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Physical Activity On Multiuse Trails And In A Novel Bike Park Within An Urban Wilderness, Douglas Gregory

Doctoral Dissertations

Research has shown that the presence of, access to, and use of parks and trails is associated with increased levels of PA. However, little research exists on nature-based, recreational multiuse trails and bike-specific amenities within parks and their impact on PA. Therefore, to explore the effect trails and bike parks have on PA, this dissertation conducted three investigations to: 1) determine the impact of trail/greenway interventions on PA, 2) investigate how seasonality and weather influence nature-based recreational trail use, and 3) develop a demographic and PA profile of bike park users.

Investigation 1 (Chapter 4) systematically reviewed the literature specific …

Effects Of A Movement-Based Curriculum On The Motor And Cognitive Development Of Preschool-Aged Children, Aaron Wood

Doctoral Dissertations

Physical activity has been shown to be positively associated with improved motor skill and cognitive development in young children. Intervention designs are often constructed without focus on interrelatedness of the development of motor and cognitive self-regulatory skills. Purpose: To investigate the impact of a movement-based curriculum designed to integrate both motor skill and cognitive development in preschool children. Methods: Preschool-aged children [n=34; intervention group (n=28); control group (n=6)] participated in the study. Locomotor and object control motor skills were assessed via the Test of Gross Motor Development – 3rd Edition. Cognitive self-regulation (attention, working memory, and inhibition) was assessed via …

Psychological Determinants Of Physical Activity And The Prediction Of Physical Activity Levels In African American Men, Alvin L. Morton Iii

Doctoral Dissertations

African American (AA) men experience disproportionally higher rates of non-communicable, chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular, type 2 diabetes, and renal failure) than White men. Physical activity (PA) is known to reduce the progression of CVD, type 2 diabetes, and renal failure. National statistics illustrate that AA men are less likely to get sufficient levels of PA to obtain health benefits. Although many factors (e.g., biomedical, socio-cultural) influence participation in PA, the psychological factors at the individual level are essential to beginning and maintaining activity. Therefore, understanding the psychological determinants of PA in AA men and their associations with meeting national guidelines …

“Sometimes The People Giving The Care Get A Little Overlooked”: Athletic Trainers’ Personal Use Of Psychosocial Strategies And Interactions With Mental Performance Consultants, Alexander Bianco

Doctoral Dissertations

In National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I (NCAA DI) athletic departments, athletic trainers (ATs) must navigate an array of stressors in the workplace, and are effectively performers themselves (Estock & Simon, 2018, Mazerolle et al., 2013). While ample research has been conducted on the stressors that ATs experience (see Oglesby et al., 2020) there has been limited work surrounding how ATs can best navigate this environment. Therefore, the purpose of the current investigation was to explore NCAA DI ATs’ perceptions of and experiences with the personal use of psychosocial strategies and sport psychology services to manage their stress, improve their …

Lower Extremity Muscle Contributions To Acl Loading In Healthy And Acl-Reconstructed Females, Shelby Peel

Doctoral Dissertations

Females are 16 times greater to sustain a second ACL injury compared to their healthy female counterparts. Many of these females return to play their respective sport after an ACL-reconstruction (ACLR). However, little is known about the influence fatigue in sport has on lower extremity mechanics of ACLR females. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence muscular fatigue may have on lower extremity mechanics in healthy and ACLR females. It was hypothesized that 1) healthy control and ACLR females would demonstrate different hip, knee, and ankle mechanics, regardless of fatigue, 2) fatigue would influence hip, knee, and …

Examining The Physical Activity Levels Of Youth With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities During Physical Education And Recess, Vincenzo Nocera

Doctoral Dissertations

Introduction: It is currently believed that children with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) are less physically active than their peers. The school setting may offer a promising solution to allow children with and without IDD to engage in physical activity (PA). However, the current school-based PA levels of this population remain unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to compare the PA levels and related context of youth with and without IDD during the total school day, physical education, and recess. Methods: A total of 13 children (n = 3 with IDD) enrolled in first- and second grade participated …

