Life Sciences Commons^™

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 …

Exploration Of Temporal Changes In Exercise Behavior, Perceived Fitness, And Identity In Former High School Athletes Entering College, Paula-Marie Ferrara

Doctoral Dissertations

Experts recommend physical activity promotion to preserve former high school athletes’ (FHSAs) post-sport transition quality. Specific understanding regarding behavioral changes over time after retirement is unknown and necessary for program development. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to document temporal changes to exercise behavior, perceived fitness, and identity in FHSAs, understand their exercise experiences over time, and explain why observed changes occurred. Methods: Participants completed eight online surveys from the beginning of their college fall to spring semesters. Questions assessed bodyweight, perceived fitness (Likert scale 1-5), aspects of self-reported exercise, perceived barriers (Likert scale 1-5), and identity (Likert …

Musculoskeletal Modeling Analysis Of Knee Joint Loading During Uphill And Downhill Waling In Patients With Total Knee Replacement, Tanner A. Thorsen

Doctoral Dissertations

The purposes of these studies were to determine differences in total (TCF), medial (MCF) and lateral (LCF) tibiofemoral compartment compressive forces and related muscle forces between limbs (replaced, non-replaced, and control), and different slopes during uphill [0° (level), 5°, 10°], and downhill [0° (level), 5° 10°] using statistical parametric mapping (SPM). Static optimization was used to determine muscle and compressive forces for 9 patients with total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and 9 control participants during walking trials. Total , loading-response, and push-off TCF impulse were calculated. A 3×3 [Limb (replaced, non-replaced, control] × Slope (0°, 10°, 15°)] SPM[F] repeated measures ANOVA …

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 …

Effects Of Television Viewing On Psycho-Physiological And Behavioral Outcomes, Brittany Star Overstreet

Doctoral Dissertations

Purpose: To determine the effects of television viewing during exercise on 1) preference for exercise and 2) treadmill walking time. Methods: Twenty-five insufficiently active adults (mean±standard deviation; age: 46±12 years; Body mass index: 31±5 kilogram/squared meter (kg/m²) were recruited for this study. In part 1, participants performed three randomized 1/3-mile walking bouts at an intensity equivalent to 70% of their oxygen consumption at ventilatory threshold (VO₂-at-VT). During these exercise bouts, individuals viewed 1) their favorite television program (FavTV), 2) a standardized nature program (NatTV) or 3) no-TV program (NoTV). A behavioral choice paradigm was used to …

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: …

Knoxville Moves: Log-In And Get Mobile, Courtney Marie Monroe

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation evaluated 1) the efficacy of a course-based Internet-technology intervention rooted in social cognitive theory (SCT) for increasing step counts in university faculty and staff, and 2) the effect of online social support tools on step counts among adults using a randomized control trial.

Thirty-six sedentary/insufficiently active university faculty and staff participated in an eight-week, Internet-delivered walking intervention. They received an Omron HJ-720ITC pedometer, personal step goals, and access to a Blackboard LearnTM website comprised of SCTbased features. Outcomes included daily steps, social support, self-regulation, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations. Participants significantly increased their average daily steps (p < 0.001) between baseline and week 1 by 1800. A similar increase in daily steps was observed between baseline and all other intervention weeks (p < 0.001). Social support and self-regulation significantly improved (p < 0.001). These findings helped inform the design of the second study.

In this …

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 …

"When Are You Going To Get A Real Job?": An Experiential Sport Ethnography Of Players' Experiences On The Men's Pro Tennis Futures Tour, Jacob Cannon Jensen

Doctoral Dissertations

In this experiential sport ethnography, I examined the experience of former NCAA college tennis players competing on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Men’s Pro Futures Tour, the entry level of professional tennis. Limited research has focused on players competing on this tour, especially former top-level NCAA players transitioning from collegiate to professional tennis. The contributions of ethnographic studies are gaining greater recognition in sport psychology literature, and I conducted a year-long experiential ethnography in which I entered the field as a participant and researcher. I gained access to Futures tournaments and players by participating in the qualifying rounds and collecting …

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 …