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 The
LEVITY Program Inside
the LEVITY Program The
Science Behind the LEVITY Program
 Clinical Study Highlights
The Effects of LEVITY on Women's
Mood
(Light, Exercise and Vitamin Intervention
Therapy)
Authors
Marie-Annette Brown, PhD, FNP, FAAN-University
of Washington; Jamie Goldstein-Shirley, MSN, RN-University
of Washington; Jo Robinson; Susan Casey, PhC, RN-University
of Washington
Research Objective
Test the efficacy of an 8-week, tri-modal
intervention to improve women's mood. (LEVITY = Light +
Exercise + Vitamin Intervention TherapY)
Methodology
Eight-week randomized experiment with
a placebo-control group targeting women with symptoms of
mild to moderate depression.
Study Participants
- 112 women volunteers from the
Seattle, Washington area, ages 19-78, average age 43
- Generally white, college-educated,
employed, middle-class
- In good health and not taking
any mood-altering medication
Intervention Groups
| LEVITY
Group |
Control
Group |
- Walk outside during daylight
hours for
20 minutes, 5 days a week, at 60% of
maximum heart rate
- Increase daily light exposure
- Take a daily dietary supplement
(Levity) containing: Vitamin B-1 (thiamin)
50 mg, vitamin B-6 (pyroxidine) 50 mg,
vitamin B-2 (riboflavin) 50mg, folic acid
400 mcg, selenium 200 mcg, vitamin D
400 IU
|
- Take placebo vitamin tablets
each day,
identical in appearance to the test
dietary supplement
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All participants were also told to complete a brief daily
diary documenting their experience during the intervention.
To help ensure compliance to the program, all test and control
group participants received support through an initial educational
session and an assigned lifestyle coach.
Research Results
Analysis of covariance indicated that
the LEVITY Program was effective in decreasing depression
and improving women's overall mood, self-esteem, and general
sense of well-being.
- Test group participants improved
significantly more than their control group counterparts
on all five pre- and post-intervention mood measures:
% Improvement on Key Depression Measures (pre- and post-intervention change)
- Additional analysis on two of
the key measures (POMS and GWB) also showed that the LEVITY
Program decreased depression, tension and anger and increased
self-control, vitality and positive well-being.
- Findings also suggested that
the tri-modal intervention of light, exercise and vitamins
may relieve seasonal mood swings such as seasonal affective
disorder (SAD).*
Control group members also experienced
measurable, but significantly lesser, improvement in mood.
Potentially mood-enhancing elements of the methodology (placebo
vitamins, daily coaching and new information about depression)
could account for the observed change.
* Since the study was conducted
from October into December - a time of increasing rainfall
in the Pacific Northwest - women were exposed to cloudier
weather and declining hours of daylight. Despite this, women
in the LEVITY Program group still experienced a significant
improvement in mood.
Conclusion
Study findings suggest that the LEVITY
Program of increased light exposure, moderate-intensity
exercise and daily use of the Levity(tm) Mood Elevating
Supplement can improve women's mood. And the high level
of adherence to the program suggests that women can comfortably
incorporate the LEVITY Program into their daily lives.
The research study, "The Effects
of a Multi-Modal Intervention Trial of Light, Exercise,
and Vitamins on Women's Mood", Brown et al., was printed
in its entirety in Women & Health, Volume 34(3)
2001, The Haworth Press, Inc.
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