Life Sciences Commons^™

Tuna Turning, Frank E. Fish

Biology Data Repository

No abstract provided.

Umass Boston Bike Share Survey Instrument And Dataset, Philip Troped

Exercise and Health Sciences Faculty Publication Series

This site contains the survey instrument and survey data that were collected in the fall of 2014 from students, faculty, and staff at the University of Massachusetts Boston. These data were used for a manuscript to be published in PLOS ONE in 2022. The publication is entitled, “Correlates of bike share use and its association with weight status at an urban university” and the authors are Lawrence H. Stahley, Sarah M. Camhi, Julie A. Wright, and Philip J. Troped.

Personal Activity Intelligence And Mortality - Data From The Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study, Javaid Nauman, Xuemei Sui, Carl J. Lavie, Chi Pang Wen, Jari A. Laukkanen, Steven N. Blair, Patrick Dunn, Ross Arena, Ulrik Wisloff

Faculty Publications

Importance Personal activity intelligence (PAI) is a novel activity metric that can be integrated into self-assessment heart rate devices, and translates heart rate variations during exercise into a weekly score. Previous studies relating to PAI have been conducted in the same populations from Norway where the PAI metric has been derived, limiting generalizability of the results.

Objective: To test whether PAI is associated with total and cause-specific mortality in a large cohort from the United States.

Design: Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study (ACLS) – a prospective cohort between January 1974 and December 2002 with a mean follow-up of 14.5 years.

Setting: …

Biomechanics In The 4haie Study: Air Pollution And Musculoskeletal Health - An Update, Daniel Jandacka, Jaroslav Uchityil, David Zahradník, Roman Farana, Dominik Villimek, Jiri Skypala, Jan Urbaczka, Jan Plesek, Adam Motyka, Denisa Blaschova, Gabriela Beinhauerova, Marketa Rygelová, Pavel Brtva, Zuzana Golembiovska, Klara Balazova, Jan Malus, Veronika Horka, Julia F. Silvernail, Gareth Irwin, Miika T. Nieminen, Victor Casula, Vlado Juras, Milos Golian, Steriani Elavsky, Lenka Knapova, Radim Sram, Joseph Hamill

Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Publications

The overall purpose of the 4HAIE study was to assess the influence of the interaction between air pollution and biomechanical, physiological and psychosocial factors on the incidence of injuries, health and well-being. A total of 1,500 active runners and inactive controls aged 18-65 will be recruited. Herein, we describe the biomechanical study design with data examples to investigate musculoskeletal and neuro-mechanics health in different air quality regions.

Footstrike Patterns Of High And Mid-Mileage Non-Rearfoot Runners During An Exhaustive Run, Jan Urbaczka, Julia F. Silvernail, Daniel Jandacka

Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of fatigue on footstrike patterns in two groups of habitually non-rearfoot runners. Twenty-eight runners participating in this study were divided into two groups by their weekly mileage. Participants completed a VO2max test to determine the velocity for the fatiguing run. Kinematic, physiological and biochemical data from the beginning and the remaining 3 minutes of fatiguing treadmill run were obtained. The overall time for fatiguing run exceeded 40 minutes (t = 48,1 ± 3,6 min.). The foot angle at the instant of initial contact significantly changed in both groups following fatigue. …

Footfall Pattern During Running In Preschool Children According To Age And Footwear, Jan Plesek, Julia F. Silvernail, Joseph Hamill, Daniel Jandacka

Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Publications

The aim of this study was to compare the footfall pattern (FP) in different age groups of preschool children while they ran in standard running shoes (SRS) and barefoot. Forty-eight children aged 3-6 years participated in the study and were split into 4 age groups (n=12). All children performed a simple running game (based on the shuffle run) in SRS and barefoot. The length of the runway was adjusted for each age group. Kinematic and kinetic data were collected using 3-D motion capture system. We analyzed strike index (SI) and sagittal plane ankle angle (AA) at initial contact (IC) from …

Online Information-Seeking Behaviors Of Parents Of Children With Adhd, Adam Sage, Delesha Carpenter, Robyn Sayner, Kathleen Thomas, Larry Mann, Sandra H. Sulzer, Adrian D. Sandler, Betsy Sleath

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

This article describes (a) parent questions about ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder), (b) parent Internet use to seek ADHD information, and (c) associations between type of Internet access and ADHD information-seeking. Seventy parents of children (ages 7-17 years) with ADHD completed questionnaires after their child’s visit with their pediatrician. Bivariate relationships were assessed using chi-square statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, or t tests. Parents identified an average of 8.9 questions about ADHD for their child’s provider. Common questions were related to medication and long-term implications of ADHD. A majority of parents searched the Internet for general ADHD information (87%) and ADHD medication …

