Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Social And Cultural Processes That Impact Physical Activity Among South Asian Americans Managing Hypertension: A Mixed Methods Study, Sugandha Gupta

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), the number one cause of death in the U.S., disproportionately affects South Asian Americans (SAAs). Physical activity is a modifiable health behavior that can reduce cardiovascular risk. Health behaviors, such as physical activity, occur within specific social and cultural contexts and are influenced by multiple factors at multiple levels of the social ecological model. This dissertation aimed to provide a rich, culturally-informed understanding of the factors at multiple levels – individual, interpersonal, and cultural –associated with physical activity among SAAs at risk for CVD. A sequential exploratory mixed methods approach was employed to examine social and cultural …

Exercise As A Prescription For Patients With Depressive Disorders: A Quality Improvement Project, Sydney Roscoe, Rachelle Pace

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Purpose: The aim of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to increase exercise counseling rates in the treatment of depression by (1) implementing a focused educational training program and (2) understanding factors that impacted utilization of the practice change.

Background: Approximately 280 million individuals suffer globally from depressive disorders. Depression remains the fourth leading cause of disabilities, significantly contributing toward the global burden of disease by increasing morbidity and mortality risk. Psychopharmacology and psychotherapy are current gold standards of treatment; however, providers often overlook the significant role exercise serves in reducing depressive symptoms and severity, as it remains underutilized. …

Time Of Day Preferences And Daily Temporal Consistency For Predicting The Sustained Use Of A Commercial Meditation App: Longitudinal Observational Study, Vincent Berardi, Ryan Fowers, Gavriella Rubin, Chad Stecher

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background: The intensive data typically collected by mobile health (mHealth) apps allows factors associated with persistent use to be investigated, which is an important objective given users’ well-known struggles with sustaining healthy behavior.

Objective: Data from a commercial meditation app (n=14,879; 899,071 total app uses) were analyzed to assess the validity of commonly given habit formation advice to meditate at the same time every day, preferably in the morning.

Methods: First, the change in probability of meditating in 4 nonoverlapping time windows (morning, midday, evening, and late night) on a given day over the first 180 days …

Association Of Physical Activity And Screen Time Usage Of Adolescents In Rural Areas Of Mysore., Aakash Pavan Kumar, Nayanabai Shabadi, Bikram Sinha Roy, Anchu R. Nath, Arun Gopi

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Introduction:

In these changing times there have been increased usage of screen device due to more accessibility to both device and the internet and a greater number of children are having reduced physical activity. The purpose of the current study was to determine if screen usage among adolescents (11-17yrs) who live in supportive environments is associated with decreased levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity.

Methods & materials:

A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted in two rural schools of Mysore, Karnataka in February 2023, in 176 students between the age group of 11 – 17yrs. Physical activity and screen …

A Lifestyle Management Coaching Intervention For Fear Of Cancer Recurrence In Young Breast Cancer Survivors, Lisa R. Murphy

DNP Research Projects

Abstract

Objective: A significant challenge facing young breast cancer (BC) survivors is learning how to manage fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) during survivorship. Limited tailored FCR interventions and age-appropriate support exist. This Doctor of Nursing (DNP) project, based upon best practice guidelines, aimed to evaluate how a Lifestyle Management Coaching Intervention (LMCI) could help young female BC survivors learn how to decrease and manage their FCR more effectively and experience improved health outcomes.

Method: Eligible participants were female BC survivors aged 18-59 with Stage I-III BC demonstrating elevated baseline FCR screening scores during the extended survival period recruited from the …

Effects Of Peer-Supported And Self-Guided Exercise On Self-Reported Anxiety And Depression Among Young Adults - A Pilot Study, Xihe Zhu, Michael D. Kostick, Justin A. Haegele

Human Movement Sciences & Special Education Faculty Publications

Mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression became heightened issues for college-aged young adults during the global pandemic. The main purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a peer-supported exercise intervention on young adults (vs. self-guided exercise) who reported elevated levels of anxiety and/or depression. A parallel group design was used where young adults (n = 27) were randomly assigned to either a peer-supported or self-guided exercise group which lasted for eight weeks. The generalized anxiety and depression subscales of the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS-34) were measured for a baseline and then at …

Mental Health Benefits Of Physical Activity In Older Adults, Adrian Kurt Zitzmann

