Life Sciences Commons^™

Physical Activity Among Mexicans And Mexican Americans In An Ecologic Systems Framework, Rebecca E. Lee, Lorna Mcneill, Lucie Levesque, Cynthia M. Castro, Edtna Jauregui

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Purpose: To operationalize the Ecologic Model of Physical Activity (EMPA) in an environmental and cultural context born in Mexico, but broadly adopted by Mexican Americans in the USA. Methods: Participant observation occurred over an immersive, ten month period in Jalisco, Baja California South, and the Distrito Federal, Mexico. Numerous meetings with researchers, school personnel, state health departments, and residents helped define environmental factors, cultural values, and the political context of Mexico. The EMPA was adapted to include examples from physical activity resources, health care settings and behavioral interventions. Results: Mexico is a middle income country leapfrogging from traditional physical activities …

Childhood Obesity: Epidemiology - A Social And Cultural Perspective, Thu Huong T. Vu

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the social and cultural aspects of the epidemiology of childhood obesity among local populations in Houston, TX. Methods: Review of recent journal articles, studies, and surveys regarding the relationship between childhood obesity and other social factors, including race, ethnicity, culture, socioeconomic status, and parental behaviors. Literatures should contain not just quantitative data or listing of social and cultural factors affecting childhood obesity, but also discuss how these factors accomplish that. Literatures are analyzed and compared for consistencies and inconsistencies. Results: The findings are divided into three sections: socioeconomic factors, ethno-cultural factors, …

Programs Promoting Physical Activity Among Mexicans, Edtna Jauregui, Ann Pacheco, Fiorella Saavedra, Teresia O'Connor, Cynthia M. Castro, Paul Estabrooks, Rebecca E. Lee

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Purpose: Programs to increase physical activity serve an important public health role, and can contribute to improved health status of the population. The goal of this study was to evaluate publically available programs to increase physical activity in Mexico using the RE-AIM framework. Method: Internet searches were conducted with the terms, “programas,” “actividad fisica,” “Mexico,” “Ciudad de Mexico,” “Distrito Federal,” “Jalisco,” and “Guadalajara.” Programs were coded on reach, efficacy, adoption, implementation and maintenance. Results: Thirteen programs were identified. Three were excluded as only offering online health tips. One was excluded as it described a survey of health habits among Mexicans, …

Association Between Physical Activity Resource Quality And Use In Mexicans Through Objective Observation, Ann Pacheco, Erica Soltero, Scherezade K. Mama, Rebecca E. Lee

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Purpose: Nearly three-fourths (69.5%) of the Mexican population aged 15 and older is overweight or obese, and 37.7% fail to meet physical activity (PA) recommendations of 150 minutes per week. The prevalence of obesity in Mexican children has tripled since 1980 and is due to the imbalance between energy intake and expenditure. PA may reduce the prevalence of obesity in Mexican adults and youth. PA resources (PARs), such as parks and plazas, may aid in this effort, but little is known about the quality of resources in Mexico and their relationship to PA levels in adults and youth. The purpose …

Sitting Time And Future Health Expectations In African American And Hispanic Or Latina Women, Stacey L. Gorniak, Nathan Parker, Rebecca E. Lee

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Purpose: In Lee et al. (2012; J Obesity), a hypothesis relating increased sitting time and lower stress levels was introduced. The aim of this analysis is to evaluate the relationship between measures of sedentary behavior and mental health outcomes.

Method: The current study was a secondary analysis using data from the Health Is Power (HIP) study. Four hundred ten community dwelling African American (n = 263), and Hispanic/Latina (n = 147) women aged 25-60 participated in HIP, a longitudinal, community-based, randomized controlled trial to increase physical activity. Women who met inclusionary criteria gave informed consent and completed health …

Neighborhood Walkability And Physical Activity: Results From The Health Is Power (Hip) Study, Nathan Parker

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Purpose: Health Is Power (NIH 1R01CA109403) was a longitudinal, multi-site intervention aimed to increase physical activity (PA) among community dwelling, healthy African American and Hispanic or Latina women. This study investigated the relationship between neighborhood walking environments and PA maintenance from T1 (baseline) through T2 (end of intervention) and to T3 (6-month follow-up post-intervention). Method: Women (N=410, M age=45.2 years, SD=9.4, 62.7% African American) completed interviewer-administered questionnaires assessing demographics at T1 and the International PA Questionnaire (IPAQ) to assess physical activity at T1, T2 and T3. Walkability characteristics for all street segments within 800m of participants’ homes …

Preventive Health Behaviors Among Hispanics: Comparing A Us-Mexico Border Cohort And National Sample, Belinda Reininger, Jing Wang, Stanley Cron, Susan P. Fisher-Hoch

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Purpose: Adherence to preventive health behaviors for chronic diseases would avert 80% of all heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, and more than 40% of cancer cases. The purpose of this study is to describe the preventive health behaviors for chronic diseases among Mexican Americans residing along U.S.-Mexico border and in the U.S.