Youth Views On Communication About Adhd And Medication Adherence., Betsy Sleath, Delesha Carpenter, Robyn Sayner, Kathleen Thomas, Larry Mann, Adam Sage, Sandra H. Sulzer, Adrian D. Sandler

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine youth perceptions of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) communication with their pediatric providers, their reported adherence to their ADHD medications, and their desired location for an ADHD educational program. Youth ages 7 through 17 with an ADHD diagnosis were recruited. A research associate interviewed the youth. Parents completed demographic questionnaires. Seventy families participated. One-third of the youth wanted more discussion about ADHD with their providers during visits. The average youth had over eight questions about ADHD and its treatment. Most youth wanted to learn about ADHD at their provider’s office. Non-white and …

Making Sense Of Self Harm, Sandra H. Sulzer

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

In Making Sense of Self-harm: The Cultural Meaning and Social Context of Nonsuicidal Self-injury, Dr. Peter Steggals slowly and carefully circles around self-harm as a social construct. His book gathers up the underlying meanings and contradictions inherent in the practice and inspects them in turn. He makes a case that self-harm as we see it today in the form of skin cutting, picking, and other related phenomenon is unique to our time period and is not universally present across cultures— regardless of other mutilation, cutting, or piercing practices that may exist. And importantly, he starts by addressing our aversion to …

A Systematic Review Of Empathy Development In Medical Education, Sandra H. Sulzer, Claire Wendland, Noah Feinstein

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Context Empathy in doctor–patient relationships is a familiar topic for medical scholars and a crucial goal for medical educators. Nonetheless, there are persistent disagreements in the research literature concerning how best to evaluate empathy among physicians, and whether empathy declines or increases across medical education. Some researchers have argued that the instruments used to study ‘empathy’ may not measure anything meaningful to clinical practice or patient satisfaction. Methods We performed a systematic review to learn how empathy is conceptualised in medical education research. We examined how researchers define the central construct of empathy and what they choose to measure, and …

Challenging The Discourse Of Untreatability For Borderline Personality Disorder: A Call For Comparative Research, Sandra H. Sulzer

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

A diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) often signals the quintessential “difficult patient” status to clinicians, with at least one scholar arguing the condition itself was created to name and group difficult patients. While patients who are deemed difficult are often dispreferred for care, does this have an impact on their overall status as medicalized patients who have successfully achieved a sick role? This study relies on (n = 22) in-depth interviews with mental health clinicians in the United States from 2012 to evaluate how they describe patients with BPD, how the diagnosis of BPD affects the treatment clinicians are …

Improving Patient-Centered Communication Of The Borderline Personality Disorder Diagnosis, Sandra H. Sulzer, Elizabeth Muenchow, Annabelle Potvin, Jessica Harris, Grant Gigot

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Background: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) has historically been difficult to diagnose, and laden with stigma, leading to a variety of clinical responses to patients who present with symptoms. Aims: (1) To understand how clinicians communicate the diagnosis of BPD with patients. (2) To compare these practices with patient communication preferences. (3) To use patient preferences to evaluate clinician practices. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with mental health care providers and experts (n = 32) were compared with patients (n = 10) and primary patient-written accounts (n = 22). Grounded theory was used to explore causal pathways between clinical practice and patient responses. …

Communication About Attention Deficit Disorder During Pediatric Asthma Visits, Betsy Sleath, Sandra H. Sulzer, Delesha M. Carpenter, Catherine Slota, Christopher Gillette, Stephanie Davis

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The objectives of the study were to examine provider-family communication about attention deficit disorder during pediatric asthma visits. Children with asthma, aged 8 through 16 and their parents were recruited at five pediatric practices. All medical visits were audio-taped. There were 296 asthmatic children enrolled into the study and 67 of them also had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD communication elements suggested by national guidelines were discussed infrequently. Providers were more likely to discuss, educate, and ask one or more questions about ADHD medications if the visit was non-asthma related. Providers included child input into the ADHD treatment regimen …

Older Adolescents’ Self-Determined Motivations To Disclose Their Hiv Status, Ann Gillard, Mark F. Roark

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Disclosure of HIV status is an important topic for youth living with HIV/AIDS, yet theoretical frameworks for understanding HIV disclosure motivations have been poorly applied. Self-determination theory (SDT) proposes that people are at optimal functioning when they are engaging in activities that are interesting and enlivening. This study utilized SDT to understand young adults’ motivations to disclose their HIV status. Interviews and observations were conducted with nine youth aged 17–19 and two adult staff. Results indicate that SDT is useful for understanding types of motivation (i.e., amotivation, controlled, and autonomous motivation) to disclose. Amotivation was the most common type of …

