Life Sciences Commons^™

Exploring Social Physique Anxiety, Ethnic Identity, And Gender Identity In Exercisers, Kelly M. Zwicker

WWU Graduate School Collection

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships and predictability of ethnic identity, race/ethnicity, and gender identity of social physique anxiety (SPA) in exercisers. Random stratified sampling of two popular exercise chains in the U.S. and snowball sampling resulted in 1,765 regular exerciser participants, including nine different races/ethnicities and eight gender identities. There was a small, negative correlation between SPA and total ethnic identity for the entire sample (r_s = -.063, p= .008). For White/European American exercisers, there was a small, negative correlation (r_s = -.093, p = .001), and for Black/African American …

Exploration Of Dancers' Post-Injury Psychological Experiences, MaríSa Kelly Rose Fernandez

WWU Graduate School Collection

Approximately 95% of dancers suffer from musculoskeletal pain, and rates of musculoskeletal injury in professional dancers range between 20% to 84% (Hincapié et al., 2008). In addition to the mechanical disturbances that injuries have on physical functioning, athletic injuries often trigger psychological and emotional distress (Anderson et al., 2004; Wiese-Bjornstal et al., 1998). Sport athletes have reported emotions including frustration, depression, fear, and anger post-injury, among other psychological responses (Johnston & Carroll, 1998; Macchi & Crossman, 1996; Tracey, 2003). Dancers, like sport athletes, face inherent risks for injury due to the artistry and physicality of dancing (Hincapié et al., 2008), …

Training Patterns Of Tactical Athletes, Emily Elliott

WWU Graduate School Collection

An online survey was administered to determine what physical fitness training tactical athletes are currently participating in and determine training patterns among the tactical athlete community. One hundred two participants from law enforcement (n = 35), firefighting (n = 11), and military (n =54) were all accepted for this study. The first portion of the survey determined the occupational requirements for physical fitness training. The second portion of the survey determined the frequency, type, and duration of participants’ training within the last six months. This study demonstrated a heavy focus on cardiorespiratory, muscular strength, and muscular endurance in tactical athletes. …

A Comparison Of The Actual And Recommended Diving Profiles Of Dominican Republic Diver Fishermen, Kasey Mallon Andrews

WWU Graduate School Collection

Decompression stops upon ascent of a dive help to decrease the likelihood of developing decompression sickness in divers. The purpose of this study was to compare the actual versus the recommended dive profiles of compressor fishermen in the Dominican Republic to explore the occupational risk associated with decompression sickness that these fishermen endure. For this study, 10 male diver fishermen from Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic self-reported their diving profiles including the dive depth, the time spent at that specific depth, the duration of ascent, and the surface interval between repeat dives, for each dive conducted in a single workday. The …

The Effect Of Emg Biofeedback Training On Muscle Activation In An Impingement Population, Eliot Mackay

WWU Graduate School Collection

Background: The shoulder is injury prone and subacromial impingement syndrome (SAIS) is one of the most diagnosed causes of pain in the region.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate muscle activity between healthy and SAIS shoulders on the same subject and to understand the effectiveness of EMG biofeedback (EBFB) on bilateral overhead movements.

Design: Ten participants (7 male), that tested positive for 2/3 SAIS clinical tests, volunteered for the study. Bilateral muscle activity was measured via electrodes on the Upper Trapezius (UT), Lower Trapezius (LT), Serratus Anterior (SA), and Lumbar Paraspinals (LP). Kinematic testing involved 3 continuous …

Long-Term Disability Following A Hamstring Injury, Savannah Mclain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: Injuries to the hamstring complex are one of the most commonly seen lower extremity injuries in athletic populations. It is currently unknown how psychological or sociological factors affect an athlete after the recovery process has ended and if these factors play a role in re-injury rates relating to the hamstring. It is also unknown if athlete confidence level changes while in a fatigued state after an athlete returns to play from a hamstring injury. METHODS: Twenty-six physically active adults with and without a previous hamstring injury were recruited for this study. Participants completed a Qualtrics survey that …

