Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine最新文献

{"title":"Feasibility study of an artificial intelligence chatbot-powered cognitive-behavioral lifestyle modification program.","authors":"Evan M Forman, Charlotte J Hagerman, Asher E Hong, Zhuoran Huang, Hannah C McCausland, Jasmine H Sun, Lauren C Taylor, Meghan L Butryn, Preetha Chatterjee, Ramtin Ehsani, Nawal Syed","doi":"10.1093/abm/kaag038","DOIUrl":"10.1093/abm/kaag038","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Approximately 2 billion adults seek lifestyle modification to improve their health and well-being. However, because of cost and access barriers, only a tiny fraction receive gold-standard lifestyle modification programs led by trained coaches. Digital programs without human coaches are more disseminable but have limited efficacy. Recent advances in large language model (LLM) AI chatbots have the potential to revolutionize digital programs by emulating human coaches, offering a safe, low-cost, and scalable lifestyle modification intervention. Yet, no studies have developed and tested such a program.</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study aims to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and user engagement of a new AI chatbot-powered lifestyle modification program named Lyra, which utilizes recent advances in LLM technology to potentially emulate the benefits of human coaching.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We developed Lyra, which integrates structured psychoeducational programming, digital tracking of health behaviors, and text messaging, all powered by an LLM engine. We tested the 8-week program, which included interactive training in behavioral strategies, customized meal plans, tailored feedback on goal progress, and on-demand coaching, with 17 participants in a sample of participants with overweight/obesity seeking lifestyle modification.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The program was successfully implemented at a cost of $1.78/participant/week. Coders rated 2288 messages from and 475 conversations with Lyra. All were deemed safe, and the mean expertise was 8.5/10. Participants (mean BMI = 31.5) rated Lyra as helpful (69%), empathic (88%), and easy to use (94%); 88% valued having 24-h availability, and 75% developed a connection to Lyra. Participants initiated an average of 6.2 conversations, ranging from coping with cravings to unprompted \"confessions\" of having consumed unhealthy food.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This new form of intervention proved feasible, acceptable, safe, clinically adept, and capable of fostering a connection. However, rigorous testing of Lyra's effectiveness is necessary.</p>","PeriodicalId":520558,"journal":{"name":"Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine","volume":"60 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13355595/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149140248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Randomized controlled trial of emotion regulation therapy versus cognitive behavioral therapy to address distress in cancer caregivers.","authors":"Allison J Applebaum, Jamie M Jacobs, David M Fresco, Michael A Hoyt, Elizabeth Schofield, Morgan J Loschiavo, Mia S O'Toole, Laura E Dunderdale, Douglas S Mennin","doi":"10.1093/abm/kaag021","DOIUrl":"10.1093/abm/kaag021","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) shows promise for addressing distress in cancer caregivers, though results are mixed. Traditional CBT may not fully address transdiagnostic processes underlying caregiver distress, such as attentional rigidity and perseverative thinking. Emotion Regulation Therapy (ERT), a contemporary CBT targeting these mechanisms, has promise for cancer caregivers (ERT-C). We compared ERT-C to caregiver-adapted CBT (CBT-C) on caregiver- and patient-reported outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a multisite RCT (ERT-C vs. CBT-C) with distressed caregivers of patients with any cancer type or stage. Caregivers completed measures of anxiety, depression, worry, rumination, burden, and quality of life (QOL) at baseline, post-treatment, and 3- and 6-months follow-up. Patients reported outcomes at baseline and 3 months. Linear mixed-effects models with multiple imputation were used to assess group differences.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>From March 2021 to April 2024, we randomized 253 caregivers, of whom 244 were analyzed (ERT-C = 124; CBT-C = 120), and enrolled 95 patients (ERT-C = 47; CBT-C = 48), of whom 87 were analyzed. From pre- to post-treatment and through 6 months follow-up, caregivers in ERT-C did not improve significantly more than in CBT-C. Although there were significant between-group differences in patient physical and mental health, these effects did not persist after multiplicity adjustment. However, caregivers overall demonstrated significant improvements over time in anxiety, depression, worry, and QOL, and patients demonstrated significant improvements in perceived stress and emergency room visits.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Although ERT-C was not superior to CBT-C, caregivers showed meaningful psychosocial improvements overall, and patients improved on 2 outcomes. Future work will examine whether the 2 treatments differentially engage putative mechanisms leading to the observed clinical findings.