Effect Modification Of The Association Between Aerobic Physical Activity And Diabetes-Related Mortality By Race-Ethnicity: A Population-Based Prospective Study Using Nhanes Iii And 1999-2006 Nhanes, William Robert Boyer Ii

Doctoral Dissertations

Purpose: To examine potential effect modification by race-ethnicity of the relationship between physical activity (PA) and diabetes-related mortality risk using a sample of U.S. adults from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). Methods: The sample (n=10,717) included adults (≥20 years) who attended the Mobile Examination Center (MEC). An age-standardized PA score (PAS) was calculated from the self-reported frequency and intensity of 12 leisure-time aerobic activities. The PA scores were then grouped into three categories: inactive (PAS = 0), insufficiently active (PAS >0 - Results: There was no interaction between PA and race-ethnicity (p=0.83). Compared to inactive …

The Impact Of Stability Ball Seating On Behavior And Academic Achievement Among Elementary School Students In Grades 1 Through 4., Sheila R. Borders

Doctoral Dissertations

This study was designed to answer three questions: 1) What is the impact of stability ball seating on the behavior of students in grades 1 through 4? 2) What is the impact of stability ball seating on the mathematics scores of students in grades 1 through 4? and 3) What is the impact of stability ball seating on the reading scores of students in grades 1 through 4? Research has shown that stability ball seating is linked to behavior and academic achievement among students diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examines the …

Psycho-Physiological Effects Of Television Viewing During Exercise, Brian Carl Rider

Doctoral Dissertations

Purpose: To examine the effects of television (TV) viewing on psychological and physiological variables during a moderate-intensity exercise bout. Methods: 28 insufficiently active adults participated in this study. Each participant performed three separate 30-minute walking bouts on a motorized treadmill. The bouts were separated by 48 hours and the majority of participants completed all bouts within three weeks. During each bout, participants watched a program they selected (self-selected TV condition), a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) nature program the investigators selected (standardized TV condition), and one bout involved no TV viewing (no TV condition). Variables measured during exercise were: …

Active Families In The Great Outdoors: A Family-Centered Program To Increase Physical Activity Levels, Perceptions, And Behaviors, Jennifer Irene Flynn

Doctoral Dissertations

Physical activity levels of adults and children are low, and the amount of time children spend being active outdoors is decreasing. Parents play a critical role in developing health behaviors of children and ways to increase physical activity and encourage an active family culture are needed. Promotion of family outdoor physical activity, which includes at least one parent and one child from a home engaging in physical activity together, is understudied. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was to 1) describe the type, frequency, and duration of family physical activity, 2) determine whether changes in the duration and number of …

Associations Of Total Activity Counts And Physical Activity Intensity Levels With The Metabolic Syndrome: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach, Dana Lizbeth Wolff

Doctoral Dissertations

To clarify the protective benefits of physical activity (PA), epidemiologists and public health researchers continue to seek improved methods of assessing PA. In particular, accelerometers have gained acceptance with researchers as they provide reliable estimates of PA and can record both the amount and intensity of ambulatory movement. However, there is concern that accelerometer data reduction techniques may not provide quantitatively accurate measurements of time spent in various PA intensity categories. One way to circumvent these inaccuracies is to use the accelerometer-derived total activity counts (TAC), which is a more direct expression of what the monitor records.

In order to …

"Every Day, We Have The Opportunity To Make A Difference": Ncaa Division I Female Head Coaches' Experiences Of Care, Susannah Kaye Knust

Doctoral Dissertations

According to sport psychology literature, care is an important part of the coach-athlete relationship (e.g., Jowett & Poczwardowski, 2007; LaVoi, 2004; Poczwardowski, 1997; Wylleman, 2000). However, a systematic study of “exemplar” caring coaches is lacking. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to interview 12 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I head female coaches of female teams who were identified by others as “exemplar” carers. A semi-structured interview guide was developed using a modified version of Gilligan and colleagues’ (1989) Listening Guide. An adaptation of Hatch’s (2002) political analysis was used to identify major themes found in the transcribed …

Aasp-Certified Consultants’ Experiences Of Spirituality Within Sport Psychology Consultation, Trevor Jonas Egli

