Education Commons^™

Are Physically Active College Students More Successful Academically Than Their Inactive Peers?, Jared T. Meacham

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This research project intended to explore the possible relationship between physical activity and academic achievement in college students. Using an anonymous online survey, data was collected over two semesters. Ten thousand currently-enrolled college students ages eighteen and older from all states and recognized territories of the United States participated. The survey gathered data concerning a student’s age, gender, race, body weight, height, geographic region of college attendance, cumulative GPA, and physical activity level. The FIT Index of Kasari was used to classify each student’s physical activity level. A quintile split by FIT score was conducted to determine if physically active …

Tactile Learning: Touch And Touch Self-Efficacy In College Dance Instruction, Alyson J. Cartagena

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to (a) identify the level of touch self-efficacy (TSE) of college-level dance faculty as measured by the Touch Self-Efficacy (TSE) Scale, (b) explore the factors that influence the use of touch in dance instruction, and (c) describe the perceived benefits as reported by college-level dance faculty.

Methodology: In this mixed-methods approach, a sequential explanatory design was conducted in 2 separate phases of research. The first phase provided an opportunity to quantitatively investigate the levels of TSE in college-level dance faculty. The second phase qualitatively explored the factors influencing the use of touch in …

Integration Of Impulse-Variability Theory And The Speed-Accuracy Trade-Off In Children's Multijoint Ballistic Skill Performance, Sergio Lupe Molina

Theses and Dissertations

A major purpose of the motor learning and motor control literature is to provide principles and theories (e.g., speed-accuracy trade-off) that can inform the instruction of young learners in motor skill competence. To be optimally effective, these principles and theories must be understood and applied in relation to authentic instructional contexts, complex motor patterns, and specific developmental levels of young learners. It is insufficient, for instance, to generalize research results with adults learning simple movements in controlled laboratory settings to an understanding of how children learn from fundamental movement skills in physical education classes. Based on this premise, the work …

The Effects Of Training Programs Using Free Weights And Free Motion Machines On Strength In Untrained College-Age Females, Katherine Milton

Graduate Theses

No abstract provided.

Educated Birth: Beliefs Vs. Outcomes, Lauren Presley

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

“Our infant mortality rate is a national embarrassment.”¹ The words seem shocking and harsh across the headline of a 2014 Washington Post article. The thought of America not only not being the best at something, but falling upsettingly behind, is a foreign concept to many who view America as a nation inferior to none. However, the statistics on infant mortality rate tell the stark truth that of 26 “wealthy” countries, the U.S. ranks last, with a sobering 6.1 deaths per 1,000 live infant births.²

Part of the Healthy People 2020 Objectives is to reduce the rate of infant …

The Impact Of A Classroom-Based Physical Activity Program On Teachers' Perceptions Of Student Engagement, Courtney Lynn Doussett

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to apply a mixed-methods approach using an exploratory case study design to identify the impacts of a physical activity intervention program on student engagement in an elementary school setting. This exploratory case study research examined teachers’ perceptions of student engagement prior to and following implementation of a classroom-based physical activity intervention program, ABC for Fitness. Participants completed the Teacher Assessment of Student Engagement survey of student engagement and behavior, participated in an ABC for Fitness workshop, semi-structured interviews, a question and answer session, a mid-point check-in, and completed daily written behavior incident logs. Results …

Promoting Behavior Change In Rowan University Students Through Fitness And Wellness Programming, Megan E. Mchugh

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of participation in the Rowan University Recreation Center’s 2015 RU Heart Strong incentive program, and to explore behavior change in college students as a result of fitness and wellness programming at Rowan University. Data were collected from 59 subjects who participated in a survey that assessed subjects’ physical activity levels and various psychosocial constructs such as social support, self-efficacy, and expectations in relation to the 2015 RU Heart Strong incentive program. Data analysis suggested that students who participated in the RU Heart Strong incentive program practiced behaviors to maintain a …

More Than Plumbing: The History Of Sexual Education In Ontario, 1960-1979, Michelle K P Hutchinson Grondin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

During the 1960s and 1970s, Ontario educators were concerned that the “sexual revolution” would encourage youths to engage in sexually promiscuous behaviour, become unwed mothers, and contract STIs. As parents were perceived as unreliable sex educators, school administrators and educators felt compelled to teach traditional sexual values, and the importance of the nuclear family through sexual education. This dissertation analyzes the creation and instruction of sexual education in physical and health education courses throughout the 1960s and 1970s in Ontario. This study provides the first comprehensive discussion of sexual education in Ontario during the sixties and seventies through an examination …

