Telephone motivational interviewing in changing life style behavior
This vacancy is offered on a self-funded, no supervision fee basis.
Supervisor:
Ilse Mesters
About the supervisor:
Dr. Ilse Mesters started a PhD in Health Promotion at Maastricht University in 1986 on the development and evaluation of an (self-management) protocol for parents of infants with asthma (0-4 years). Since then, she was involved in several cross-sectional (inter-)national studies preparing for, and using RCTs to evaluate interventions to stimulate health promoting behavior. Previous PhDs have been awarded several prizes and nomination. The PhD for instance who collected the data for the study proposed here, Hilde van Keulen, won the CaRe dissertation award. Ilse Mesters currently works at the department of epidemiology as associate professor at the Maastricht University. She is a member of the Clinical Epidemiology program at School CAPHRI, The Netherlands. Research activities mainly focus on patients with cancer, respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, genetic predispositions and movement disorders with a focus on lifestyle behavior change and disease self-management employing diverse communication technologies (face-to-face, telephoned-based, print and web-based communication).
About the research group:
The Clinical Epidemiology program (3.3 Fte) is active in patient centered research in a broad sense. We work closely together with departments of the Maastricht University Medical Centre. In each of the clinical areas as well as in the methodological focus, multiple research projects are beginning, ending and continuing. Based on the type of research, most projects involve multidisciplinary project groups with clinical experts, experts in health promotion and often also experts in the area of health technology assessment/statistics. All (former) PhD students are currently employed at research centers, local health authorities, hospitals, and colleges of higher education.
Work field of the proposed project:
Health Promotion/Epidemiology
Estimated duration:
2-3 years
Scientific background:
Motivational interviewing (MI) is a clinical counseling method that arose through a convergence of science and practice. Several reviews are available that summarize the effect of MI for diverse behaviors, modalities and populations (www.motivationalinterviewing.org). Here Mi was done via telephone communication. Tailored print communications are letters mailed to participants’ home that are uniquely individualized to each person. Tailored messages do require individualized assessments of members of the population to develop such communications. A computer algorithm connects the assessments to related feedback messages. For the study design in general see Keulen, H.M., Mesters, I. , Brug, J., Ausems, M., Campbell, M., Resnicow,K, Zwietering, P.J., Breukelen van, G., Mechelen van, W., Severens, J.L., Vries de, H. (2008). Vitalum study design: RCT evaluating the efficacy of tailored print communication and telephone motivational interviewing on multiple health behaviors. BMC Public Health, 19, 216.
Main research question, subquestions and aim(s):
Questions concern the content and quality of counseling.
Data is available from an RCT involving telephone registered counseling sessions (>1000 sessions) on physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption. Both qualitative and quantitative questions may be investigated such as content analyses of these conversations or counselor fidelity in providing motivational interviewing using the MITI compared to the Misc evaluation instrument.
Example questions for instance:
- Are counseling skills of motivational interviewers related to counseling practice: do skills improve with more experience?
- Does the evaluation of counselor competence depend on the assessment instrument used? Misc versus MITI or other instrument (misc :https://casaa.unm.edu/download/misc.pdf; http://www.motivationalinterviewing.org/miti-31).
- To what extent is counselor competence related to outcome (behavior change) at the client level.
- Does the evaluation of counselor competence changes when the beginning and the end of sessions are avoided in the rating?
With access to a large data set of recorded motivational interviewing conversations we can address diverse research questions as suggested above. To prospective students who bring their own funding, we are quit flexible to discuss details and personal goals.
Research design and methods:
RCT, Cohort studies, multi-level analyses, mixed methods, process –evaluation, content analyses (for qualitative questions).
Research activities:
Manuscript writing, statistical programming, SPSS programming, literature review, study design. In this PhD projects, the data is readily available and you can start analyzing from the first day in the office.
Expected results:
A full PhD thesis with 4 original scientific articles, a general introduction, a discussion and a valorization chapter. Note : CAPHRI PhD regulation apply.
Time schedule and publication plan:
To be discussed with the PhD.
Competences the applicant needs to have or acquire for the project:
1. A strong foundation in epidemiology.
2. Dutch and English writing, reading and speaking skills (English: CFER C1+ level or equivalent).
3. A background in Health Promotion, Psychology, Epidemiology, Statistics and/or qualitative data analysis.
Preferred
1. Health Promotion or Psychology by training
2. Computer programming skills, preferably SPSS and n-vivo
Interested?
Please read carefully our Application Guide for CAPHRI External PhD candidates before applying. You can send your CV and motivation letter to Ilse Mesters (ilse.mesters@maastrichtuniversity.nl).