel Lieberman, a professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University, studies the biomechanics of barefoot running and how early humans survived by evolving the ability to travel long distances to hunt.

His work – which has been published twice in the journal Nature – has shown that experienced, barefoot runners tend to land in the front or middle of their feet, compared to runners with shoes, who tend to land on their heels. These forefoot and midfoot strikes do not generate the sudden, large impacts that occur with heel strikes. Therefore, barefoot people can run more easily on hard surfaces without discomfort from landing.

Lieberman, who runs barefoot once a week himself, is the first to admit there is no evidence on whether running barefoot causes fewer or more injuries than running with shoes.  (There is also no evidence that running shoes reduce injuries either.)

How about speed?

There is some evidence that barefoot running uses about five percent less energy because runners use the natural springs in their feet and calf muscles to store and release energy.  

But runners with forefoot or midfoot strikes don’t seem to be any faster than runners with heel strikes, according to a Japanese study.  In it, researchers took photographs of elite runners foot strike positions midway through a half-marathon. Seventy-five percent of the runners were landing on their heels, 24 percent landed at about near the arch of their shoe, and only four landed on their forefoot. And they weren’t the four fastest.

The take-home message?  The jury is still out on barefoot running. One thing is clear:  If you want to try barefoot running, start slowly. One thing all of the experts agree on is that the body does take some time to adjust.

Filed Under: Evidence-Based Living, Health and Wellness, In The Media Tagged With: , , , ,

Texting while driving: Clearly dangerous

August 10, 2010 By 3 Comments

Multitasking has become a way of life in this digital age, where most people can access their e-mail, their calendars and make phone calls from a mobile device they keep in their pockets or purse. While communication-on-the-go certainly can make us more efficient, it can have dire consequences as well.

Some 200,000 car accidents each year are caused by texting while driving, according to a report from the National Safety Council, a nonprofit group recognized by congressional charter as a leader on safety.

The scientific literature backs up the report.  A 2009 study of long-haul truckers by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found drivers were more than 23 times more likely to experience a safety-critical event when texting. The study also found that drivers typically take their eyes off the road for an average of four out of six seconds when texting, during which time he travels the distance of a football field without their eyes on the road.

Another study by psychologists and the University of Utah found that texting while driving is riskier than talking on a cell phone or with another passenger. In the study, people texting in a driving simulator had more crashes, responded more slowly to brake lights on cars in front of them, and showed more impairment in forward and lateral control than did drivers who talked on a cell phone or drove without texting.

The Utah study found that drivers who talked on the phone attempted to divide their attention between the conversation and driving, adjusting the priority of each activity based on what was happening on the road.  But texting required drivers to switch their attention from one task to the other, causing a substantial reduction in reaction times compared to those talking on the phone.

State governments are responding to the evidence. Text messaging is banned for all drivers in 30 states and the District of Columbia. In addition, novice drivers are banned from texting in 8 states.  And President Barack Obama issued a texting-ban while driving for on all federal employees while using a government vehicle or government-issued cell phone.

The take home message: Save your text for non-driving times.

–        Sheri Hall

Filed Under: Evidence-Based Living, Health and Wellness, In The Media, policy Tagged With: , , , , ,

Why women leave science careers

August 4, 2010 By 3 Comments

More women than ever before are pursuing undergraduate degrees in physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, and other science and technology fields – commonly referred to as STEM fields.  In mathematics, for example, women now earn 46 percent of all bachelor’s degrees.

Women also pursue advanced studies in STEM fields in increasing numbers. Even in physics, engineering, and computer science – all traditionally male fields – women now number approximately one-fifth to one-quarter of all students in graduate programs. But after they earn a Ph.D., these women begin a process of attrition that results in far fewer women at each successive level up the academic ladder.  They are less likely than men to apply for tenure-track jobs, more likely to leave these jobs, and less satisfied in their careers. Why do they drop out of their fields?

Cornell professors Wendy Williams and Steve Ceci have spent the last several years studying the reasons behind this phenomenon.  They’ve published a major study that reviews more than 400 articles and book chapters on sex differences in math, and written two books on the topic.