Physical Culture As Citizenship Education At Pelican Lake Indian Residential School, 1926-1970, Braden Paora Te Hiwi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Pelican Lake Indian residential school, also known as Sioux Lookout Indian residential school, was an Anglican run institution that was a part of the Canadian residential school system; the school operated from 1926 to 1970. It is well established in the literature that the Department of Indian Affairs intended to evangelize, assimilate, and civilize its students, but the function of citizenship in the residential schools is less well known. The focus of this study was to examine physical culture activities, specifically sport, exercise, and recreation as a form of training for citizenship. In particular, I centered this research on the …

Effects Of Spiritual Care Education On Pediatric Nurses' Knowledge, Attitudes, And Competence, Cheryl Lynn Petersen

Dissertations (1934 -)

Holistic nursing care embraces the physical, psychological, and spiritual needs of the patient and family, thereby providing support and reducing suffering. Nurses’ spiritual care can improve the well-being and quality of life of children with cancer by assisting them to find meaning in their lives. At the end of life, spiritual care assists children in coping with their diagnosis, suffering, and losses. There are distinct deficiencies in education that lead nurses to feel unprepared to provide spiritual care to children. This study employed a prospective, longitudinal design to evaluate the potential effects of an online spiritual care educational program on …

Coordination Between Autophagy And The Heat Shock Response: Evidence From Exercise In Animals And Humans, Nathan H. Cole

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

Proteins play a critical role in nearly every biological activity. In consequence, organismal health and homeostasis often hinges on the ability of intracellular regulatory systems to sustain the quality and function of these diverse, structurally complex macromolecules. Correct protein function depends on correct form, and during periods of destabilizing cellular stress, protein quality is managed in part by the heat shock response, which acts to support, isolate, and reform new or damaged proteins, and in part by the autophagic recycling of abnormal proteins, cytotoxic protein aggregates, and terminally damaged organelles. We conducted a pooled analysis of available research in humans …

Effects Of Eccentric Contraction Duration On Muscle Strength, Power Production, Vertical Jump And Soreness, Jonathan N. Mike

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

Prior research has investigated the effects of either eccentric-only training or comparing eccentric and concentric exercise on changes related to strength and power expression, but no research to date has investigated the impact of altering the duration of either the concentric or eccentric component on these parameters. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the duration of eccentric (i.e. 2-second, 4-second vs. 6-second) muscle contractions and their effect on muscle strength, power production, vertical jump and soreness using a plate-loaded barbell Smith squat exercise. Thirty college-aged males (23 ± 3.5 years, 178 ± 6.8 cm, 82 ± 12 …

The Effects Of Gait Retraining In Runners With Patellofemoral Pain, Jenevieve Roper

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

Running popularity has increased resulting in a concomitant increase in running-related injuries. Of these injuries, patellofemoral pain (PFP) is the most commonly reported. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to determine whether gait retraining by modifying footstrike patterns from rearfoot strike (RFS) to forefoot strike (FFS) reduces PFP and improves associated biomechanical measures, and whether the modification results in increased risk of ankle injuries. METHODS: Sixteen subjects (n=16) received clearance to participate by a licensed physical therapist, and were randomly placed in the control (n=8) or experimental (n=8) group. Subsequently, the experimental group (EXP) performed eight gait retraining running …

Health Hub Program Evaluation, Natalie Macias

Master's Projects and Capstones

This paper examines and evaluates the work of LIFT-Levántate a non-profit organization in San Rafael, California on their school-based nutritional education “health hub,” through health promotion interventions with adolescents. The James B. Davidson Middle School health hub educates students on topics related to nutrition and physical activity with the goal of providing access and increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables while lowering students’ intake of high-fat and sugary processed foods. Through research and observations of the students and families in this community, the data seems to indicate apparent disparities which vary by ethnicity, socioeconomic status and access. Underserved populations, including …

The Integration Of Kinesthetic Learning Through The Math & Movement Program: Pilot Study 2015, Benjamin Ferder

Master's Theses

Purpose: The primary purpose of this pilot study was to verify that the use of kinesthetic learning (Math & Movement Program) in the classroom increases retention of multiplication facts at a greater rate than traditional drill and practice. The Math & Movement Program uses a kinesthetic learning-based approach for practicing, learning, and memorizing mathematics through the incorporation of bodily movement(s). Participants: The directors of the research project for the participating school district selected the sample of convenience. The population size of this study included 213 third and fourth grade students during the second half of the 2011-2012 school years. Data …

Relationships Among Self Direction In Learning, Health Promoting Behaviors And Physical Therapy Support For Autonomy In Older Adults, Lisa Gayle Latham

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships among self-direction in learning, health-promoting behaviors, and physical therapy support for autonomy in older adults. Self-direction in learning was measured by the Oddi Continuing Learning Inventory, participation in health promoting behaviors was measured by the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II, and physical therapy support for autonomy was measured by the Health Care Climate Questionnaire. In addition, a questionnaire gathering demographic information about the participant's age, educational level, marital status, and gender was administered.

