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Exercise In Pregnancy, Nuri Salem Alrzeghi

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The Australian physical activity guidelines recommend that pregnant women without exercise contraindication or medical complications can safely continue to participate in physical activity. Participation in physical activity during pregnancy may have possible health benefits such as ease of delivery, reducing birth complications and developing a risk of gestational diabetes. These likely benefits are demonstrated in the Australian recommendation which indicated that women in pregnancy should involve in 30 minutes a day or more of moderate exercise for 3 days or most of the week days.

Despite these recommendations, little is known about patterns of physical activity among Australian pregnant women. …

Effect Of A School-Based Activity Program On The Motor Skills, Perceived Physical Competence, Enjoyment And Physical Activity Of Adolescent Girls: The Sport4fun Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial, Jodie Elizabeth Andruschko

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Recent findings indicate that the proportion of secondary female students meeting the Australian recommendations for physical activity is less than 10% (Morley et al, 2012). There are numerous benefits associated with physical activity participation and it is imperative efforts are directed to towards promoting physical activity participation among adolescent females.

This thesis reports on two studies that were part of The Sport4Fun Program, a school- and home-based intervention designed to promote physical activity participation among adolescent females. These were a Proof-of-Concept trial (POC trial) followed by a Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial (Pilot RCT). The aim of both studies was …

The Objective Measurement Of Physical Activity And Sedentary Behaviour In Preschool-Aged Children, Xanne C.J Janssen

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Physical activity and sedentary behaviour have been associated with several health outcomes among adults and school-aged children. In addition, the evidence base linking physical activity and sedentary behaviour to health outcomes in preschool-aged children is increasing. Yet, a major issue in this field of research is the accuracy of methods used to measure physical activity and sedentary behaviour in 4- to 6-year-old children.

Currently, hip-mounted accelerometers such as the ActiGraph and Actical are the most common devices used to objectively measure free-living physical activity and sedentary behaviour in preschool-aged children. Several calibration studies have been conducted to develop equations and …

A Randomised Controlled Trial Of A Nutrition And Physical Activity Intervention For Patients With Depression And/Or Anxiety In Primary Care, Adrienne Kathleen Forsyth

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Depression, anxiety and substance abuse are the leading diagnoses of mental illness in Australia, and are most commonly treated with medication and psychological intervention. The Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory suggested that physical activity could protect against symptoms of anxiety and depression, and against the development of an anxiety or depressive disorder. Several nutrients including omega 3 fatty acids, folate, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, zinc, iron, selenium and antioxidants (vitamins C and E) have also been linked to mental health. Despite the growing interest in lifestyle management of mental illness, there has been a dearth of naturalistic studies evaluating interventions in …

Promotion Of Low Intensity Physical Activity In Inactive Older Adults, Chaiya Noradechanunt

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Regular physical activity is well acknowledged as having considerable potential to promote the health and well-being of older persons. However, in most developed countries, such as Australia, a significant proportion of the older population does not meet currently recommended levels of physical activity; indeed the rates of inactivity tend to increase with advancing age. Adoption of a physically inactive lifestyle is associated with significant secondary economic consequences placing considerable burden on the health care system. Therefore, increases in the levels of physical activity in the older adult population have been identified as a public health priority.

Despite recognition of the …

Evidence To Inform Effective Physical Education Policy, Pedagogy And Practice In New South Wales Secondary Schools, Dean A. Dudley

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

This doctoral dissertation is presented by publication to provide evidence that is capable of informing effective physical education (PE) policy, pedagogy and practice in New South Wales (NSW) secondary schools. This thesis contains two distinct phases of research. Firstly, this thesis presents a systematic review of published literature on the effectiveness of physical education in promoting participation in physical activity (PA), enjoyment of physical activity and movement skill instruction and practice in children and adolescents. Twenty three (23) papers met the inclusion criteria established for this review and were rated independently by three reviewers using a 10-item methodological quality scale …

Self-Reported Physical Activity, Health Related Quality Of Life And Emotional Well-Being In End Stage Chronic Kidney Disease, Yvonne White

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Background The level of physical activity has been reported as being very low in people with severe kidney disease. Most of these studies have been from the USA and have involved exercise testing programs. There has been little research on self-reported physical activity in the severe kidney disease population within the Australian context. Most studies into physical activity have reported findings from brief intervention exercise studies. These studies have included aerobic styled exercise, resistance styled exercise, or a combination of both aerobic and resistance exercise. Further studies have shown that low levels of physical activity are detrimental to physical function, …

Sports Bra Design For Active Women, Kelly-Ann Bowles

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Background: Exercise induced breast motion and the associated breast pain, particularly in larger breasted women, can be severe enough to discourage some of these women from participating in sport and exercise. To ensure all females have the opportunity to comfortably participate in, and therefore reap the health benefits associated with regular physical exercise, it is imperative that we understand factors that enable sport bras to limit breast movement and associated pain, without negatively affecting physical performance or causing discomfort to the bra wearer.

Thesis Aim: The aim of this thesis was to identify factors that influence breast support choices made …