Master of Science in Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner

Physical activity is the fountain of youth, strengthening both the physical body as well as the mind, leading to better emotional stability and a general sense of well-being. The population over age 65 is nearing retirement age and are transitioning from a high paced work and family life to a slower and less active “empty nest” lifestyle. Among adults over age 65, will implementing an exercise program for 30 minutes per day increase mental well-being? The benefits of physical activity will be supported by gathering a group of older adults ages 65 and up from a local retirement community to …

The Clusters Of Health-Risk Behaviours And Mental Wellbeing And Their Sociodemographic Correlates: A Study Of 15,366 Asean University Students, Apichai Wattanapisit, Hanif Abdul Raman, Josip Car, Khadizah H. Abdul-Mumin, Ma. Henrietta Teresa O. De La Cruz, Michael Chia, Michael Rosenberg, Moon-Ho Ringo Ho, Surasak Chaiyasong, Trias Mahmudiono

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

Background

This study investigated, through cluster analysis, the associations between behavioural characteristics, mental wellbeing, demographic characteristics, and health among university students in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) University Network – Health Promotion Network (AUN-HPN) member universities.

Methods

Data were retrieved from a cross-sectional self-administered online survey among undergraduate students in seven ASEAN countries. A two-step cluster analysis was employed, with cluster labels based on the predominant characteristics identified within the clusters. The ‘healthy’ cluster was assigned as the reference group for comparisons using multinomial logistic regression analysis.

Results

The analytic sample size comprised 15,366 university students. Five clusters …

Body Composition And Psychophysical Well-Being Of Women Practicing Yoga, Aneta Omelan, Justyna Wiśniewska, Robert Podstawski

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Introduction: This study characterized yoga as a form of free-time physical activity by analyzing and evaluating the body composition of women who regularly practice yoga, and by describing the effect of yoga on their psychophysical health. Material and Methods: The study involved 94 women: 56 yoga practitioners and 38 Zumba participants. The subjects were surveyed with a questionnaire to elicit information about their socioeconomic status. Body composition was determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Differences were assessed with two-tailed chi-square tests and Student’s t-tests. Results: The vast majority of the participants (89%) felt a positive influence of yoga on their mental …

Reasoned Action Approach To Analyze Differences In Athletes' Physical Activity During Covid-19, Olivia Branson, Karly S. Geller, Paul Branscum

Health Behavior Research

The purpose of this study was to examine the reasoned action approach (RAA) in relation to the impact of COVID-19 on college athletes’ physical activity (PA). Participants were college athletes (ages 18-22 years) who were involved in university, club, and/or intramural sport. The RAA constructs were measured for the three different types of PA behaviors. Statistical analyses included ANOVA and multiple regression analyses to evaluate the RAA determinants of PA intentions. Results partially supported theoretical expectations. All RAA constructs had an impact on perceived norms indicating a dominant influence. Remote social interaction/training during isolation periods are suggested to promote sustained …

The Effects Of Exercise And Nursing Care On Postpartum Depression, Greyson Whaley

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Abstract

Introduction and Background: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020), “postpartum depression is depression that occurs after having a baby which is more intense and lasts longer than those of “baby blues,” a term used to describe the worry, sadness, and tiredness many women experience after having a baby.” It also states, “1 in 8 women report symptoms of depression after giving birth, about 1 in 5 (20%) women were not asked about depression during a prenatal visit, and over half (50%) of pregnant women with depression were not treated.”

Purpose Statement: The purpose of this …

A Preliminary Investigation On Patterns Of Physical Activity In Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy And Immunotherapy In Relation To Quality Of Life And Depression Rates, Pranav Seshadri

Holster Scholar Projects

Abstract of project: Introduction: Patients undergoing chemotherapy or immunotherapy for cancer tend to remain sedentary following diagnosis. They also suffer from low quality of life (QoL) and increased rates of depression/depressive symptomology. Recent studies indicate that physical activity (PA) may improve QoL and reduce depression rates. The exact patterns of PA in this subject population are unknown. This study investigates patterns of PA in cancer patients receiving treatment to understand how level of PA and types of PA relate to QoL and depressive symptomology. Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted between June and July 2022 at the UConn Health …

Physical Activity As A Predictor Of Obesity In Autistic Children, Cody A. Mullins

MSU Graduate Theses

Research has found autistic children to be 40% more likely to be obese compared to their non-autistic peers. Reduced physical activity (PA) is thought to be a contributing factor to the increased prevalence of obesity in autistic children. This was one of the first studies to investigate the PA behaviors of autistic children during an adapted physical education (APE) class using accelerometry. The purpose of this study was to examine the PA of autistic children and determine the relationship between PA and obesity. Participants were recruited from a school for students with disabilities who participate in a once-weekly APE class …