</p><p><strong>Clinical trial registration: </strong>This trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT04802720).</p>","PeriodicalId":520558,"journal":{"name":"Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine","volume":"60 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13200740/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149140281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Moderators of design and delivery component effects on engagement with a digital parenting intervention: evidence from a factorial randomized trial in Tanzania.","authors":"Roselinde Janowski, Yulia Shenderovich, Joyce Wamoyi, David Stern, Jamie M Lachman, G J Melendez-Torres, Lucie D Cluver","doi":"10.1093/abm/kaag033","DOIUrl":"10.1093/abm/kaag033","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Digital health interventions are rapidly expanding in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), yet little is known about how design and delivery components can be tailored to support engagement across diverse populations. Addressing this gap is critical for effective and equitable implementation.</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study used a factorial experiment, embedded within the Optimization Phase of the Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST), to examine whether caregiver characteristics moderated the effects of design and delivery components on engagement with an app-based parenting intervention in Tanzania.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A 2 × 2 × 2 cluster-randomized factorial experiment was conducted in Mwanza, Tanzania (16 clusters; 614 caregivers of adolescents). Three components were tested: guidance (guided vs self-guided), app design (unstructured vs structured), and digital support (enhanced vs basic). Engagement was operationalized as the number of intervention modules completed, which was tracked automatically via the app. Generalized linear mixed-effects models examined moderation by caregiver gender, age, financial stress, food insecurity, positive parenting, child maltreatment, and caregiver depression.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Gender, age, positive parenting, and depressive symptoms moderated the effects of specific components on engagement. Women showed significantly higher engagement with the unstructured versus structured app design (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.48, 95% CI, 1.23-1.80), whereas no significant app design differences were observed among men. Older caregivers showed greater engagement under guided delivery (vs self-guided; IRR = 1.15, 95% CI, 1.06-1.25) and enhanced digital support (vs basic support; IRR = 1.15, 95% CI, 1.06-1.26). Greater engagement under guided versus self-guided delivery was also observed among caregivers reporting more positive parenting practices (IRR = 1.03, 95% CI, 1.02-1.04) and higher depressive symptoms (IRR = 1.06, 95% CI, 1.03-1.09). However, caregivers reporting more positive parenting practices showed lower engagement under enhanced digital support (vs basic support; IRR = 0.96, 95% CI, 0.95-0.98). No moderation effects were observed for financial stress, food insecurity, or child maltreatment.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Tailoring design and delivery components to specific caregiver characteristics may enhance engagement and promote more equitable implementation of digital parenting interventions in LMICs.</p><p><strong>Clinical trial registration number: </strong>The trial was pre-registered on the Pan-African Clinical Trial Registry PACTR202210657553944; https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/TrialDisplay.aspx?TrialID=24051.</p>","PeriodicalId":520558,"journal":{"name":"Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine","volume":"60 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13283430/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149140317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving weight loss among young adults with excess body weight using a theory-driven digital self-regulation program: a randomized controlled trial.","authors":"Han Shi Jocelyn Chew, Jia Wen Ngooi, Wen Wei Ang, Ruo Chen Du, Pin Zhong Chan, Miia Jansson, Bin Zhu, Yu Cao, Chong Wah Ngo, Roger Foo, Asim Shabbir, Dean Ho, Nick Sevdalis, Kee Yuan Ngiam","doi":"10.1093/abm/kaag017","DOIUrl":"10.1093/abm/kaag017","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Lifestyle modification is fundamental for obesity management but remains challenging.</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To test the effectiveness of a 12-week digital self-regulation program on improving weight loss and self-regulation among young adults.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A 2-arm parallel 1:1 randomized controlled trial was conducted. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention or the control group. The primary outcomes were weight and self-regulation, while the secondary outcomes were nutrition knowledge, eating phenotypes, overeating habits, anxiety, and depression. All data were collected at weeks 0, 12, and 24.