Clinical trials

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether different approaches to action planning can promote physical activity (PA) habits, increase PA behavior, and improve cognitive functioning in older adults who are currently inactive or insufficiently active. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does a trial-and-error approach to PA action planning lead to greater improvements in PA habits, PA behavior, and cognitive functioning compared to standard PA planning or non-PA planning? 2. Does greater consistency and successful enactment of action plans result in more substantial changes in PA habits, behavior, and cognitive functioning? Researchers will compare three groups to determine which planning approach yields superior outcomes.: 1. Non-PA planning (generic weekly planning) 2. PA planning (weekly planning for PA) 3. PA trial-and-error planning (weekly PA plans followed by preferred plan adoption) Participants will: 1. Wear Fitbit monitors continuously for 9 months to track PA behavior 2. Complete mobile cognitive assessments daily for 7 days before the intervention, monthly during the intervention, and at follow-up 3. Create action plans and report on PA habits, intentions, and plan enactment weekly during the intervention and at follow-up

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn how to improve exclusive breastfeeding rates. The main questions it aims to answer are: Do Hispanic mothers benefit from peer counseling support from peer counselors who can speak Spanish? Are mothers more likely to continue exclusive breastfeeding if additional funds are given so that the WIC exclusive breastfeeding package has the same cash value as the WIC formula feeding package? Researchers will compare participants in the intervention group (who receive peer counseling and additional funds) to a control group (who do not receive peer counseling or additional funds) to see if the intervention package improves breastfeeding rates. All participants (intervention and control) will complete weekly surveys about their feeding experiences ($8 per week). Members of the research team will also take infant weight/length measurements at home (twice during the first month and then at 2, 4, and 6 months). Participants will be recruited during pregnancy and the study will last for the first 6 months after their babies are born. Mothers and their infants are both participants in the study. Participants in the intervention condition will also be matched with Spanish-speaking peer counselors who will visit mothers at home regularly (weekly at the beginning of the study, monthly at the end of the study). In Month 1, mothers can choose to receive a $150 gift card or an electric breast pump. In Months 2-5, if infants are signed up for the WIC exclusive breastfeeding package, infants will receive $100 and mothers will receive $50. If infants are signed up for the WIC partial breastfeeding package, infants will receive $50 and mothers will receive $30.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a soccer program focused on mental health positively impacts mental health in Karenni refugee young boys and men. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does mental health education provided during a sports program improve mental health coping for Karenni refugee young boys and men? Does participation in a sports-program improve social connection for Karenni refugee young boys and men? Researchers will compare those receiving mental health education to a comparison group to see if mental health education improves mental health coping skills. Participants will: Participate weekly soccer practices for 6 months Receive mental health education or comparison activities Answer questions about their health, such as their coping skills, social connection, and physical activity

Cumulative evidence indicates that a single bout of exercise has beneficial impacts on memory in young adults. From a physiological perspective, acute exercise leads to changes of heart rate variability (HRV), which is associated with memory retrieval process. From a psychological perspective, acute exercise increases the arousal level and thus facilitates cognitive processing including memory storage and retrieval. Such HRV- and/or arousal-based effects of exercise on memory could be differed by the time of day in young adults based on their circadian rhythms of HRV. Moreover, young adults prefer afternoon or evening to morning in their circadian rhythms, demonstrating less wakefulness and lower memory performance in the morning relative to afternoon. Based on the potential psychophysiological mechanisms, exercise could impact young adults' memory differently by the time of day. The investigators aim to 1) determine the extent to which the time of day modulates how moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise impacts verbal-auditory and visuospatial short- and long-term memory in young adults, and 2) consider potential psychological and physiological markers that may mediate exercise's effects on cognitive performance. As cognitive benefits of exercise might differ by the time of day, it is important to investigate such interaction and make the right recommendations of the timing of exercise for young adults in academic settings.