Sleep Self-Efficacy, Loneliness, And Physical Activity: Assessing The Pathways Between Sleep Quality And Mental Health Using Structural Equation Modeling, Amber M. Fox

Theses and Dissertations

Although there is robust empirical support that poor sleep contributes to declines in mental health, explanations of this relationship remain unclear. The purpose of the present study was to examine the pattern of associations between sleep quality, sleep self-efficacy, loneliness, physical activity, and mental health among U.S. adults across the lifespan, and whether they differed by gender or age group. A structural equation model with invariance analysis was developed and examined data from 2,300 adults (M_age = 44.1, SD = 16.78) participating in the online study Investigating Sleep Longitudinally Across Normal Development (ISLAND). Sleep quality was measured by …

Adolescent Girls Physical Activity Engagement And Body Image Development, Vanessa Coulbeck

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

This summer I looked more into adolescent girls’ physical activity engagement and its’ relationship to weight-based teasing. This topic intrigued me because from my own sport experiences, I saw first-hand how compared to boys, adolescent girls dis-engage from sport and exercise at a disproportionately higher rate and are at higher risk for body shame and self-objectification. This gender inequity in sport and physical activity is first observed in adolescence and tracks well into adulthood. The purpose of this summer's research activities examined how self-compassion and weight-related teasing relate to self-conscious emotions and sport and physical activity participation.

Stair Versus Elevator Use In A University Residence Hall Setting, Vincent Berardi, Benjamin D. Rosenberg, Sophie Srivastava, Noah Estrada-Rand, Julia Frederick

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective

Determine the temporal and spatial characteristics of stairs versus elevator use in a university residence hall to inform future physical activity promotion efforts.

Participants

All residents and visitors for a single, four-story residence hall dormitory building located on a college campus in Orange, CA.

Methods

Smart mat systems capable of detecting pedestrian traffic were placed in front of the stairs and elevators on each floor plus a basement. Generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) were used to compare stair versus elevator usage at different times of the day and on different floors.

Results

Stair versus elevator use varied much more …

Examining Physical Activity Behaviors And Psychometric Beliefs Of College Students Before And After The Covid-19 Shutdown, James White Iii

Graduate Theses

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine PA behaviors, social support and self-efficacy for PA, Rosenberg self-esteem, and perceptions of body weight before and after the COVID-19 shutdown (March 15, 2020) among the college demographic.

Participants: 311 college students from a four-year, comprehensive, southeastern university in the United States were included in the study from December 1, 2020 until March 5, 2021.

Methods: Surveys were conducted via Qualtrics, an online survey system, and consisted of approximately 40 items, including demographic information, PA behaviors, social support and exercise, self-esteem, self-efficacy to exercise, and perceptions of body weight and self-image. …

Obstetric Patients And Healthcare Providers Perspectives To Inform Mobile App Design For Physical Activity And Weight Control During Pregnancy And Postpartum In A Rural Setting, Rachel Tinius, Cathryn Duchette, Sia Beasley, Maire Blankenship, Nancy Schoenberg

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Background: Mobile health technology offers the opportunity for women to engage with physical activity promotion programs without many of the barriers commonly associated with exercise during and after pregnancy (eg, childcare concerns, rigid schedules, fear of doing harm to fetus or self, access to fitness facilities, uncomfortable with body in front of others) which may be particularly useful in under-resourced rural environments. We conducted the first known study on perspectives of pregnant women, postpartum women, and obstetric healthcare providers in a rural setting on needs related to the development of a mobile app designed to increase physical activity during pregnancy …

Development Of A Mind Body Program For Obese Knee Osteoarthritis Patients With Comorbid Depression, Cale A. Jacobs, Ryan A. Mace, Jonathan Greenberg, Paula J. Popok, Mira Reichman, Christian Lattermann, Jessica L. Burris, Eric A. Macklin, Ana-Maria Vranceanu

Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Faculty Publications

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder in the U.S. and a leading cause of disability. Depression and obesity are highly comorbid among knee OA patients, and the combination of obesity and depression is associated with decreased physical activity, higher pain and disability, and more rapid cartilage degradation. Depression, obesity and OA exacerbate one another and share a common pathophysiology involving systemic inflammation and pro-inflammatory cytokines, reflecting a complex mind-body interaction. Current treatments for knee OA offer little to no benefit over placebo, and do not emphasize mind-body practices or physical activity to target the underlying pathophysiology. Mind-body …