Method: Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were conducted on two rich data sets for Mexican Americans. The first data set (n=1439) was from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (CCHC), a prospective cohort study of Mexican American adults aged 18 years and older living in a large …

Adherence To U.S. Physical Activity And Dietary Guidelines Among A Mexican American Cohort, Belinda M. Reininger, Jing Wang, Stanley Cron, Susan P. Fisher-Hoch

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine adherence to risk factors for chronic diseases among Mexican Americans residing along Texas / Mexico border.

Method: Data was derived from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (CCHC), a prospective cohort study of over 2600 Mexican American adults aged 18 years and older living in a large and poor city along the Texas / Mexico border. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were used to analyze the data.

Results:The sample (67.06% female) has a mean age of 48.06 ± 15.60 years, 48.81% employed, 45.66% has less than high school education, 77.57% …

Sports For Achieving Wellness, Paul Queen Jr.

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Title: SPORTS FOR ACHIEVING WELLNESS

Author: Paul Queen, Jr.

Affiliations: 1Wellness Coordinator, St. Johns Downtown United Methodist Church, 2Wellness Consultant, Houston Parks and Recreation Department (Soccer for Success and The First Tee FM Law Park), 3President/CEO, Quality Wellness.

Purpose: An age-old proverb reads, “It takes a community/village to raise a child”. The purpose of this project was to utilize sports as a vehicle to promote healthy community development. Method: Targeting the Southeast quadrant of Houston, Texas and using multiple community centers we initiated futsal (indoor soccer) team play for girls and boys ages 6 to 18. Each participant’s height, weight, …

Engaging Mexican American Seniors To Define Healthy Eating: A Community Based Participatory Pilot Study, Adelita Gonzales Cantu Phd, Rn, Jillian Rushing

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Community based participatory research is a research strategy aimed at bridging the gap between research and practice. At the Good Samaritan Senior Center in San Antonio, TX there had seemed to be a disconnect between nutritional education provided to the seniors at their Senior Center and what the seniors did in practice. Despite significant efforts of the staff to provide nutrition education through classes and activities, 61% of the seniors attending still report an unhealthy body weight and many struggle with diabetes according to organizational assessments. The purpose of this study was to utilize Community Based Participatory Research to understand …

Negative Body Image Is Related To Overeating Among Overweight Pregnant Women, Tracey Ledoux, Najmus Saher, Mcclain Sampson, Martina R. Gallagher, Pamela D. Berens

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Background: Overeating and pre-pregnancy obesity increase risks for complications during pregnancy. According to Social Cognitive Theory, individual and environmental factors influence health behaviors. Purpose: This study’s purpose was to determine whether social norms (environmental factor) and body image (individual factor) regarding pregnancy weight control were related to overeating behaviors among overweight/obese (OW/Ob) pregnant women.

Methods: Baseline data from an ongoing prospective study to identify predictors of excess gestational weight gain were used in this study. Pregnant women are being recruited from an obstetric clinic to complete a questionnaire, and research assistants are obtaining gestational weight gain data from …

The Development Of A Diabetes Intervention And Community Education Program, Rosanne Schrieber Keathley Ph.D., Judy R. Sandlin Ph.D., David Ficklen Md, Karen Bilsing Bs

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Title: DEVELOPMENT OF A DIABETES INTERVENTION AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAM

Author(s): Rosanne Keathley, PHD1, Judy Sandlin, PHD2, David Ficklen, MD3, Karen Bilsing, BS4

Affiliations: 1Health and Kinesiology, Sam Houston State University, 2 Human Resource and Development, Texas A & M University, 3 Chief Medical Officer, Huntsville Memorial Hospital, 4 Community Relations Manager, Huntsville Memorial Hospital

Purpose: Currently 25.8 million people (8.3%) in the US are living with diabetes. This study assessed the need for a diabetes intervention program through community health screenings. Method: Participants (N=323) completed a diabetes risk questionnaire with health screenings. Ages ranged between 17 …

Correlates Of Military Sexual Trauma, Mental Health, And Obesity Among Women Veterans, Deleene S. Menefee, Wendy S. Leopoulos, Sarah M. Torres, Rebecca Wagner

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Purpose: Obesity is a growing concern for Veterans Affairs (VA) providers of women Veterans as recent evidence suggests that females more than males have a higher prevalence of obesity. Further, women Veterans present to VA with rates of military sexual trauma that exceed prevalence rates in the civilian population. Research findings support the tenet that disorder eating, and adverse health outcomes are consequences of sexual trauma. However, the mental health correlates of MST and obesity have not been well established. One recent study of returning combat Veterans found that obesity is a significant concern. This purpose of the current …

Solving The Obesity Epidemic In African American And Hispanic Communities: Voices From The Community, Scherezade K. Mama, Erica G. Soltero, Tracey A. Ledoux, Rebecca E. Lee