Their conclusion is that women tend to drop out of non-math fields not because they lack mathematical ability, but because they simply prefer more people-oriented pursuits, such as medicine, veterinary science, and biology, where they represent one-half to three-quarters of new doctorates.  The demands of childrearing and caretaking also take their toll on the already-low numbers of women in math-intensive fields. 

Now Williams and Ceci have received a $1.4 million from the National Institutes of Health to establish the Cornell Institute for Women in Science. The money is funding five large-scale studies to explore how women and men are recruited to and informally trained in graduate school, and how they are evaluated when they apply for their first tenure-track position. The grant also funds a major outreach campaign designed to increase awareness among college-age women of the demands of an academic career, so that these women can target their career planning more effectively.

The idea is to better understand, and ultimately improve, behaviors that may consciously or unconsciously lead to gender bias in math-intensive fields.

The new institute is part of a broad outreach effort focused on encouraging under-represented groups – including women and minorities – to pursue careers in science. Part of that broader effort includes the Thinking Like A Scientist program, a curriculum that encourages school-aged children to pursue careers in science.

Williams’s and Ceci’s work is a prime example of using research to learn about a problem of national proportions, and then taking action to make improvements that are based on the evidence.

Filed Under: Evidence-Based Living, Youth Development Tagged With: , , , ,

New Evidence: TV time leads to attention problems

July 15, 2010 By 3 Comments

There is another piece of evidence that supports a long-standing belief among child development experts: Too much TV time is associated with attention problems in youth. The newest piece of proof comes from a study conducted by researchers at Iowa State University and published this month in the journal Pediatrics. 

The new research found that children who exceeded the two hours per day of screen time recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics – either in TV-watching or video games – were 1.5 to 2 times more likely to have attention problems in school.

The study followed third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students as well as college-aged students for more than one year. Over that time, participants’ average time using television and video games was 4.26 hours per day, well below the national average of 7.5 hours per day reported in other studies.

Study author Douglas Gentile, an associate professor of psychology at Iowa State, explained the phenomenon for a report in Science Daily.

“Brain science demonstrates that the brain becomes what the brain does,” he said. “If we train the brain to require constant stimulation and constant flickering lights, changes in sound and camera angle, or immediate feedback, such as video games can provide, then when the child lands in the classroom where the teacher doesn’t have a million-dollar-per-episode budget, it may be hard to get children to sustain their attention.”

This phenomenon again raises the question for professionals who coordinate youth intervention programs:  What can be done to capture the attention of youth who are so captivated by electronic media?   The answer is most likely to meet them somewhere in their world.

– Sheri Hall

Filed Under: Evidence-Based Living, In The Media, Youth Development Tagged With: , , , , ,

Fostering sustainable behavior: What works?

June 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Everyone agrees that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a horrendous event, one so profoundly damaging that we have trouble getting our minds around it. The corporation responsible, BP, has been excoriated in Congress and by the press. Media images of oil covered sea birds and fishing boats in dry dock daily reinforce our sense of the scope of this disaster.

Given the level of upset and outrage, one might ask: Has it changed what Americans are doing on a daily basis? Everyone knows that there’s only one real solution to problems like this: reduce dependence on oil. So are we lining up to trade in our gas guzzlers for hybrids? Winterizing our homes? Rushing to install solar panels?

The answer, of course, is no. Despite pro-environmental attitudes, a general desire for a cleaner world, and many options for action, most of us don’t take meaningful action, despite the growing sense of urgency. So what can be done to foster sustainable behavior.

I recently came across an excellent evidence-based resource, devoted entirely to disseminating research information on methods of encouraging behaviors that help the environment: Fostering Sustainable Behavior: Community-Based Social Marketing. This web site covers five resource areas: conservation, energy efficiency, transportation, waste reduction, and water efficiency. The site offers for free the complete contents of the book, Fostering Sustainable Behavior. Under each of the five themes are searchable databases of articles, case studies, and strategies to promote environmental behavior. It also has discussion forums where people exchange ideas. Registration is free. The more we can implement evidence-based strategies to help save the environment, the better off we (and our children) will be.

Filed Under: Evidence-Based Living, Health and Wellness, policy, The Learning Center Tagged With: , , ,
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