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We showed the effectiveness of a digital commitment device on body weight (-1.90 ± 6.4 kg, P = .002), body mass index (-0.45 ± 2.0 kg/m2, P = .002), waist circumference (-2.10 ± 12.1 cm, P = .01), basal metabolic rate (-20.30 ± 118.6 kcal, P = .04) and body roundness index (-0.17 ± 0.6, P = .014). Interventional effects were sustained for waist circumference (-0.8 ± 2.8 cm, P = .05) and body roundness index (-0.07 ± 0.36, P = .047) 3 months beyond removing access to the commitment device. General improvements in nutrition knowledge, psychological flexibility, uncontrolled eating, and anxiety were found among both groups, but differences were only significant for depression scores (-0.06 ± 1.5, P = .032) and eating self-regulation (0.16 ± 0.54, P = .003).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study showed the potential of a digital commitment device in improving eating self-regulation, anthropometry, and mental wellness for scalable implementation in the community setting.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05969639).</p>","PeriodicalId":520558,"journal":{"name":"Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine","volume":"60 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13092135/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149140337","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in the relationships between stress exposure, stress-related psychopathology, and cardiovascular disease: a rapid scoping review.","authors":"William D Eckerle, Matthew F Muldoon, Anna Marsland, Rebecca Thurston, Peter J Gianaros, Pouneh Fazeli, Thomas Kamarck","doi":"10.1093/abm/kaag054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaag054","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is widely recognized for its role in maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance, as well as its involvement in the pathogenesis of certain forms of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Recent research suggests that, in addition, the RAAS may play a role in the body's response to stress, making activity of the RAAS a potential mechanism linking stress exposure or psychopathology to cardiovascular disease risk.</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This rapid scoping review synthesizes the relevant literature that has been published on this topic over the past 16 years.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An original and updated search of the PubMed database resulted in 4632 titles for screening. Of these, 37 articles, reporting on 31 unique samples, met criteria for inclusion.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results of this review suggest that acute psychological stress results in short-term elevations in multiple components of the RAAS. Evidence supporting an association between psychopathology and RAAS activity is mixed and inconclusive. No studies have examined whether the effects of stress or psychopathology on CVD is mediated by the RAAS.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Current evidence suggests that the RAAS is involved in the acute response to psychological stress, and future research should seek to establish the unique downstream health effects of this RAAS activation. There is insufficient evidence to support a mediating role of RAAS activity in associations between stress and CVD risk at this time. Additional systematic reviews of select topic areas within this literature are warranted.</p>","PeriodicalId":520558,"journal":{"name":"Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine","volume":"60 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149140257","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Daily experiences affect the timing rather than the structure of sleep.","authors":"Péter Przemyslaw Ujma, Róbert Bódizs","doi":"10.1093/abm/kaag003","DOIUrl":"10.1093/abm/kaag003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sleep characteristics may be affected by daytime experiences, a fact that can be leveraged by nonpharmacological interventions to improve sleep.</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To investigate the effect of daily experiences on sleep in an ecologically valid within-participant design.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We leverage the Budapest Sleep, Traits and Experiences Study, a large multiday observational study (N = 1901 nights in total) with extensive daily diaries and mobile electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings conducted for at least 7 days per participant to investigate how naturally occurring daily experiences such as social activity, emotional involvement, or mental strain affect sleep during the subsequent night.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The strongest influence was on the timing of sleep onset: Even after controlling for day of the week, sleep onset occurred later after more experience-rich days and pleasurable activities (B = 0.05-0.89 hours, Pmax = .002). After statistically accounting for this extended wakefulness, we found limited evidence that daily experiences influence sleep characteristics. Only 4 effects survived correction for multiple comparisons: Sleep (B = 23 minutes, P = .002) and N3 duration (B = 6 minutes, P = .003) were longer after days with time at the workplace, rapid eye movement (REM) latency was increased after social activity (B = 8.6 minutes, P < .001), and sleep onset latency was reduced after alcohol consumption (B = -1.1 minute, P = .004).