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Byrne M, Tan RKJ, Wu D, Marley G, Hlatshwako TG, Tao Y, Bissram J, Nachman S, Tang W, Ramaswamy R, Tucker JD. Prosocial Interventions and Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2346789. [PMID: 38064214 PMCID: PMC10709779 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.46789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance Prosocial interventions encourage voluntary actions that benefit others. Community solidarity in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, expanding mutual aid programs, and health workforce issues have accelerated prosocial health interventions. Objective To investigate the association of prosocial interventions with health outcomes in clinical trials and observational studies. Data Sources In this systematic review and meta-analysis informed by the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, 5 databases (MEDLINE [via PubMed], Embase, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Scopus) were searched from database inception through February 23, 2023. The search included terms for altruism and prosocial behaviors, health outcomes, and study type. Study Selection Included studies, determined by multiple reviewers, compared health outcomes in a prosocial intervention group with a nonintervention group. Data Extraction and Synthesis Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guideline, data extraction and synthesis captured quantitative and qualitative data. To pool data from quantitative studies, random-effects meta-analyses were used to estimate the impact of prosocial interventions. To combine data from quantitative and qualitive studies, data were transformed into qualitative narratives using meta-aggregation. Main Outcomes and Measures The main outcome was whether prosocial interventions were associated with improved health outcomes. Barriers to and facilitators of implementation of these interventions were assessed. Results The search identified 5229 citations; 30 studies were included in the synthesis. Studies indicated that prosocial interventions were associated with positive health outcomes for givers (17 studies [56.7]) and recipients (8 [26.7%]). Prosocial interventions included acts of kindness (12 studies [40.0%]), cash gifts (7 [23.3%]), pay-it-forward approaches (6 [20.0%]), and expressions of kindness (5 [16.7%]). Improvements were reported in depression, testing for sexually transmitted diseases, vaccine uptake, physical activity, and individual biomarkers. Data from 6 studies (20.0%) demonstrated that pay-it-forward approaches were associated with increased uptake of diagnostic tests or vaccines among vulnerable groups (moderate certainty of evidence). Data from 14 studies (46.7%) suggested that community connectedness facilitated prosocial interventions. Shared vulnerabilities among groups (eg, sexual minority individuals, older adults) may provide a context for collective mobilization to improve health in local communities. Conclusions and Relevance This systematic review and meta-analysis found that prosocial interventions were associated with improved health outcomes among vulnerable groups and have been useful for addressing health disparities. Further research is needed to develop and evaluate prosocial interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Byrne
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Rayner Kay Jin Tan
- University of North Carolina Project–China, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Dan Wu
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gifty Marley
- University of North Carolina Project–China, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | | | - Yusha Tao
- University of North Carolina Project–China, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jennifer Bissram
- Health Sciences Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Sophie Nachman
- Health Sciences Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Weiming Tang
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Rohit Ramaswamy
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Joseph D. Tucker
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Functionality appreciation and its correlates: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Body Image 2023; 45:65-72. [PMID: 36796304 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Functionality appreciation is a component of positive body image that refers to respecting and honoring the body for what it is capable of doing. A growing number of studies have investigated the features, correlates, and outcomes of functionality appreciation, yet a synthesis of this literature is missing. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of research on functionality appreciation. Fifty-six studies were included (85 % cross-sectional). Random effects meta-analyses were performed on 21 cross-sectional correlates and on seven randomized trials of psychological interventions that assessed functionality appreciation as an outcome. Meta-analyses showed that functionality appreciation was consistently associated with fewer body image problems, lower levels of eating disorder symptoms, and better mental health and wellbeing. Functionality appreciation was unrelated to age and gender, but weakly (and negatively) related to body mass index. Preliminary evidence from prospective designs suggests that the appreciation of body functionality may promote adaptive eating patterns and prevent maladaptive eating and body image patterns over time. Psychological interventions designed to cultivate functionality appreciation in full or in part produced greater improvements in this construct than control conditions. Findings confirm that functionality appreciation is associated with numerous wellbeing constructs and could serve as a potentially useful target for intervention.
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Łebek E, Knapik A. Body Image and Physical Activity and the Diet of Polish Youth Aged 15-18. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:3213. [PMID: 36833908 PMCID: PMC9967895 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20043213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence is a crucial stage in the biological, psychological, and social development of humans. During this period, perceptions of one's body and behaviors are formed. The aim of the study was to investigate body image (BI) and its relationship with physical activity and selected eating habits in adolescents. The study included 312 people (102 girls (32.69%) and 210 boys (67.31%)) aged 15-18. As many as 40% of the girls and 27% of the boys reported feeling dissatisfied with their body mass. BI was negatively perceived by the adolescents, with girls being more critical than boys. Lack of acceptance of one's body mass negatively affects overall BI in girls, and only the functional aspects in boys. Negative perception of body mass in girls does not motivate them to increase physical activity but rather causes them to adopt dietary restrictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewelina Łebek
- Doctoral Studies, School of Health Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Medyków 12, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
| | - Andrzej Knapik
- Department of Adapted Physical Activity and Sport, School of Health Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, ul. Medyków 12, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
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Mills JS, Minister C, Samson L. Enriching sociocultural perspectives on the effects of idealized body norms: Integrating shame, positive body image, and self-compassion. Front Psychol 2022; 13:983534. [PMID: 36506975 PMCID: PMC9732395 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.983534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Body image is an integral aspect of the psychology of the self. Idealized body images are ubiquitous in both traditional media forms (e.g., magazines, television) and social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram). The classic sociocultural model of body image (i.e., the Tripartite Influence Model) emphasizes pathways between idealized body norms, appearance comparisons, internalization of body ideals, and body dissatisfaction and its outcomes. We summarize the model and identify some issues to be addressed in future work, particularly in light of the immense popularity of social media. We review three topics that are not included in the sociocultural model but that provide a more complete picture of the influence of societal body norms on body image: (1) body shame, (2) positive body image, and (3) self-compassion. Research on the nature, assessment, and relevance of these constructs is reviewed in detail. In terms of clinical applications of these areas of research for individuals at risk of body dissatisfaction, we suggest assessing for and targeting body shame, cultivating facets of positive body image, and teaching strategies for developing self-compassion.
