Bernardine Pinto, PhD

  

    Staff Psychologist 
    The Miriam Hospital

    Professor (Research)
    Dept. of Psychiatry & Human Behavior
    Brown Medical School

Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine
Coro Building, Suite 500
One Hoppin Street
Providence, Rhode Island 02903
Phone: (401) 793-8230
Email: Bpinto@lifespan.org
Fax: (401) 793-8078

Bernardine Pinto, Ph.D., is a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at The Miriam Hospital and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Her research interests have focused in two areas: 1) changing unhealthy behaviors, particularly sedentary lifestyles among adults using physician-based, computer-driven, and home-based intervention channels; and 2) psycho-social issues and health behavior change among oncology patients.  She is active in the training of interns and postdoctoral fellows and she is the chair of the Diversity Committee in the Brown University Clinical Psychology Consortium. In 2004, she was an invited keynote speaker at the Seventh International Congress of Psycho-Oncology, Copenhagen, Denmark. 

• Member, Peer Review Committee, Psychosocial and Behavioral Research Committee, American Cancer Society, 2005-2008.

• Editorial Board, Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2005-current.

• Member, Dean's Advisory Committee on Faculty Diversity, Brown Medical School, 2005 - Current.

• Member, Grant Review Committee, Lance Armstrong Foundation, 2003-2005.

• Member, Scientific Committee, 7th International Congress of Psycho-Oncology Copenhagen, Denmark, 2004.
• Invited keynote speaker: Health behavior change interventions among cancer patients. 7th World Congress of Psychosocial-Oncology, Copenhagen, Denmark. August, 2004.
• Invited Presentation: Health behaviors after cancer treatment. Annual Meeting of the American Society of Breast Disease, Boston, MA. April, 2004.
• Citation paper: Home-based physical activity for breast cancer patients: Effects at follow-ups. Annual Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Baltimore, MD. March, 2004.
• Citation paper: Physician-delivered activity advice plus extended counseling for older adults (PAL2). Annual Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Baltimore, MD. March, 2004.
• Award for Excellence in Diversity Training, Association of Psychology, Post-Doctoral and Internship Centers, 2003.
• Citation paper: Moving Forward: A randomized trial of a home-based physical activity program for breast cancer patients. Annual Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT. March, 2003.

Physical Activity Promotion in Cancer Follow-Up Care

American Cancer Society

Bernardine Pinto, PhD (PI)

 

Prior research has demonstrated that moderate-intensity physical activity (PA) can improve enhance physical functioning, reduce fatigue and improve vigor among cancer patients and those who have completed medical treatments. These efforts have not been integrated with the health care system. Data support the role of primary care providers in promoting PA among their sedentary patients; the role of oncologists in encouraging patients to become physically active has not been examined. This study aims at testing the efficacy of a PA intervention in an outpatient oncology setting. We plan to compare Brief Advice for PA (MD advice plus contact control) vs. Extended Advice (MD advice plus telephone-based PA counseling by research staff) over 3 months among 300 women who have completed treatment for breast cancer in the past 2 years.  If the data are promising, the study lays the groundwork for improving cancer recovery by integrating a brief PA intervention into follow-up care for cancer survivors.        

 

Promoting Physical Activity after Colorectal Cancer
National Cancer Institute

Bernardine Pinto, PhD (PI)

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the U.S. and if detected early, has a favorable prognosis. Colorectal cancer survivors face many physical and psychosocial sequelae including second cancers, adverse effects on major organs, cognitive, and sexual function, problems in work and social roles and reduced quality of life.  This study focuses on enhancing recovery by offering a home-based physical activity program to patients who have completed treatment for colorectal cancer. This study will test the efficacy of the physical activity intervention using a randomized controlled design among 134 patients who have completed treatment for colorectal cancer in the past 2 years. Outcomes will include physical activity behavior, fitness, vigor, fatigue, physical functioning, and body esteem among participants at baseline, 3(posttreatment),6 and 12 months. We will also track intervention costs and conduct exploratory analyses of moderators and mediators of change to help guide the future development of physical activity interventions to enhance recovery from colorectal cancer.  

Maintaining Exercise after Cardiac Rehabilitation
National Heart, Lung, Blood Institutes
Bernardine Pinto, PhD (PI)

Maintaining exercise participation among patients who have completed cardiac rehabilitation is  integral to secondary prevention of coronary events and cardiac re-hospitalization. To promote exercise maintenance after completion of a 12 week Phase II rehabilitation program, we propose to offer a theoretically based intervention that we have used successfully to promote exercise among older, primary-care patients. This program (Maintenance Counseling) includes brief advice from the Cardiac Rehabilitation case manager at Phase II program discharge followed by telephone-counseling based on the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change and Social Cognitive Theory. Using a randomized controlled design, 180 patients will be assigned to Maintenance Counseling or Brief Advice plus Contact Control. Outcome assessments will include an exercise tolerance test (baseline/post-rehabilitation and 6 months), self-reported exercise participation, motivational readiness for exercise, and objective activity monitoring at baseline, 6, and 12 months. These data will help to identify whether telephone-based exercise counseling is an effective strategy for sustaining regular exercise and fitness among cardiac rehabilitation patients thereby contributing to secondary prevention of coronary heart disease.

 

Rabin, C., Pinto, B. M., Trunzo, J., Bucknam (in press). Physical activity among breast cancer survivors: Regular exercisers vs. participants in a physical activity intervention. Psycho-Oncology.

Demark-Wahnefried, W., Aziz, N., Rowland, J. & Pinto, B. M. (2005). Riding the crest of the teachable moment: Promoting long-term health after the diagnosis of cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 23, 5814-5830.

Pinto, B. M., Frierson, G., Rabin, C., Trunzo, J. & Marcus, B. (2005). A home-basedphysical activity intervention for breast cancer patients. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 23, 3577-3587.

Pinto, B. M., Goldstein, M.G., Ashba, J., Sciamanna, C, Jette, A. (2005). Randomized controlled  trial of physical activity counseling for older primary care patients. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 29(4), 247-255.

Pinto, B. M. & Trunzo, J. J. (2005). Health behaviors during and after cancer. Cancer, 104(Suppl. 11), 2614-2623.

Pinto, B. M. & Trunzo, J. J. (2004).  Body esteem and mood among breast cancer survivors: Sedentary vs. regular exercisers.  Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 79, 181-186.

Pinto, B.M., Trunzo, J.J., Rabin, C., Cady, B., Fenton, M., Herman, A., Legare, R. & Sikov, W.  (2004). Recruitment strategies for a home-based physical activity intervention for breast  cancer patients.  Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 11, 171-178.

Sciamanna, C. N., Goldstein, M. G., Marcus, B. H., Kipp, L. & Pinto, B. M. (2004). Accuracy of recall of exercise counseling among primary care patients. Preventive Medicine, 39,1063-1067.

Glanz, K., Shigaki, D., Farzanfar, R., Pinto, B.M., Kaplan, B., Friedman, R.H. (2003). Participant reactions to a computerized telephone system for nutrition and exercise counseling. Patient Education and Counseling, 49, 157-163.

Trunzo, J. J. & Pinto, B. M. (2003). Social support as a mediator of optimism and distress in breast cancer survivors. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71, 805-811.