The Relationship Between Emotion Regulation And Health Status In Southeast Rural Firefighters, Catherine G. Gallagher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Firefighters are continuously interacting within high-stress and high physical demanding tasks. Minimal research investigates the influence of emotion regulation on health status among firefighters. PURPOSE: To determine the relationship between emotion regulation constructs and health status fitness metrics in a sample of career firefighters from southeast Georgia. METHODS: Forty-four career firefighters from southeast rural Georgia participated in a yearly fitness assessment. Body composition and fitness variables were collected. Emotion regulation was examined using the 36-item Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Survey. Inferential analysis including a Kruskal Wallis test was used to reveal differences between variables in health status (i.e., Perceived Health, …

Current Recommendations For Lower Body Aerobic Exercise In Chronic Unilateral Stroke - A Systematic Review, Jordan N. Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Chronic stroke patients (i.e., > six months since the onset of stroke) continue to experience persistent gait complications. Once formal physical therapy concludes, exercise professionals can implement exercise interventions designed to improve quality of life and reduce risk of secondary stroke. This systematic review aimed to evaluate whether lower-body aerobic exercise transferred to gait improvements in chronic unilateral stroke. Methods: An electronic search of the following databases were undertaken: MEDLINE, CINHAL, Ovid, and SPORTdiscus. Two independent reviewers selected articles using predetermined inclusion criteria: adults (i.e., >18 years old) who suffered from a chronic unilateral stroke. Additionally, all included studies were …

Qualitative Analysis Of The Career Transition Experiences Of Intercollegiate Athletes With High Athletic Identity: A Comparison Of Athletes With High Or Low Religiosity, Zachary Willis

WWU Graduate School Collection

There is some evidence that athletes with high athletic identity experience psychological difficulties with organizing their life following competitive athletic retirement (Erpič et al., 2004). The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand the transition experiences of intercollegiate athletes with above average athletic identity and to also compare transition experiences between athletes with high religious faith (HRF) and low religious faith (LRF). Participants included 72 former intercollegiate athletes (69.4% female; M_age = 22.6 years; 84.7% White), who completed online surveys of athletic identity and religious faith, as well as open-ended questions about athletic transition. Inductive thematic analysis …

The Comparison Of Treadmill And Overground Running With The Use Of Inertial Measurement Units (Imus), Griffin R. Moon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Treadmill running has historically been utilized in the laboratory to mimic outdoor running. Recent developments in portable technology, such as Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) allow researchers to assess runners in their natural environment. PURPOSE: The primary purpose of the study was to compare peak tibial acceleration, stance time, stride frequency, and rearfoot eversion velocity between treadmill and overground running (asphalt, track, and grass). The secondary purpose was to test the reliability of IMU-based estimations of maximum rearfoot eversion velocity during treadmill running. METHODS: Twenty subjects (Age: 22.1 ± 2.0 yrs, Mass: 70.8 ± 11.9 kg, Height: 174.5 ± 10.0 cm, …

Grit And Mindset - Unrelated To Performance In A Motor Learning Task, Jacob Smith

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Objective Research has shown grit and mindset can be improved, but no known research has investigated the effect of learning a new skill on grit and growth mindset. While grit and mindset seem to predict success in education and success, it is also not clear if initial grit or mindset have an effect on motor skill acquisition. The purposes of this research are to investigate if grit and growth mindset are predictors of learning a new skill and if learning a new skill leads to improvement in grit and growth mindset. Methods 14 students enrolled in a motor learning course …

Effects Of A Dual-Task Paradigm On Tandem Gait Performance, Courtney Angela Perry

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In concussion management, a variety of cognitive and motor control tests, like the tandem gait, have been used for assessing the presence of a concussion injury at the sideline and through recovery. More recently, research suggests that introducing a secondary cognitive retention task during tandem gait (i.e., dual task) may provide a better assessment of concussion. The purpose of this study was to determine if a tandem gait test paired with a 6-digit retention is a valid and reliable tool. Participants completed three trials of both the single-task (ST) and dual-task (DT) tandem gait tests, and their average (MEAN) and …