The Effect Of Physical Activity On The Mental Health Of Pre-Nursing Students And Undergraduate Student Nurses, Larinda J. Fandrich

DNP Research Projects

Abstract

Mental health concerns are on the rise among the college-aged student. College students face a great deal of stress, which can lead to depression and anxiety. Nursing students, as a sub-group of college students, are under even greater stress related to rigorous course work and the responsibility of caring for other people, which can lead to greater depression and anxiety. This study aimed to determine what effect, if any, physical activity has on depression and anxiety scores using the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 instruments in pre-nursing and nursing students. In this study, physical activity is defined as is “any bodily …

When Pandemic Hits: Exercise Frequency And Subjective Well-Being During Covid-19 Pandemic, Ralf Brand, Sinika Timme, Sanaz Nosrat

Publications and Research

The governmental lockdowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic have forced people to change their behavior in many ways including changes in exercise. We used the brief window of global lockdown in the months of March/April/May 2020 as an opportunity to investigate the effects of externally imposed restrictions on exercise-related routines and related changes in subjective well-being. Statistical analyses are based on data from 13,696 respondents in 18 countries using a cross-sectional online survey. A mixed effects modeling approach was used to analyze data. We tested whether exercise frequency before and during the pandemic would influence mood during the pandemic. Additionally, …

Sense Of Purpose In Life And Five Health Behaviors In Older Adults, Eric S. Kim, Koichiro Shiba, Julia K. Boehm, Laura D. Kubzansky

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Accumulating evidence shows that a higher sense of purpose in life is associated with lower risk of chronic conditions and premature mortality. Health behaviors might partially explain these findings, however, the prospective association between sense of purpose and health behaviors is understudied. We tested whether a higher sense of purpose at baseline was associated with lower likelihood of developing unhealthy behaviors over time. Prospective data were from the Health and Retirement Study, a national sample of U.S. older adults. Our sample included 13,770 adults assessed up to five times across eight years. Among people who met recommended guidelines for a …

An Intervention With Dance And Yoga For Girls With Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders (Just In Time): Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial, Anna Philipson, Stefan Särnblad, Lars Ekstav, Mats Eriksson, Ulrika L. Fagerberg, Margareta Möller, Evalotte Mörelius, Anna Duberg

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

©Anna Philipson, Stefan Särnblad, Lars Ekstav, Mats Eriksson, Ulrika L Fagerberg, Margareta Möller, Evalotte Mörelius, Anna Duberg. Background: Functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPDs) affect many children worldwide, predominantly girls, and cause considerable long-term negative consequences for individuals and society. Evidence-based and cost-effective treatments are therefore strongly needed. Physical activity has shown promising effects in the practical management of FAPDs. Dance and yoga are both popular activities that have been shown to provide significant psychological and pain-related benefits with minimal risk. The activities complement each other, in that dance involves dynamic, rhythmic physical activity, while yoga enhances relaxation and focus. Objective: …

Factors Of Physical Activity In Youth, Joshua Held

Capstone Showcase

JOSHUA HELD

Factors of Physical Activity (PA) Levels in Youth

PA levels in youth can help to predict PA levels in adults, improve cognitive function in youth, and is associated with improved health-quality of life, blood pressure, and even mental health in adults. Thus, it is imperative to understand the various factors associated with motivating and hindering PA levels in youth and how these factors can translate into the PA habits of their adult lifestyles. The factors analyzed in this study are socio-economic status, adult influence, social influence, sedentary lifestyle, and physical/mental health. These factors overlap and differ in their …

Inducing Incentive Sensitization Of Exercise Reinforcement Among Adults Who Do Not Regularly Exercise—A Randomized Controlled Trial, Kyle D. Flack, Kelsey Elise Ufholz, Luann Johnson, James N. Roemmich

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

Background

Increasing exercise reinforcement, or decreasing sedentary reinforcement, may reduce sedentary activity and promote habitual exercise. Repeated exposures to a reinforcer may increase its reinforcing value (i.e., incentive sensitization). It is not yet known whether incentive sensitization occurs for exercise or factors associated with incentive sensitization for exercise reinforcement. The purpose was to determine whether exercise exposures increase exercise reinforcement relative to a sedentary alternative and whether this sensitization of exercise reinforcement would alter physical or sedentary behavior. This work also determined whether exercise dose, intensity, and preference and tolerance for exercise intensity were associated with incentive sensitization of exercise. …

