Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Mobile-Based Intervention For Obesity Prevention Among Female College Students In Saudi Arabia: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Abeer Hussain Alssafi

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

College students transitioning from adolescence into early adulthood may encounter new stresses, which may lead to unhealthy weight-related behaviors and weight gain. Students gain approximately 4-9 pounds during their first 2 years in college. Health behaviors in this population pose an increased risk because they tend to persist into adulthood. In Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia, student obesity is on the rise. About 24% of female college students were overweight or obese in Saudi Arabia in 2015. This dissertation describes the development of a mobile intervention program using Instagram and a self-tracking app to minimize the risk of overweight/obesity …

Exploring The Nutrition And Physical Activity Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behaviors Of Low-Income Parents Of Peruvian Preschool Children, Kathleen Mcinvale

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Obesity and related chronic diseases are emerging public health issues among children in Peru, where more than 13 percent of children five years and younger are overweight or obese. Although parents have been identified as one of the most important determinants of healthy weight in young children, there are no known studies that have explored the perceptions of Peruvian parents regarding obesity prevention. This study assessed the nutrition and physical activity knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of Peruvian parents, and sought to determine if there is a relationship between their knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. The cross-sectional survey study sampled 204 parents …

Investigating The Outcomes Of A Physical Activity Program Offered To Older Adults In South Florida And Understanding The Correlates Of Completion, Anamica Batra

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the well-known benefits of physical activity, in 2012, only 37.5% of older adults aged 60 years or older met recommended aerobic physical activity levels and 16.1% met muscle-strengthening guidelines. Effective exercise programs can help combat the problem of inactivity but 50% of those who start participating in an exercise program drop out within first few weeks, preventing them from gaining any health benefits.

Since fall 2008, the Healthy Aging Regional Collaborative of South Florida has offered EnhanceFitness (EF), an evidence-based physical activity program to older adults. This dissertation compared EF effectiveness at 4-, 8-, and 12-months and examined the …