Dyadic planning of health-behavior change after prostatectomy: A randomized-controlled planning intervention

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) 2011-09, Vol.73 (5), p.783-792
• Main Authors: Burkert, Silke, Scholz, Urte, Gralla, Oliver, Roigas, Jan, Knoll, Nina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Clinical trials; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dyadic planning; Dyadic planning Randomized controlled trial Health-behavior change Social exchange Self-regulation Germany Prostatectomy; Exchange Theory; Federal Republic of Germany; Germany; Health Behavior; Health care; Health-behavior change; Humans; Intervention; Male; Medical sciences; Medical treatment; Medicine; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Patients; Prostatectomy; Prostatectomy - rehabilitation; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Randomized controlled trial; Rehabilitation - methods; Risk Reduction Behavior; Self Care; Self Control; Self-regulation; Social behaviour; Social exchange; Surgery; Surveys and Questionnaires; Trials; Universities
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.06.016

In this study, we investigated the role of dyadic planning for health-behavior change. Dyadic planning refers to planning health-behavior change together with a partner. We assumed that dyadic planning would affect the implementation of regular pelvic-floor exercise (PFE), with other indicators of social exchange and self-regulation strategies serving as mediators. In a randomized-controlled trial at a German University Medical Center, 112 prostatectomy-patients with partners were randomly assigned to a dyadic PFE-planning condition or one of three active control conditions. Questionnaire data were assessed at multiple time points within six months post-surgery, measuring self-reported dyadic PFE-planning and pelvic-floor exercise as primary outcomes and social exchange (support, control) and a self-regulation strategy (action control) as mediating mechanisms. There were no specific intervention effects with regard to dyadic PFE-planning or pelvic-floor exercise, as two active control groups also showed increases in either of these variables. However, results suggested that patients instructed to plan dyadically still benefited from self-reported dyadic PFE-planning regarding pelvic-floor exercise. Cross-sectionally, received negative control from partners was negatively related with PFE only in control groups and individual action control mediated between self-reported dyadic PFE-planning and PFE for participants instructed to plan PFE dyadically. Longitudinally, action control mediated between self-reported dyadic PFE-planning and pelvic-floor exercise for all groups. Findings provide support for further investigation of dyadic planning in health-behavior change with short-term mediating effects of behavior-specific social exchange and long-term mediating effects of better self-regulation. ► Study investigates a randomized controlled dyadic planning intervention. ► After dyadic intervention, patients’ dyadic planning predicts pelvic-floor exercise. ► Cross-sectionally, social control serves as mediator in individual intervention settings. ► Cross-sectionally, action control serves as mediator in dyadic intervention settings. ► Longitudinally, action control serves as mediator for all groups.