Intrinsic Motivation, Vitality, And High Altitude Climbing: An Analysis Of Seven Case Studies, J. C. Norling, Mark F. Roark, Dale R. Wagner, A. Montour

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

College adventure leadership programs may involve training students through multi-day expeditions to remote locations to test their physical and psychological performance. In the context of a group-oriented, mountaineering course in a high altitude environment participant's performance level might be a function of motivation level, vitality level, and/or may be influenced by physiological changes occurring during the ascent. The theoretical framework selected for the study was Cognitive Evaluation Theory (CET) (Deci & Ryan, 1985b), a sub-theory of Selfdetermination Theory (SDT) (Deci & Ryan, 1985a). CET suggests that an intrinsically motivated activity, if internalized, could be a representation of a participant's inclination …

Camper Outcomes Increase Regardless Of Session Length: Beyond Anecdotal Evidence Of Increased Competence, Independence And Friendship Skills, Mark F. Roark

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Session length may not be as vital to the accomplishment of developmental outcomes as directors are anecdotally sharing. Interestingly, no empirical support exists for the conventional wisdom that longer sessions have better outcomes than shorter sessions for campers. Dimock and Hendry (1929) found that campers’ level of development in general did not significantly vary whether they were at camp one or two months. They cautioned that this finding might not appropriately represent the actual effect of camp due to limitations in the measurement tool. Comparably, ACA’s Directions (2005) reported that session length was not a reliable predictor of camper developmental …

Effect Of Intentionally Designed Experiences On Friendship Skills Of Youth: An Application Of Symbolic Interaction Theory, Mark F. Roark, Ann Gillard, Faith Evans, Mary Sara Wells, Marissa Mikami Blauer

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

After-school programs in which recreation activities are intentionally designed as developmental experiences can yield positive social outcomes for youth (e.g., Daud & Carruthers, 2008; Witt, 2008). Intentionally designed recreation experiences can inspire stronger friendships, stimulate greater interest in supporting peers at school, and increase pro-social behaviors that may continue through subsequent phases of life. The development of friendship skills was the social development outcome of interest in this study. Friendship skills was operationally defined as “perceived skills in initiating, developing, and sustaining enjoyable and socially intimate relationships with other people” (Ellis & Sibthorp, 2006, p. 40). In adulthood, friendship skills …

Wellness Works: A Collaborative Program For Youth And Adults In Rural Utah, Lindsey Shirley, Mark F. Roark, Lisa Lewis

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The article focuses on the need of Cooperative Extension programs for rural communities of Central Utah residents who are leading an unhealthy lifestyle. It is discussed that the Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension Agent in Utah developed a wellness community program to address the health concerns of adults. It is discussed that the program promotes healthy living in adults by emphasizing on physical activity and nutrition.

Leadership By Design Summer Day Camp: University And High School Student Outcomes, Mary F. Fortune, Mark F. Roark, Mary D'Alleva, Lisa Smusz

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The Leadership by Design (LbD) summer day camp provided interactive learning experiences for university and high school students. While LbD is similar to other university recruitment programs, none looks directly at the learning outcomes for students through a social constructivist theory design that evaluates the acquisition of the learning outcomes. With such a design, the summer day camp offered leadership development opportunities to university students through a “live,” hands-on experience in a special event management course curriculum. LbD also provided high school participants with an opportunity to explore leadership characteristics and increase their understanding of university culture. The specific purpose …

Campers Have A World Of Good: Insights From The Aca Sites, Facilities, And Programs Report: 2011, Mark F. Roark, Marissa Mikami

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Each year, camp staff members spend days — if not weeks — preparing facilities, activity areas, and programs so their campers can enjoy fun, educational, and life-enhancing experiences. Whether operating on a public grassy field or nestled in the woods, one key to successes is knowing about programs and facilities. Every three years, ACA conducts the Sites, Facilities, and Program Survey (SFPS) as a part of the larger, annually conducted business operations surveys. This article focuses on the SFPS completed during the fall of 2010. Fifty percent of ACA-accredited camps were randomly selected to participate in the survey and 539 …

Measuring Mindfulness In Summer Camp Staff, Ann Gillard, Mark F. Roark, Lewis Ramsey Kanyiba Nyaga, M. Deborah Bialeschki