Rationale, Design, And Baseline Characteristics Of Walkit Arizona: A Factorial Randomized Trial Testing Adaptive Goals And Financial Reinforcement To Increase Walking Across Higher And Lower Walkable Neighborhoods, Marc A. Adams, Jane Hurley, Christine Phillips, Michael Todd, Siddhartha Angadi, Vincent Berardi, Melbourne F. Hovell, Steven Hooker

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Little change over the decades has been seen in adults meeting moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) guidelines. Numerous individual-level interventions to increase MVPA have been designed, mostly static interventions without consideration for neighborhood context. Recent technologies make adaptive interventions for MVPA feasible. Unlike static interventions, adaptive intervention components (e.g., goal setting) adjust frequently to an individual's performance. Such technologies also allow for more precise delivery of “smaller, sooner incentives” that may result in greater MVPA than “larger, later incentives”. Combined, these factors could enhance MVPA adoption. Additionally, a central tenet of ecological models is that MVPA is sensitive to neighborhood environment …

Delay Discount Rate Moderates A Physical Activity Intervention Testing Immediate Rewards, Christine B. Phillips, Jane C. Hurley, Siddhartha S. Angadi, Michael Todd, Vincent Berardi, Melbourne Hovell, Marc A. Adams

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Financial incentives can increase physical activity (PA), but differences in the immediacy of reward delivery and individual differences in delay discount rates (i.e., higher discount values associated with less tolerance for delayed rewards) may explain differential responding. The current study tested whether delay discount rate moderated the relative effectiveness of immediate financial rewards on increasing daily PA. Inactive, overweight adults (ages 18–60, N = 96) were randomized to receive either smaller, immediate goal-contingent rewards or larger, delayed rewards for participation. Delay discount rates were derived for those who completed the Monetary Choice Questionnaire (N = 85). Linear mixed models tested …

Prompts To Increase Physical Activity At Points-Of-Choice Between Stairs And Escalators: What About Escalator Climbers?, John Belletierre, Ben Nguyen, Sandy Liles, Vincent Berardi, Marc A. Adams, Paddy Dempsey, Yael Benporat, Jacqueline Kerr, Andrea Z. Lacroix, Melbourne Hovell

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Since 1980, many studies have evaluated whether stair-use prompts increased physical activity by quantifying changes in stair use. To more completely evaluate changes in physical activity, this study addressed the often-overlooked assessment of climbing up escalators by evaluating the degree to which stair-use sign prompts increased active ascent—defined as stair use or escalator climbing. Over 5 months, at an airport stairs/escalator point of choice, we video-recorded passersby (N = 13,544) who ascended either stairs or escalators, on 10 days with signs and 10 days without signs. Ascenders using the stairs, standing on the escalator, and climbing the escalator were …

Aerobic Exercise Exposure Targeting Anxiety Sensitivity: Effects On Associated Health Behaviors In Young Adults, Autumn Lanoye

Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is associated with health behaviors such as low rates of physical activity, overeating, alcohol use, and poor sleep; however, interventions targeting AS via exercise-based interoceptive exposure have not assessed these as outcomes. In addition, previous studies are limited by brief follow-up periods. This study aimed to replicate previous aerobic exercise interoceptive exposures with an extended (6-week) follow-up and measurement of health behaviors.

Participants were 44 sedentary young adults with elevated AS randomized to intervention (6 20-minute sessions of moderate-intensity treadmill walking) or assessment-only control. Assessments took place at baseline, week 2 (post-treatment), week 4, and week 8 …

Weight-Loss Treatment-Induced Physical Activity Associated With Improved Nutrition Through Changes In Social Cognitive Theory Variables In Women With Obesity, James J. Annesi, Nicole Mareno

Health Behavior Research

Behavioral weight-loss treatments have typically been unsuccessful and a theoretical. Even when treatments were scientifically derived, theory has rarely been used to decompose, and understand the bases of, their effects. This 2-year study evaluated mediation of the prediction of nutritional changes by changes in physical activity, through social cognitive theory variables. Data from women with Class 1–2 obesity, classified as “insufficiently active” (N = 50; Mage = 47.6 years), were extracted from 2 initial trials of a new cognitive-behavioral intervention. That treatment sought to improve self-regulation, mood, and self-efficacy through increased physical activity, to then induce improved eating …