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Purpose: Science & Community: Ending Obesity Improving Health (Science & Community) aimed at reducing obesity in Houston by developing partnerships and collaborating with community organizations to identify community research priorities and develop an obesity reduction program. Method: Partnership members were recruited from Science & Community events and invited to participate in in-depth interviews to gain insight on obesity prevalence, causes, and solutions. Partnership and community members (N=22) completed a 60-90 minute in-depth interview with a trained Science & Community team member. The interview guide consisted of 30 questions about pressing health problems in the community, potential solutions to …

Stroboscopic Training Enhances Anticipatory Timing, Trevor Q. Smith, Stephen R. Mitroff

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 5(4) : 344-353, 2012. The dynamic aspects of sports often place heavy demands on visual processing. As such, an important goal for sports training should be to enhance visual abilities. Recent research has suggested that training in a stroboscopic environment, where visual experiences alternate between visible and obscured, may provide a means of improving attentional and visual abilities. The current study explored whether stroboscopic training could impact anticipatory timing—the ability to predict where a moving stimulus will be at a specific point in time. Anticipatory timing is a critical skill for both sports and non-sports …

Physiologic Responses, Liking And Motivation For Playing The Same Video Game On An Active Versus A Traditional, Non-Active Gaming System., Gabriel J. Sanders, Antonia S. Santo, Corey A. Peacock, Kyle-Patrick Von Carlowitz, Megan L. Williamson, Jacob E. Barkley

International Journal of Exercise Science

Int J Exerc Sci 5(2) : 160-169, 2012. Evidence suggests that individuals playing certain video games on the Nintendo Wii® (Wii) exhibit increased energy expenditure versus traditional video games, although little research examines non-Wii Sports/Fit games. The purpose of this study is to assess physiologic responses, liking, and the relative reinforcing value (RRV) of a popular, non-Wii sports video game for the Wii relative to the same game played on a traditional, non-active system. Twenty-four college-aged students participated. Heart rate and oxygen consumption (O₂) was assessed during rest and when playing the following games: Madden NFL 2011® for …

Gender And Stress Related Effects On Cardiovascular Health Outcomes, Michael A. Cedeno, Jennifer Blevins-Mcnaughton

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Title[j1] : Gender and stress related effects on cardiovascular health outcomes

Authors: Michael Cedeño – Master’s, (Tarleton State University), Jennifer Blevins-McNaughton (Tarleton State University)

Background and Purpose: To date, only a few investigators have compared the effect that stress may have on health and metabolic outcomes in college age adults. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which gender may play a role in self-reported stress and cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes in college age students.

Methods: Thirty-eight (N = 38) adults ages 18 to 28 participated in …

Psychological Needs Mediate The Relationship Between Physical Exertion Barriers And Body Fat Percent In College-Aged Mexican-American Women, Vanessa M. Martinez, Jared Montoya, Cody Cox, Alexis Martinez, David Wittenburg

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

In the last several decades, there has been a wave of interest in the overweight/obese population in the United States. However, little research has focused on the association between exercise barriers and psychological needs in college-aged Mexican-American females. PURPOSE: To investigate the relationships between exercise barriers, psychological needs for exercise, and obesity among college-aged Mexican-American females. METHODS: Body fat measures were recorded on 91 female students (M = 22.8±5.1). The Exercise Benefits and Barriers Scale (EBBS) was used to determine perceived barriers. The EBBS examined Exercise Milieu (EM), Time Expenditure (TEB), Physical Exertion (PEB), and Family Discouragement (FDB) for perceived …

Physiological And Perceptual Responses To Nintendo® Wii Fit™ In Young And Older Adults, Nicole M. Mullins, Kathryn A. Tessmer, Michele L. Mccarroll, Brian P. Peppel

International Journal of Exercise Science

Physically active video gaming (AVG) provides a technologically-modern, convenient means of increasing physical activity (PA). This study examined cardiovascular, metabolic, and perceptual responses in young adult (AP) and older adult (OP) participants engaging in Wii Fitä AVG play, and compared PA levels during play to recommended PA levels. Heart rate (HR), percent heart rate reserve (%HRR), oxygen consumption (VO₂), energy expenditure (EE), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), enjoyment level (EL), and step count data were obtained from 10 YP and 10 OP during 15 minutes of rest and four 15-minute bouts of Wii Fitä activities (yoga, balance, aerobics, …

Experimentally Manipulated Somatic Information And Somatization Tendencies And Their Impact On Physical Symptom Reporting And Performance In A Physically Strenuous Task, Kathleen V. Casto, Len B. Lecci

International Journal of Exercise Science

This study attempts to determine whether the presentation of an experimentally manipulated somatic experience during a physically strenuous task can influence physical performance and symptom reporting. The study also compares the relative influence of experimentally manipulated somatic information (state somatization) with stable individual differences in the tendency to amplify physical symptoms (trait somatization) on performance and symptom reporting. 194 participants completed standardized measures of somatization tendencies, state anxiety, neuroticism and conscientiousness. Participants where then given a mock physical exam, with individuals randomly assigned to receive either favorable or unfavorable somatic information. All participants then had their body mass index assessed …