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Examining mindfulness in a non-clinical and non-therapeutic setting such as a summer camp is an area of growing interest. Our study tested three mindfulness scales with staff in a summer camp setting, and we conducted preliminary reliability and validity analyses for any modifications needed in the scales. Results indicated two major findings: (a) the 5-item camp-Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale showed good reliability and evidence of convergent validity, and (b) the 9-item parent-based and the 6-item teacher-based scales were not reliable or applicable to this study. Analyses of the data shed light on the usefulness of employing mindfulness scales in …

Measuring Relationships Between Camp Staff And Camper Developmental Outcomes: An Application Of Self-Determination Theory, Mark F. Roark, Gary D. Elis, Mary Sara Wells, Ann Gillard

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

While recent studies have suggested that positive developmental outcomes may result from participating in camp experiences, it is unclear what specific aspects of camp (e.g., staff dispositions, counselor teams, non-counselor staff) might influence these camper outcomes. Previous studies have measured the autonomy support of schoolteachers and found that more autonomy-supportive dispositions that, for example, engage autonomy, relatedness, and competence through the use of meaningful choice or rationale have positive effects on student developmental outcomes (e.g., intrinsic motivation, competence, self-esteem). Unlike schools, camps are noncompulsory recreation environments and most are outdoor-based. The existence of differences between the physical, social, and motivational …

Playful Experiences: Measure Youth Outcomes In Parks And Recreation, Mark F. Roark, F. Evans

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Do you like to play or know anyone else who likes to play? Play has forever been a seminal focus for recreation and parks programs. When designing and implementing experiences for youth participants, we typically measure our success by how much fun youth had. These days, while play and the outcome of fun are still meaningful to youth, stakeholders expect outcomes beyond fun. From season to season, many of us now hear parent voices asking, “What will my children gain from your program?” or “Why is yours better? What makes yours unique?” City council members ask us to justify the …

An Application Of A Modified Experiential Learning Model For A Higher Education Course: Evidence Of Increased Outcomes, Mark F. Roark, Jonathan C. Norling

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

This case study applied a modified Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) model in an undergraduate outdoor recreation management course. The Kolb (1984) ELT model was modified to accommodate the higher education learning processes suggested by L. B. Sharp (1943), Sugarman (1985) and Greenaway (1995). Results indicate evidence of increased student learning. Quantitative results from a retrospective pre/posttest evaluation of change score means in learning outcomes supported the study hypotheses that 1) the application of a modified ELT model affects the outcomes of planning, knowledge/skills, and potential for transfer of learning and 2) previous trip experience affects these outcomes. A secondary analysis …

Effect Of Self-Determination Theory-Based Strategies For Staging Recreation Encounters On Intrinsic Motivation Of Youth Residential Campers, Mark F. Roark, Gary D. Ellis

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Parents and caregivers generally believe that the camp experiences they purchase for their children will not only yield transient pleasure and lasting memories of fun encounters, but significant developmental outcomes as well. Camp professionals serving over 11 million youths each year embrace such outcomes and commonly advance mission statements that point to the development of friendship skills, self-confidence, competence, self-reliance, independence, citizenship, and many other developmental outcomes. Empirical evidence of how these outcomes might be facilitated through specific recreation leadership strategies (e.g., activity staging) is lacking. The Self-Determination Theory (SDT) would suggest that youth leaders (e.g., camp counselors, recreation activity …

Good (Youth) Sports: Using Benefits-Based Programming To Increase Sportsmanship, Mary Sara Wells, Skye G. Arthur-Banning, Karen P. Paisley, Gary D. Ellis, Mark F. Roark, Kara M. Fisher

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Sportsmanship problems in youth sport have recently become a more prominent issue for parks and recreation professionals. Benefits-based programming is one method these professionals could use to address the issues of sportsmanship in their youth leagues. Recent studies and programs have successfully employed prosocial behavior techniques in this process as a means of improving the sportsmanship atmosphere in youth leagues. Previous research, however, has yet to compare the efficacy of such programs in comparison to a control group. Data for this study were gathered through observations of positive and negative sportsmanship behaviors youth basketball games at two local community centers. …

Effect Of Staged Practices And Motivational Climate On Goal Orientation And Sportsmanship In Community Youth Sport Experiences, Mary Sara Wells, Gary D. Ellis, Skye G. Arthur-Banning, Mark F. Roark

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Significant acts of poor sportsmanship and aggression are becoming increasingly prevalent in youth sports. Youth who have negative experiences as a result of witnessing or being directly involved in such poor sportsmanship experiences are less likely to participate in future sport activities, thereby contributing to sedentary lifestyles and a number of health related problems. Goal orientation theory provides a basis for understanding why many of these unsporting acts may occur. “Task-oriented” participants focus on their intra-individual growth and development in sports and tend to be much less involved in aggression and poor sportsmanship. In contrast, “Egooriented” participants judge success in …