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our work shows that, aside from homeostatic effects resulting from extended wakefulness, sleep is relatively resilient to and only affected by a few distinct daytime experiences. Nonpharmacological interventions seeking to change sleep may need to utilize behavioral modifications exceeding normal day-to-day variation.</p>","PeriodicalId":520558,"journal":{"name":"Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine","volume":"60 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13017393/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149140165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Precision in progress: a scoping review of SMART designs in adaptive behavioral interventions for individuals with a chronic physical and/or mental illness.","authors":"Sylvie D Lambert, Sydney Wasserman, Mélanie Bédard, Lydia Ould Brahim, Francesca Frati, Erica E M Moodie","doi":"10.1093/abm/kaag007","DOIUrl":"10.1093/abm/kaag007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Traditional randomized controlled trials are limited in their ability to inform the development of adaptive interventions tailored to the needs of individuals with a chronic physical and/or mental illness. Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trials (SMARTs) provide a rigorous design for developing and evaluating adaptive interventions.</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This scoping review examined the application of SMARTs to develop and evaluate adaptive behavioral interventions for individuals with a chronic physical and/or mental illness.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A search was conducted in 4 electronic databases, using a three-step process following Joanna Briggs Institute recommendations. Records were screened using Rayyan. Narrative synthesis and deductive content analysis were performed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Fifteen unique SMARTs were found, all examining stage-specific main effects; few evaluated embedded adaptive interventions. Two-stage SMARTs with re-randomization of non-responders only were the most common design. SMARTs typically spanned 12-13 weeks, used a single tailoring variable (often the same as the primary outcome), and defined response using threshold-based criteria. Adaptations for non-responders involved continuing with or adding a new component to the stage 1 intervention, whereas responders continued with the stage 1 intervention or received boosters. Responder rates ranged from 6.1% to 87%. Based on the 12 large SMARTs (excluding pilots), stage 1 and 2 effects were often nonsignificant, and adaptive interventions did not seem to result in the intended improvements in outcomes. Reported challenges included complex logistics, large sample size requirements, and high costs, but SMARTs enabled real-world, dynamic comparisons.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Insights from this review can guide the design of SMARTs to meet diverse population needs.</p>","PeriodicalId":520558,"journal":{"name":"Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine","volume":"60 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13078911/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149140190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Structural anti-Asian racism, structural cisheterosexism, and psychological, behavioral, and sleep health among Asian American sexual and gender minority adolescents.","authors":"Hyemin Lee, Arushee Bhoja, Ryan J Watson, Ethan H Mereish","doi":"10.1093/abm/kaaf099","DOIUrl":"10.1093/abm/kaaf099","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, a dramatic rise in anti-Asian sentiment as well as cissemxism and heterosexism (hereafter, cisheterosexism) has been documented, particularly affecting Asian American (AA) sexual and gender minority (SGM) adolescents who face intersecting oppressions.</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>We investigated the associations between state-level structural anti-Asian racism, structural cisheterosexism, and psychological, behavioral, and sleep health outcomes among AA SGM adolescents.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study analyzed a subsample of AA SGM adolescents (N = 980) from a US cross-sectional national survey of 17 578 SGM adolescents aged 13-18 years old conducted in 2022. To quantify state-level structural anti-Asian racism and structural cisheterosexism, we utilized data from multiple sources including Project Implicit (implicit and explicit prejudiced attitudes), Education Week (critical race theory legislation), and Movement Advancement Project (anti-SGM laws and policies). Multivariate regression analyses examined associations between structural oppression and health outcomes, adjusting for individual demographics and state-level covariates (poverty, income inequality, conservatism, and population density).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Higher levels of structural anti-Asian racism were associated with greater psychological distress (adjusted b = 0.58, robust SE = 0.21) and higher odds of recent vape use (adjusted odds ratio = 2.56, 95% CI: 1.77-3.70). Structural cisheterosexism was associated with greater odds of past-year alcohol use (adjusted OR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.27-3.38), but less sleep trouble (adjusted b = -0.31, robust SE = 0.08). The adverse effects of structural anti-Asian racism on psychological distress were amplified for AA SGM adolescents living in states with higher structural cisheterosexism.