Doctoral Dissertations

According to Watson and Nesti (2005), the scholarly investigation of spirituality within sport psychology is lacking. Recently, within cultural sport psychology (Schinke & Hanrahan, 2009), a discussion of spirituality has been initiated; however, it has not received the same amount of attention as other aspects of culture that impact sport performance and mental well-being (Butryn, 2002, 2010; Duda & Allison, 1990; Kontos & Breland-Noble, 2002; Krane, Waldron, Kauer & Semerjian, 2010; McGannon & Busanich, 2010). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand how AASP-certified (CC-AASP) consultants understand spirituality. Nine AASP-certified (CC-AASP) consultants who have encountered spirituality in their …

Effects Of Foot Type On Multi-Segment Foot Motion In High- And Low-Arched Female Recreational Athletes, Douglas W. Powell

Doctoral Dissertations

Introduction: Mal-alignment and dysfunction of the foot have been shown to result in an increased rate of injury and unique injury patterns. Aberrant foot function has been shown to contribute to repetitive stress and acute injuries. High-arched athletes have been shown to experience a greater rate of bony injury to the lateral aspect of the lower extremity while low-arched athletes experience greater rates of soft-tissue injury to the medial aspect of the lower extremity. Though foot type has been linked to these injury patterns, the mechanism by which these injury patterns occur remains unknown. Multi-segment foot models have been developed …

A Description Of The Movement Of The Canine Pelvic Limb In Three Dimensions Using An Inverse Dynamics Method, And A Comparison Of Two Techniques To Surgically Repair A Cranial Cruciate Ligament Deficient Stifle, Jason Headrick

Doctoral Dissertations

The purposes of the dissertation were: 1) to describe three-dimensional (3D) motion of the canine pelvic limb using an inverse dynamics method, and 2) to compare these motion patterns between normal, healthy dogs and those that have had their stifles stabilized by one of two surgical methods approximately five years earlier.

Twenty-five dogs were allocated to three groups; healthy control dogs, dogs that had received the tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO), and dogs that had received the lateral fabellar suture (LFS) stabilization technique. Both surgical techniques were performed approximately five years prior on stifles with surgically induced cranial cruciate ligament …

Control Over Multiple Forms Of Instructional Assistance While Learning The Cascade Juggle, David Daniel Laughlin

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the juggling performance and self-control behaviors of individuals in a self-controlled motor learning protocol. Of particular interest were behaviors related to how participants used four types of instructional assistance as they learned 3-ball cascade juggling: (a) Instructions; (b) video demonstration; (c) verbal feedback about their most critical error; and (d) verbal timing information about their previous attempt. Additionally the study addressed the potential interplay of performance, self-efficacy, self-control behaviors, and self-regulatory skills such as task clarification, goal generation, and use of learning strategies. Twenty undergraduate students completed practice sessions on four consecutive …

Effects Of Increased Step Width On Knee Joint Biomechanics In Healthy And Knee Osteoarthritis Older Adults During Stair Descent, Maxime Robert Paquette

Doctoral Dissertations

Stair negotiation is one of the most challenging tasks for older adults especially for those suffering from knee osteoarthritis (OA). To date, no studies have investigated the effects of increased step width (SW) on knee joint biomechanics. The purpose of Study One was to investigate the effects of increased SW on peak internal knee abduction moment and other lower extremity variables during stair descent in healthy older adults. The purpose of Study Two was to investigate the effects of increased SW on peak internal knee abduction moment, knee pain and other lower extremity variables during stair descent in medial compartment …

“Everything Was Different”: An Existential Phenomenological Investigation Of Us Professional Basketball Players’ Experiences Overseas, Rainer Josef Meisterjahn

Doctoral Dissertations

Globalization in the sports world is a phenomenon that has received considerable attention in the sport studies literature (Maguire, 1994, 2004). A significant aspect of globalization is labor migration in professional sports, which has been investigated extensively in recent years (e.g., Magee & Sugden, 2002; Takahashi & Horne, 2006). Basketball is one sport that has been discussed in this context (Falcous & Maguire, 2005). The sports encounters of athletes in foreign cultures are often diverse and entail differing pressures, rewards, and interdependencies (Falcous & Maguire, 2005). Players may deal with significant stressors such as performance expectations as is typical of …

