ARTICLE REVIEW

A Review of Luszczynska et al. (2007). Theory, Intervention Design, Evaluation Rigour and Implications for Practice

Table of Contents

Introduction1

Theoretical Basis of the Evaluation and its Link to the Intervention Design2

Weight and Weight-Related Distress2

Readiness for Weight Management4

Lactation and Readiness for Weight Management5

Critical Evaluation of Quality and Rigor and Interpretation of Results6

Implications of the Results for Theoretical Development8

Further Research & Professional Practice9

References11

A Review of Luszczynska et al. (2007). Theory, Intervention Design, Evaluation Rigour and Implications for Practice

Introduction

The issue of increase in weight of mothers during pregnancy has been studied by different researchers with the help of interventions to understand the reasons behind it. Studies have concluded that hormones are considered to be the main reason of increased appetite during pregnancy. It has been noticed that mothers are likely to increase their intake of food without even noticing the change or the difference (Reilly, Armstrong & Dorosty et al. 2005: pp. 1357). However, mothers do not eat for more than one person during pregnancy, but they eat better and they pay more attention towards their contributions and requirements for baby. The appetite must also regulate energy intake as it is required.

Previous interventions have showed that regardless of the fact that weight gain is expected during pregnancy, being overweight is an issue after the child is born for new mothers. Excessive weight contributes to psychological distress in mothers. Also, it affects long-term health of mother and baby. Therefore, it is essential that weight is managed with the assistance and counselling for proper healthcare of mothers who are overweight after childbirth. Since, weight can be lost with the help of changes in lifestyles such as exercising, dieting, and settings of goals in a difficult way, readiness for undertaking such method is quite hard and critical.

The paper consists of a review of Luszczynska et al. (2007), Theory, Intervention Design, Evaluation Rigor and Implications for Practice. In this paper, we will be discussing the study in detail to analyze intervention design and to link it with theoretical basis.

Theoretical Basis of the Evaluation and its Link to the Intervention Design

Luszczynka surveyed fifty five over-weight or obese women at the interval of two months. The study consisted of women aged between 18 to 76 years of age with a body mass index of 25.28 to 48.33 who were enrolled in a commercial weight reduction program were randomly assigned to either an implementation intention prompt or a control condition. The overall attrition rate was about 75 %. There were 35 randomly allocated to descriptive norm condition (ratio male to female) and 20 in the control condition (ratio male to female). However, the women showed favourable views regarding weight loss. These women also encouraged the pros of weight loss and lactation that are salient to women readiness for weight management.

In the study, conducted by Luszczynska, postpartal weight status was indexed by the following: determining body fat, gaining weight referenced to weight that the women had at an earlier time, along with the degree of weight-related ...