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Voges MM, Quittkat HL, Schöne B, Vocks S. Giving a Body a Different Face—How Men and Women Evaluate Their Own Body vs. That of Others. Front Psychol 2022; 13:853398. [PMID: 35586240 PMCID: PMC9108869 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.853398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Eating disorders affect women more than men. Women reportedly dislike their body shape more and appreciate it less than do men. One factor influencing body image might be the application of different standards for oneself than for other people when evaluating bodies. To investigate this possibility, we determined whether the application of double standards is different between men and women. We presented 57 women and 54 men (aged 18–30 and of average weight) with pictures of their own bodies and pictures of average weight, overweight, and “ideal” bodies attached to the participants’ own face and to another person’s face. Participants were instructed to evaluate their emotional reaction to the pictures and then rate the various pictures on aspects of attractiveness, body fat, and muscle mass. The degree of the double standard was defined as the difference between ratings of what appeared to be one’s own body and what appeared to be someone else’s according to the presented face. The analyses revealed, firstly, that both genders applied self-deprecating double standards when viewing overweight and average-weight bodies. Women, but not men, also showed self-deprecating double standards when viewing the ideal body and their own body. By contrast, men applied fewer double standards when viewing the ideal body and self-enhancing double standards when viewing their own body. The study suggests that young, average-weight men are more or less satisfied with their own bodies, whereas young, average-weight women tend to apply a stricter standard for themselves than for others, thus devaluing their own bodies. This vulnerability to body image is hypothesized as contributing to the prevalence of eating disorders in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona M. Voges
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
- *Correspondence: Mona M. Voges,
| | - Hannah L. Quittkat
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Benjamin Schöne
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Silja Vocks
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
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Chen X, Gao X, Qin J, Wang C, Xiao M, Tian Y, Luo YJ, Qiu J, Feng T, He Q, Lei X, Chen H. Resting-state functional network connectivity underlying eating disorder symptoms in healthy young adults. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2021; 30:102671. [PMID: 33892431 PMCID: PMC8082688 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the resting-state functional network connectivity underlying eating disorder symptoms in a large sample of healthy young adults (n = 693). Individuals with higher levels of eating disorder symptoms displayed weaker intra-network connectivity of the executive control network and basal ganglia network, as well as weaker inter-network connectivity in the three examined networks (i.e., the executive control network, basal ganglia network, and default mode network). The findings suggest that these neural circuits may play a key role in symptoms of disordered eating in healthy adults. They further reveal that the less efficient information exchange within and between intrinsic networks associated with self-referential thinking, inhibitory control, and reward sensitivity are strongly related to eating disorder symptoms.
Previous neuroimaging research of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa has mainly focused on clinical patients, indicating the crucial role of intrinsic connectivity networks involved in aberrant behavioral control (i.e., executive control network), reward reactivity (i.e., basal ganglia network), and excessive self-focused and body-focused ruminations (i.e., default mode network) in the onset and maintenance of eating disturbances. However, examinations of large-scale resting-state networks that support the role of cognitive control, reward sensitivity, and self-directed thinking in disordered eating have rarely involved non-clinical samples from the general population. This study, involving a total of 693 healthy young adults (68.69% females; mean age, 18.37 years), investigated these issues by using pre-defined functional regions of interest from the executive control network, basal ganglia network, default mode network, and a seed-based region of interest-to-region of interest approach. After statistically controlling for differences in age, sex, body mass index, and head motion, we observed significant associations of higher levels of eating disorder symptoms, especially bulimia-type eating (i.e., binge eating and a combination of binge eating and compensatory behaviors, such as purging via self-induced vomiting or laxative use, and compulsive exercise), with weaker intra-network and inter-network functional synchrony. These results remained significant after excluding underweight, overweight, and obese participants. These findings suggest that these neural circuits may play a key role in the symptoms of disordered eating in healthy adults. They further reveal that the less efficient information exchange within and between intrinsic networks associated with self-referential thinking, inhibitory control, and reward sensitivity are strongly related to eating disorder symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ximei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiao Gao
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jingmin Qin
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chuan Wang
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mingyue Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yun Tian
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Sleep and NeuroImaging Center, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yi-Jun Luo
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiang Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Southwest University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Tingyong Feng
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Research Center of Psychology and Social Development, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qinghua He
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Southwest University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xu Lei
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Sleep and NeuroImaging Center, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Research Center of Psychology and Social Development, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
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