Biomechanical Risk Factors For Knee Osteoarthritis In Young Adults: The Influence Of Obesity And Gait Instruction, Julia Ann Freedman

Doctoral Dissertations

With increasing rates of obesity, research has begun to focus of co-morbidities of obesity such as osteoarthritis. The majority of existing research has focused on older adults as the group most likely to suffer from osteoarthritis. The purpose of this study was to determine if overweight and obese young adults exhibit biomechanical risk factors for knee osteoarthritis, and to determine if young adults with biomechanical risk factors of osteoarthritis can modify these with instruction. This purpose was divided into two separate studies.

Study 1: Thirty adults between 18-35 years old were recruited into three groups according to body mass index: …

A Comparison Of Commonly Used Accelerometer Based Activity Monitors In Controlled And Free-Living Environment, Yuri Feito

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation was designed to determine the effects of body mass index (BMI) and walking speed on activity monitor outputs. A secondary purpose was to compare the activity monitors’ performance in a free-living environment. In the first experiment, 71 participants wore three waist-mounted activity monitors (Actical, ActiGraph, and NL-2000) and an ankle-mounted device (StepWatch 3) while walking on a treadmill (40, 67 and 94 m/min). The tilt angle of each device was measured. The Actical recorded 26% higher activity counts (P < 0.01) in obese persons with a tilt <10 degrees, compared to normal weight persons. The ActiGraph was unaffected by BMI or tilt angle. In the second experiment, the steps recorded by the devices were compared to actual steps. Speed had the greatest influence on the accuracy these devices. At 40 m/min, the ActiGraph was the least accurate device for normal weight (38%), overweight (46%) and obese (48%) individuals. The Actical, NL-2000 and StepWatch averaged 65%, 73% and 99% of steps taken, respectively. Lastly, several generations of the ActiGraph (7164, GT1M, and GT3X), and other research grade activity monitors (Actical; ActivPAL; and Digi-Walker) were compared to a criterion measure of steps. Fifty-six participants performed treadmill walking (40, 54, 67, 80 and 94 m/min) and wore the devices for 24-hours under free-living conditions. BMI did not affect step count accuracy during treadmill walking. The StepWatch, PAL, and the AG7164 were the most accurate across all speeds; the other devices were only accurate at the faster speeds. In the free-living environment, all devices recorded about 75% of StepWatch-determined steps, except the AG7164 (99%). Based on these findings, we conclude that BMI does not affect the output of these activity monitors. However, waist-borne activity monitors are highly susceptible to under-counting steps at walking speeds below 67 m/min, or stepping rates below 100 steps/min. An activity monitor worn on the ankle is less susceptible to these speed effects and provides the greatest accuracy for step counting.

The Effect Of Body Mass Index On Pedometer Accuracy In A Free-Living Environment, Brian Matthew Tyo

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine if the New Lifestyles NL-2000 (NL) and the Digi-Walker SW-200 (DW), waist-mounted devices, yield similar daily step counts as compared to the StepWatch 3 (SW), an ankle-mounted device, worn by adults and children in the free-living environment.

For the first study, fifty-six adults (32.7 + 14.5 y) wore the devices for seven consecutive days. There were 20 normal weight, 18 overweight, and 18 obese participants. The NL and DW undercounted (pedometer error) similarly in the normal weight and overweight groups (-15.4% to -18.2%, respectively). However, the DW undercounted more than the NL …

The Effects Of Augmented Attentional Focus On The Performance With Practice Of A Closed Perceptual-Motor Task For Individuals Who Differ In Task Mastery, John Allen Richards

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of augmented attentional focus on the performance with practice, of a closed perceptual-motor task for individuals who differ in task mastery. Sixty-four male volunteers were assigned to either the beginning or advanced task mastery group (n = 32) based on bowling averages (≤ 130, ≥ 150 respectively). Each subject in the task mastery groups was randomly assigned to one of four augmented focus of attention conditions, i.e., focus on: (a) environmental results of the movement that was performed (KR); (b) the movement that was performed (KP); (c) self via presence …