The 20 participants are community-dwelling older adults who participated in out-patient physical therapy for four weeks. The …

Stability Of Isometric Strength Asymmetry And Its Relationship To Sprint And Change-Of-Direction Performance Asymmetry In Division-I Collegiate Athletes, Benjamin H. Gleason

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate the stability of strength asymmetry over a long-term period (1 year) and investigate the relationship of strength asymmetry to field test performance asymmetry in NCAA division-1 athletes. Isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) peak force asymmetry, ground contact time and finish time asymmetries on 10m sprint and 505 agility test performances were also observed. The impact of strength was also investigated in these studies to determine its effect on the magnitude of asymmetry.

In the second study, peak force asymmetry over a one-year period was observed to be a rather volatile quality, with ranges …

Feminine Voice, Masculine Space: Understanding How Passion For Sport Emerges In Female College Student-Athletes, Jill Hollembeak

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Many sport sociologists argue sports play a significant role in creating culture (Horne & Manzenreiter, 2006; L'Etang, 2006). Yet, even as there has been a gender revolution in U.S. sports, media “coverage today misrepresents both the participation and the interest in women‟s sports across our population at large” (p. 3). A powerful entity, the media misrepresentation of the number of females competing devalues the importance participation plays in the lives of many females. Their status as “jock” causes potential negativity as they navigate college and their roles in society, and their status as “female” carries historical conditions in all realms, …

Staying On Script: Sexual Scripts And Sex Education, Elizabeth Carol Hauck

Dissertations and Theses

Existing research suggests that men and women develop differing sexual scripts that influence their behavior, interactions and emotions regarding sex. The objective of this project is to examine the experiences of men and women with formal sex education programs, especially in regards to information about: anatomy and biology, sexual responsibility and risk taking, sexual desire, virginity and abstinence, as well as to explore sources of sex education outside of school. Several studies suggest masculine sexual scripts dictate that men generally construct a more body-focused approach to sex, with an emphasis on competition, aggression and achievement. Conversely, emphasized feminine sexual scripts …

Lnfluences Lmpacting The Development Of Entry-Level Master's Athletic Training Programs, Jennifer E. Deranek

Dissertations

Athletic training is an allied health profession in which individuals receive education in prevention, emergency care, clinical diagnoses, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation for injuries and medical conditions. Currently, the route for an individual to become a certified athletic trainer is to graduate from an institution accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). Most commonly, entry-level education for athletic trainers is gained at the 331 institutions that host a bachelor’s level professional program. However, there is a recent desire to change the educational requirements and to require a professional master’s degree. If the degree change would occur, …

An Analysis Of The Impact Of Emotional Literacy Instruction On At-Risk Students, Shannon H. Garcia

Dissertations

This study examined the impact of social-emotional literacy instruction for at-risk adolescents ages 13 to 18 at the high school level. Of particular interest is the impact of social-emotional literacy instruction on at-risk youth Grades 9-12 in secondary high schools’ 8-week-long social-emotional literacy class through Project AWARE, particularly in the areas of suspension, expulsion, attendance, connectivity, attitude toward school, resiliency, and relational aggression rates; the data were analyzed using archival data and teacher interview. Project AWARE, the social-emotional literacy intervention examined in this study, educates and provides mentorship for at-risk students, while also providing a group educational component on relationships …

Transition Program For Adolescents With Congenital Heart Disease Focusing On Self-Management Knowledge, Elizabeth A. Hartman Valles, Kathleen Sweeney Cpnp, Jeffrey Frazer M.D.

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Introduction: The primary goal of this project was to implement a pilot transition education program to prepare adolescents with congenital heart defects (CHD) by increasing knowledge about self-management of their health condition.

Method: An educational program was developed and included use of an interactive binder. A total of 20 adolescents with CHD between the ages of 16 – 18 years participated in transition education during a single outpatient cardiology visit with pre and post education knowledge assessment performed using the Leuven Knowledge Questionnaire for Congenital Heart Disease (LKQCHD).