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings demonstrate how intersecting structural oppressions shape health outcomes among multiply marginalized youth, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive policies addressing multiple forms of structural oppressions.</p>","PeriodicalId":520558,"journal":{"name":"Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine","volume":"60 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12863084/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149140234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Expectation shapes hunger and craving: placebo effects of verbal suggestion on food-related experiences.","authors":"Zaineb Al-Awan, Eleni Prinea, Aleksandrina Skvortsova","doi":"10.1093/abm/kaag036","DOIUrl":"10.1093/abm/kaag036","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Placebo effects-beneficial outcomes driven by expectations rather than active treatment-are well documented in domains such as pain, mental health, and fatigue. However, their impact on food metabolism and food-related behaviors remains underexplored.</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study investigated whether verbal suggestions about a sham vagus nerve stimulation could alter hunger, food craving, food desirability, and food choice in healthy volunteers.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In a randomized, single-blind, between-subjects design (preregistered on Open Science Framework), 126 participants (101 women) were assigned to 1 of 3 groups: a hunger-increasing placebo group, a hunger-decreasing placebo group, or a control group. The hunger-decreasing group was told the stimulation would reduce hunger; the hunger-increasing group was told it would increase hunger; the control group received neutral information. Self-reported hunger and craving were assessed at 4 time points, alongside food desirability ratings and choices between natural and ultra-processed food options.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The hunger-decreasing group reported reduced overall craving compared to the control group and less hunger compared to the hunger-increasing group after food-related tasks. The hunger-increasing group showed increased hunger but no increase in overall craving. No effects were observed on food desirability or choice. The effect of the suggestions on hunger and craving was not mediated by expectations.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings provide novel evidence that expectations shaped by verbal suggestion can influence food-related experiences, with potential implications for interventions targeting eating habits, eating disorders, and obesity prevention.</p>","PeriodicalId":520558,"journal":{"name":"Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine","volume":"60 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13282074/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149140236","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vices and vegetables: a systematic review and series of meta-analyses examining the relationships among compensatory health beliefs with health-related intentions and behaviors.","authors":"Gavin Q Fox, Minh Quang Luong, Allison Kimmel, Lucy E Napper","doi":"10.1093/abm/kaag013","DOIUrl":"10.1093/abm/kaag013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Compensatory health beliefs (CHBs), the belief that a healthy behavior can offset the effects of a health-compromising one, have been theorized to both justify unhealthy behaviors and motivate health-promoting ones. However, findings in the literature are inconsistent.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>These meta-analyses synthesized 252 effect sizes from 59 independent samples using robust variance estimation to examine the relationships between CHBs and four outcomes: intentions and engagement in compensatory health behaviors and intentions and engagement in health-compromising behaviors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Approximately 13,760 individuals were represented across these analyses (ages 12-79; women ∼66.1%; college-based = 69.8%). CHBs were significantly associated with greater intentions to engage in compensatory health behaviors (r = 0.21) and with greater engagement in health-compromising behaviors (r = 0.18), but were not reliably associated with compensatory health behaviors or intentions to engage in health-compromising behaviors. Heterogeneity was substantial across all models, but only one significant moderator emerged: CHBs were more strongly associated with compensatory intentions in studies examining diet compared to physical activity. Funnel plot symmetry and stability across values of ρ supported the robustness of findings.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These results highlight the potential for CHBs to undermine health behavior change efforts, particularly when intentions to engage in healthy behaviors are not carried out. Future work should explore state-level CHBs and real-time decision-making to clarify how and when these beliefs influence behavior.</p>","PeriodicalId":520558,"journal":{"name":"Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine","volume":"60 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13092134/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149140243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}