Life Sciences Commons^™

Accelerometer-Determined Physical Behavior Metrics And Their Associations With Sarcopenia Among Oldest-Old Adults, Eric M. Eberl

Masters Theses

INTRODUCTION: Sarcopenia is a loss of muscle function and muscle mass which frequently occurs among the oldest-old adult population (aged 85+ years). The analysis of accelerometer-determined physical behavior volumes and patterns of oldest-old adults might provide novel insights into the associations with sarcopenia and its components. METHODS: A total of 145 participants in the primary sample and 87 participants in the subsample with a mean age of 88.2 (2.5) years from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition study cohort provided cross-sectional data of handgrip strength, appendicular lean mass, gait speed, and accelerometry. Probable, confirmed, and severe sarcopenia were assessed based …

Feasibility, Acceptability, And Preliminary Efficacy Of An Academically-Integrated Physical Activity Program On Classroom Behavior In Preschoolers, Sarah Burkart

Doctoral Dissertations

Maladaptive classroom behaviors (i.e., hyperactivity, inattention) are common in preschoolers, yet elevated levels may lead to future academic difficulties or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Physical activity (PA) may be one way to alleviate these maladaptive behaviors within the classroom, yet preschoolers are not meeting PA guidelines. Implementing academically-integrated PA may serve a two-fold benefit of enhancing PA and classroom behavior. However, process evaluation data describing academically-integrated PA interventions are sparse. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a 12-week PA intervention integrated into early learning standards on classroom behavior in preschoolers. Two …

Feasibility And Efficacy Of A Recess-Based Combined Fitness Intervention On Cognition And Academic Performance In Elementary School Children, Christine St Laurent

Doctoral Dissertations

Youth physical activity and fitness have been reported to influence cognition and academic related outcomes. Despite the potential benefits of muscular fitness, few intervention studies have examined the impact of an intervention that has incorporated both cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness training on cognition and academic performance in children. Previous studies have mainly been implemented either during the school day or immediately after-school. Although recess may be an ideal time to promote physical activity because it does not compete with other academic demands, it has been an understudied setting. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation project was to examine the feasibility, …

Development And Cross-Validation Of A Cadence-Based Metabolic Equation For Walking, Christopher C. Moore

Masters Theses

The ACSM Metabolic Equation is a widely recognized equation for predicting metabolic intensity from walking speed. However, an equation that uses an observable metric (i.e., cadence [steps/min]), accounts for individual characteristics, and is validated across walking conditions may enable more accessible and accurate predictions of walking intensity. PURPOSE: To develop metabolic equations that predict metabolic intensity (oxygen consumption; mL/kg/min) from cadence using a large treadmill walking dataset (Study One) and cross-validate these equations during overground unconstrained and cadence-constrained walking conditions (Study Two). METHODS: In Study One, 193 adults (21-81 years) completed treadmill walking bouts while oxygen consumption was measured with …

Interfacing Continuous Measurement Of Glucose And Physical Activity To Predict Glycemic Control In Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes, Jennifer Blankenship

Doctoral Dissertations

Physical activity is a cornerstone in the management of hyperglycemia and risk of cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, the dose response relationship between physical activity and glucose regulation is not well defined. The overall goal of this dissertation was to assess the magnitude and timing of changes of daily glucose concentrations in response to continuous and intermittent light physical activity in T2D. Through utilizing continuous glucose monitors (CGM) and physical activity monitoring concurrently, we were able to assess the glycemic impact of physical activity and sedentary behavior in the free-living environment. Study 1 aimed to examine the …

The Physical Activity Tracker Testing In Youth (P.A.T.T.Y.) Study: Content Analysis And Children's Perceptions, Brittany Masteller, John Sirard, Patty Freedson

Kinesiology Department Faculty Publication Series

Background: Activity trackers are widely used by adults and several models are now marketed for children.

Objective: The aims of this study were to (1) perform a content analysis of behavioral change techniques (BCTs) used by three commercially available youth-oriented activity trackers and (2) obtain feedback describing children’s perception of these devices and the associated websites.

Methods: A content analysis recorded the presence of 36 possible BCTs for the MovBand (MB), Sqord (SQ), and Zamzee (ZZ) activity trackers. In addition, 16 participants (mean age 8.6 years [SD 1.6]; 50% female [8/16]) received all three trackers and were oriented to the …

Feasibility Of A Combined Physical Activity And Sleep Education Intervention For Girls Living In A Low Socioeconomic Status Urban Community, Cory J. Greever

Doctoral Dissertations

Declining sleep duration and poor sleep quality is a public health epidemic disproportionately effecting elementary age girls living in low socioeconomic status urban communities. The Girls Dancing and Sleeping for Health (Girls DASH) program was designed to test the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a combined physical activity and sleep education program in this population. In combination with baseline data from a previously conducted intervention in elementary age urban girls living in a low SES community in Springfield, MA, results from a cross-sectional analysis indicated that greater screen time was positively associated with parental reports of child’s sleep quality. Additionally, …

Impact Of A Preschool Workplace Intervention On Classroom Teachers’ Physical Activity Levels And Quality Of Life, Ogechi O. Nwaokelemeh

Doctoral Dissertations

PURPOSE: To examine the feasibility and efficacy of a three-month, cluster-randomized workplace PA intervention on PA levels and wellbeing measures in preschool classroom teachers. METHODS: Ten preschool centers were randomized into two groups; short-bouts of structured PA (SBS-PA, n=5) or traditional unstructured PA (TRAD-PA, n=5). The SBS-PA intervention consisted of 10-minute structured, teacher-led PA routines implemented within the classroom setting, followed by 20 minutes of unstructured playtime. The TRAD-PA intervention consisted of supervised 30-minute of unstructured free playtime. Both interventions were implemented during the morning and afternoon designated gross-motor playtime for 30 min/session, five days/week for three months. Participants’ …