Results: Following participation in the transition education, the overall mean knowledge scores …

Promoting Completion Of Advance Directives In A Hispanic Religious Congregation: An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Luis Daniel San Miguel, Mary Jo Clark

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Background: Hispanics utilize more aggressive medical treatment at the end of life and are less likely to receive end-of-life care consistent with their wishes than nonHispanic Whites. Hispanics are less likely than nonHispanic Whites to have an advance directive (AD). Increasing AD completion among Hispanics can promote end-of-life care consistent with their wishes, diminish healthcare disparities, and eliminate unnecessary healthcare spending. Objectives: To promote completion of advance directives by increasing knowledge, positive attitudes, and comfort with advance care planning (ACP) among Hispanics through culturally sensitive interventions. Intervention: The project was conducted in Spanish and implemented among a …

Family And Child Development Education For Harrisonburg Adolescents, Mollie M. Moran, Jennifer E. Corser, Julia M. Glauber

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The pregnancy rate among 15- to 17-year-old women in Harrisonburg is double Virginia's state rate (Townsend, 2008). While meeting administers and guidance counselors of Harrisonburg High School we learned that Harrisonburg High School views this issue as one that cannot be addressed by teaching abstinence in their public school. They have found that because of cultural beliefs, abstinence is not an effective tool for preventing teenage pregnancy. Instead, HHS teaches their students about safe sexual practices and how to have a healthy pregnancy in the event they were to become pregnant. The high school offers a class called “Child and …

Fall Prevention Among Older Adults Living In The Community, Clarissa Silva Lopez

Theses & Dissertations

Older adults are within the fastest population growth rate in the United States, and as the population ages, the potential for falls increases (DHHS, 2011). This was a mixed-method explanatory study that investigated the perceptions of older adults regarding the usefulness, adequacy, and positive experience of fall information among older adults living in the community when received from healthcare professionals during physician’s office visits. The research questions were: 1. What is the relationship among perceptions of usefulness, adequacy, and positive experience of fall information among older adults? 2. Is there a difference in the perceptions of usefulness and adequacy among …

The Effect Of Physical Activity Levels On Hydration Markers In Non-Athletic Free-Living Individuals, Mikell Lucas Hammer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Higher levels of physical activity requires increased fluid intake due to increased water losses via sweating. PURPOSE: To determine the effect of physical activity on hydration status and water intake. METHODS: This study involved 8 visits to the Human Performance Laboratory over 22 days. Body weight and urine measurements were taken every visit. Physical activity was assessed by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), water intake by the Water Frequency Questionnaire (WFQ), and hydration status by urine osmolality (UOsm), urine specific gravity (USG), and urine color (UC). From the IPAQ subjects were classified as low, moderate and high physical activity …

Effects Of Dehydration On Changes In Arterial Stiffness With Passive Heating, Az Satterfield

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Context: There is an inverse relationship between baseline arterial stiffness and the change in arterial stiffness with passive heating. However, it is unknown whether this relationship is affected by dehydration. Objective: To investigate the effect of acute dehydration on arterial stiffness during passive heat stress. Design: Two randomized counter-balanced trials. Setting: Laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Eleven healthy males (age=24.5 ± 2.8 years, body mass=76.6 ± 9.1 kg, body fat=16.8 ± 6.4%). Interventions: In one trial subjects were dehydrated (DE) and in another euhydration (EU) was maintained during passive heating to a 1.5°C increase in body temperature. Subjects were euhydrated …

Utilizing Internet-Based Group Mentoring To Retain Home Health Care Nurses, Gwendolyn M. Oglesby-Odom

Ed.D. Dissertations

This study aimed to determine if the implementation of an internet based nurse mentoring group program would aid in the retention of registered nurses in the home health care industry. As the Vice President of Operations for a home health care organization, the researcher both implemented and facilitated an internet based group mentoring program for registered nurses working in home health. The study sample included 47 registered nurses. Forty-two registered nurses were in the control group and five registered nurses were in the experimental group. All sample participants worked in home health care, either in Illinois or Indiana. Quantitative results …

The Impacts Of Youth Conservation Corps On Participants: A Multi-Method Examination 2015, Nicholas Justin Prechel

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the benefits that participants receive from serving in youth conservation corps. The entire population of one youth conservation corps was selected to participate in the study during the summer of 2012 trail work season. The study utilized a mixed-method approach that included a one-time pre/posttest with a retrospective pretest adapted from the American Camp Association’s Youth Outcomes Battery (YOB) and an open ended interview session. Of the 109 participants in the field at the time, 101 chose to participate in the quantitative survey. The YOB tested four areas: independence, responsibility, teamwork, and …

The Impact Of Pre-Exercise State On Self-Selected Exercise, Emily K. Cornelius

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.