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Background: Current reporting of intervention content in published research articles and protocols is generally poor, with great diversity of terminology, resulting in low replicability. This study aimed to extend the scope and improve the reliability of a 26-item taxonomy of behaviour change techniques developed by Abraham and Michie [Abraham, C. and Michie, S. (2008). A taxonomy of behaviour change techniques used in interventions. Health Psychology, 27(3), 379-387.] in order to optimise the reporting and scientific study of behaviour change interventions., Methods: Three UK study centres collaborated in applying this existing taxonomy to two systematic reviews of interventions to increase physical activity and healthy eating. The taxonomy was refined in iterative steps of (1) coding intervention descriptions, and assessing inter-rater reliability, (2) identifying gaps and problems across study centres and (3) refining the labels and definitions based on consensus discussions., Results: Labels and definitions were improved for all techniques, conceptual overlap between categories was resolved, some categories were split and 14 techniques were added, resulting in a 40-item taxonomy. Inter-rater reliability, assessed on 50 published intervention descriptions, was good (kappa = 0.79)., Conclusions: This taxonomy can be used to improve the specification of interventions in published reports, thus improving replication, implementation and evidence syntheses. This will strengthen the scientific study of behaviour change and intervention development.

Background: Interventions for dietary and physical activity changes in obese adults may be less effective for participants with additional obesity-related risk factors and co-morbidities than for otherwise healthy individuals. This study aimed to test the feasibility and acceptability of the recruitment, allocation, measurement, retention and intervention procedures of a randomised controlled trial of an intervention to improve physical activity and dietary practices amongst obese adults with additional obesity related risk factors., Method: Pilot single centre open-labelled outcome assessor-blinded randomised controlled trial of obese (Body Mass Index (BMI)≥30 kg/m2) adults (age≥18 y) with obesity related co-morbidities such as type 2 diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance or hypertension. Participants were randomly allocated to a manual-based group intervention or a leaflet control condition in accordance to a 2∶1 allocation ratio. Primary outcome was acceptability and feasibility of trial procedures, secondary outcomes included measures of body composition, physical activity, food intake and psychological process measures., Results: Out of 806 potentially eligible individuals identified through list searches in two primary care general medical practices N = 81 participants (63% female; mean-age = 56.56(11.44); mean-BMI = 36.73(6.06)) with 2.35(1.47) co-morbidities were randomised. Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) was the only significant predictor of providing consent to take part in the study (higher chances of consent for invitees with lower levels of deprivation). Participant flowcharts, qualitative and quantitative feedback suggested good acceptance and feasibility of intervention procedures but 34.6% of randomised participants were lost to follow-up due to overly high measurement burden and sub-optimal retention procedures. Participants in the intervention group showed positive trends for most psychological, behavioural and body composition outcomes., Conclusions: The intervention procedures were found to be acceptable and feasible. Attrition rates were unacceptably high and areas for improvements of trial procedures were identified., Trial Registration: Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN90101501.

Background: Reducing obesity through effective behaviour change interventions is of key importance to prevent disabling and life-threatening conditions, particularly in individuals already at risk for morbidity., Purpose: To assess the effects of behavioural interventions for obese adults with additional risk factors for morbidity on behaviour, weight and disease risk factors., Methods: Systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Three electronic databases and three journals were searched for behavioural interventions (aimed at changing dietary intake and/or physical activity (PA)) for adults (mean BMI ≥30 kg/m(2); mean age ≥40 years) with risk factors for morbidity, reporting follow-up data ≥12 weeks., Results: 44 RCTs met the inclusion criteria. Behavioural outcomes, weight loss, and cardiovascular disease risk factors showed consistent modest improvements over time, especially for interventions targeting both diet and PA., Conclusion: Behavioural interventions in at-risk populations showed positive effect tendencies on behaviour, weight, and disease risk factors. However, there is still ample room for improvement, and future research should focus on identifying the most effective means of inducing dietary and PA behaviour change in this vulnerable population., (Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: Public health services implement individual, community and population level interventions to change health behaviours, improve healthy life expectancy and reduce health inequalities. Understanding and changing health behaviour is complex. Integrating behaviour change theory and evidence into interventions has the potential to improve services., Methods: Health Psychologists apply evidence and theories aimed at understanding and changing health behaviour. A Scottish programme is piloting the training of Health Psychologists within NHS contexts to address prominent public health challenges., Results: This article outlines the details of this novel programme. Two projects are examined to illustrate the potential of partnership working between public health and health psychology., Conclusion: In order to develop and improve behaviour change interventions and services, public health planners may want to consider developing and using the knowledge and skills of Health Psychologists. Supporting such training within public health contexts is a promising avenue to build critical NHS internal mass to tackle the major public health challenges ahead.

Non-compliance with oral self-care recommendations, despite education and motivation, is a major problem in preventive dentistry. Forming concrete if-then action plans has been successful in changing self-care behavior in other areas of preventive medicine. This is the first trial to test the effects of a brief planning intervention on interdental hygiene behavior. Two hundred thirty-nine participants received a packet of floss, information, and a flossing guide. They were randomly assigned to a control or an intervention group. The intervention took 1.16 minutes and consisted of forming a concrete plan of where, when, and how to floss. Baseline measures and two-week and two-month follow-ups included self-report, residual floss, and theory of planned behavior variables. The intervention significantly affected flossing in that group at two-week and two-month follow-ups, as compared with the control group. This study provides evidence for the effects of a concise intervention on oral self-care behavior.