Design And Baseline Characteristics Of The Short Bouts Of Exercise For Preschoolers (Step) Study, Sofiya Alhassan, Ogechi Nwaokelemeh, Albert Mendoza, Sanyog Shitole, Melicia C. Whitt-Glover, Antronette K. Yancey

Sofiya Alhassan

Background: Most preschool centers provide two 30-min sessions of gross-motor/outdoor playtime per preschool day. Within this time frame, children accumulate most of their activity within the first 10 min. This paper describes the design and baseline participant characteristics of the Short bouTs of Exercise for Preschoolers (STEP) study. The STEP study is a cluster randomized controlled study designed to examine the effects of short bouts of structured physical activity (SBS-PA) implemented within the classroom setting as part of designated gross-motor playtime on during-school physical activity (PA) in preschoolers. Methods/Design: Ten preschool centers serving low-income families were randomized into SBS-PA versus …

The Influence Of Free-Living Activity And Inactivity On Health Outcomes And Responsiveness To Exercise Training, Sarah Kozey Keadle

Open Access Dissertations

On average, starting an exercise training program decreases one’s risk for chronic disease. However, there is remarkable individual variability in physiologic responses to exercise training. The activity and inactivity during the remaining 95% of the day (when the individual is not training) is rarely considered. The overall objective of this dissertation was to apply validated sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity (PA) measurement techniques during an exercise training study to determine if time spent in SB and PA outside of training influences the physiological response to training. Twenty subjects participated in a pilot study to determine the feasibility of reducing …

Adolescent Physical Activity And The Built Environment: A Latent Class Analysis Approach, Kelsey Mcdonald, Mary Hearst, Kian Farbakhsh, Carrie Patnode, Ann Forsyth, John Sirard, Leslie Lytle

John Sirard

This study used latent class analysis to classify adolescent home neighborhoods (n=344) according to built environment characteristics, and tested how adolescent physical activity, sedentary behavior, and screen time differ by neighborhood type/class. Four distinct neighborhood classes emerged: 1) low-density retail/transit, low walkability index (WI), further from recreation; 2) high-density retail/transit, high WI, closer to recreation; 3) moderate-high-density retail/transit, moderate WI, further from recreation; and 4) moderate-low-density retail/transit, low WI, closer to recreation. We found no difference in adolescent activity by neighborhood class. These results highlight the difficulty of disentangling the potential effects of the built environment on adolescent physical activity.

Providing Further Construct Validity For A Newly Developed Functional-Living Measure: The Movement And Activity In Physical Space (Maps) Score, Andrea M. Morand

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Older adults face many age-related changes affecting functional ability. Function is defined as the interaction between a person and their real-world environment. Currently, no objective measures of function exist assessing the environmental component. A newly-developed measure of functional-living, the Movement and Activity in Physical Space (MAPS) score, combines accelerometer and geospatial data providing quantitative measurement of real-world function. Because MAPS is a new measure of functional-living, the purpose of the current study was to provide further construct validity for MAPS as a functional-living measure in older adults and to determine what combination of 3 days, using weekend and week days, …

Calibrating A Novel Multi-Sensor Physical Activity Measurement System, D. John, S. Liu, J. Saski, C. Howe, J. Staudenmayer, R. Gao, Patty Freedson

Patty S. Freedson

Advancing the field of physical activity (PA) monitoring requires the development of innovative multi-sensor measurement systems that are feasible in the free-living environment. The use of novel analytical techniques to combine and process these multiple sensor signals is equally important. This paper, describes a novel multi-sensor ‘Integrated PA Measurement System’ (IMS), the lab-based methodology used to calibrate the IMS, techniques used to predict multiple variables from the sensor signals, and proposes design changes to improve the feasibility of deploying the IMS in the free-living environment. The IMS consists of hip and wrist acceleration sensors, two piezoelectric respiration sensors on the …

A Comparison Of The Actigraph 7164 And The Actigraph Gt1m During Self-Paced Locomotion, Sarah Kozey, John Staudenmayer, Richard Troiano, Patty Freedson

Patty S. Freedson

Purpose—This study compared the ActiGraph accelerometer model 7164 (AM1) to the ActiGraph GT1M (AM2) during self-paced locomotion. Methods—Participants n = 116, 18–73y, mean BMI = 26.1) walked at self-selected slow, medium, and fast speeds around an indoor circular hallway (0.47km). Both activity monitors were attached to a belt secured to the hip and simultaneously collected data in 60 second epochs. To compare differences between monitors, the average difference (bias) in count output and steps output were computed at each speed. Time spent in different activity intensities (light, moderate, vigorous) based on the Freedson et al. cut-points was compared for each …

"A"-Kids: Activity Kcal Intervention Daily Study. Effects Of 100-Kcal Daily Energy Expenditure On Total Moderate-To-Vigorous Physical Activity In 3rd Grade Children, Cheryl A. Howe

Open Access Dissertations

A selection of common children’s games were measured in a laboratory-based study to be enjoyable and to elicit sufficient physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) in 3rd grade children to combat the purported chronic energy surplus of childhood obesity (~100 kcal.day-1). PAEE during the games was similar for boys and girls, yet overweight children expended greater PAEE relative to body weight than healthy weight children. During a subsequent simulated recess program, the enjoyment declined over the 10-session program with no significant decline in PAEE. Using the enjoyable games of known energy cost in a structured recess program for 9 weeks successfully …