Few children eat the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables (FV). Although incentive-based interventions can increase FV consumption, this approach is costly and may be viewed as controversial due to the possible negative effects on intrinsic motivation. The FIT Game was designed to address these challenges. Four elementary schools were randomly assigned to either cooperatively play the FIT Game (n = 881) for ~8 weeks or to a no-game Control condition (n = 978). The FIT Game was presented daily as comic-book formatted episodes projected onto a large screen in the school cafeteria throughout lunchtime. All children could see the episodes which communicated daily whole-school vegetable-eating goals and illustrated the progress of the game’s heroes when these goals were collectively met. Photo estimates of FV consumption and skin carotenoid concentrations (biomarker of carotenoid consumption) were collected at baseline, during the last 5 days of the FIT Game, and 3 months after the intervention concluded. Control schools followed the same FV consumption-monitoring procedures for the same duration. At the conclusion of the intervention phase, children attending the FIT Game schools consumed more vegetables (d = 0.41), more fruit (d = 0.39), and had higher skin carotenoids (d = 0.66) than at baseline. These statistically significant increases were maintained at a 3-month follow-up for vegetables (d = 0.21, the food targeted for change) and carotenoids (d = 0.53). Thus, the no-cost virtual incentives of the FIT Game increased FV consumption in the short- and long-run, without negatively impacting intrinsic motivation.

In young adults, performance on a test of response inhibition was recently found to be correlated with performance on a reactive balance test where automated stepping responses must occasionally be inhibited. The present study aimed to determine whether this relationship holds true in older adults, wherein response inhibition is typically deficient and the control of postural equilibrium presents a greater challenge. Ten participants (50+ years of age) completed a seated cognitive test (stop signal task) followed by a reactive balance test. Reactive balance was assessed using a modified lean-and-release system where participants were required to step to regain balance following perturbation, or suppress a step if an obstacle was present. The stop signal task is a standardized cognitive test that provides a measure of the speed of response inhibition called the Stop Signal Reaction Time (SSRT). Muscle responses in the legs were compared between conditions where a step was allowed or blocked to quantify response inhibition of the step. The SSRT was significantly related to leg muscle suppression during balance recovery in the stance leg. Thus, participants that were better at inhibiting their responses in the stop signal task were also better at inhibiting an unwanted leg response in favor of grasping a supportive handle. The relationship between a seated cognitive test using finger responses and leg muscle suppression when a step was blocked indicates a context-independent, generalized capacity for response inhibition. This suggests that a simple cognitive test such as the stop signal task could be used clinically to predict an individual’s capacity for adapting balance reactions and fall risk. The present results provide support for future studies, with larger samples, to verify this relationship between stop signal reaction time and leg response during balance recovery.

Introduction: Autism is a common neurodevelopmental condition often diagnosed in childhood that requires cross-system and -sector collaboration (e.g., educational, healthcare, community and family systems). Having a psychometrically strong tool to consistently and reliably measure clinicians’ attitudes toward healthcare teams is necessary in both research and clinical contexts. Prior researchers have developed such tools, but many lack psychometric support or are not focused on interdisciplinary healthcare teams. In the present study, we revised the Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams (ATHCT) scale to explicitly address interdisciplinary healthcare teams and use inclusive language appropriate for a range of disciplines. In this study, we evaluate this revised measure—the Attitudes Toward Interdisciplinary Healthcare Teams (ATIHCT)—to determine its psychometric support. Method: Two hundred and sixteen healthcare clinicians from two samples were included in the current study to validate the ATIHCT. An exploratory factor analysis with parallel analysis using maximum likelihood was conducted to determine factor structure. Promax (orthogonal) rotation method was used as factors are assumed to be correlated. Due to the ordinal nature of response options a polychoric correlation matrix was used. Results: The ATIHCT evidenced good reliability and resulted in two distinct factors measuring healthcare providers’ perceived efficiency of interdisciplinary team-based care and perceived service quality associated with interdisciplinary team-based care. Discussion: The findings from the current study indicate that the ATIHCT is a psychometrically strong measure of healthcare provider perceptions of interdisciplinary team-based care. We discuss implications and potential uses for the ATIHCT in both clinical and research contexts. Implications for Education and Practice There is an increasing need for interdisciplinary healthcare teams in the United States, particularly in the service provision for autistic individuals. Having a psychometrically strong tool to consistently and reliably measure clinicians’ attitudes toward healthcare teams is necessary in both research and clinical contexts. The findings from the current study indicate that the ATIHCT is a psychometrically strong measure of healthcare clinicians’ perceptions of interdisciplinary team-based care.