Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Walking Is Worthy: Walking For Hypertension, Ashleigh Y. Peterson

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Elevated blood pressure (BP), or hypertension (HTN), can cause a cascade of detrimental effects to the body. It is associated with increased risk of stroke, angina, myocardial infarction, heart failure, peripheral artery disease, end-stage renal disease, and abdominal aortic aneurysms (Whelton et al., 2018). HTN is also a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the United States’ (U.S.) leading cause of death in men and women (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force [USPSTF], 2020). The PICOT question for this project was: does an eight-week (T) structured walking program utilizing a smartwatch for step counts and …

Infrastructure And Policies Supporting Physical Activity Habits: A Comparison Between The United States And Europe, Anisha Laddha

Honors College Theses

Most adults in the United States are not getting enough physical activity, and this is causing high rates of adverse health conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease in the population. The rising costs of cardiovascular disease are a national problem that must be tackled from multiple perspectives. This literature review explores policies and infrastructure implemented in European countries with better health outcomes and higher physical activity levels in the population compared to the United States. The infrastructure in places such as Germany and Denmark is constructed to encourage physical activity in the form of active transportation such as walking …

Walking With Poles Improves Step Length Of Simulated Prosthetic Gait, Marissa Elquist, Daniel Perez, Jonathan Garcia, Brady Owens

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Individuals with lower limb loss often demonstrate gait deviations which cause instability and asymmetry. Walking with poles has been shown to improve stride length and stability in older adult and other patient populations. The enhanced arm involvement in bipedal walking with poles has the potential to facilitate interlimb coordination among arms and legs, and therefore is likely to improve prosthetic gait. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of walking poles on temporal gait parameters and the center of mass (COM) displacement during prosthetic and simulated prosthetic gait. It was hypothesized that walking with poles would improve …

Accuracy Of “S Health” Pedometer Application During Walking And Stair Climbing, Mateja Šinkovec, Darja Rugelj

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: The S Health application provides an estimate of the amount of physical activity by measuring the number of steps during activities. The purpose was to assess the accuracy of step-counting with different smartphones using the S Health step counting application at long and short walking distances, and stair climbing. Material and methods: 26 participants (aged 28.85 ± 4.85 years) conducted three tests: 20-step test, 60-step stair test, and 6-minute walk test. Three smartphones models of the latest generation and two models of an earlier one were assessed. The StepWatch pedometer was used as a criterion. Results: Only one phone …

Effects Of Walking Training Performed Using Continuous And Interval Methods On Weight Loss As Effective Strategies Among Postpartum Women, Mohammed Zerf

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: ‪Walking is a fundamental and affordable physical activity that improves entire body and helps women lose weight. However, some studies suggest that walking alone has little or no effect on improving or maintaining body mass and fat mass at the hip and spine. The objective of this study is to estimate the effect of walking intensity (interval training vs. traditional cardio) on weight loss after childbirth. Material and methods: ‪A total of 39 postpartum women [19 experimental subjects (ES) and 20 controls (CS)] participated in this study. Their homogenates were calculated based on their average age of 25 ±2.54 …

Do People With Low Back Pain Walk Differently? A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Jo Armour Smith, Heidi Stabbert, Jennifer J. Bagwell, Hsiang-Ling Teng, Vernie Wade, Szu-Ping Lee

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

The biomechanics of the trunk and lower limbs during walking and running gait are frequently assessed in individuals with low back pain (LBP). Despite substantial research, it is still unclear whether consistent and generalizable changes in walking or running gait occur in association with LBP. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify whether there are differences in biomechanics during walking and running gait in individuals with acute and persistent LBP compared with back-healthy controls.

Methods

A search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and PsycINFO in June 2019 and was repeated in December 2020. Studies were included …

Use Of Real-Time Cadence To Prescribe Aerobic Physical Activity Intensity And Its Comparison With Existing Methods, Heontae Kim, Wei Sun, Mary Malaska, Bridget Miller, Ho Han

Faculty and Student Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of physical activity intensity prescription using real-time cadence on achieving the required intensities for health benefits. Forty adults (18–65 years) participated in the study. The intensity prescriptions included Rating of Perceived Exertion, Talk Test, Heart Rate, and Real-Time Cadence. The participants performed a2-min trial for both moderate- and vigorous-intensity according to each prescription. Atri-axial accelerometer was used as acriterion measure. After completion of the trials, participant’s preference for the prescriptions was assessed by three domains (e.g., understanding, performing, maintaining). The compliance and achievement rates of RC were calculated and compared …

Walking Improvement In Chronic Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury With Exoskeleton Robotic Training (Wise): A Randomized Controlled Trial, Dylan J. Edwards, Gail Forrest, Mar Cortes, Margaret M. Weightman, Cristina Sadowsky, Shuo-Hsiu Chang, Kimberly Furman, Amy Bialek, Sara Prokup, John Carlow, Leslie Vanhiel, Laura Kemp, Darrell Musick, Marc Campo, Arun Jayaraman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Study design:

Clinical trial.

Objective:

To demonstrate that a 12-week exoskeleton-based robotic gait training regimen can lead to a clinically meaningful improvement in independent gait speed, in community-dwelling participants with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI).

Setting:

Outpatient rehabilitation or research institute.

Methods:

Multi-site (United States), randomized, controlled trial, comparing exoskeleton gait training (12 weeks, 36 sessions) with standard gait training or no gait training (2:2:1 randomization) in chronic iSCI ( > 1 year post injury, AIS-C, and D), with residual stepping ability. The primary outcome measure was change in robot-independent gait speed (10-meter walk test, 10MWT) post 12-week intervention. Secondary …

The Effect Of Specific Locomotor Experiences On Infants’ Avoidance Behaviour On Real And Water Cliffs, Carolina Burnay, Rita Cordovil, Chris Button, James L. Croft, Matthew Schofield, Joana Pereira, David I. Anderson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Infants’ avoidance of drop-offs has been described as an affordance learning that is not transferable between different locomotor postures. In addition, there is evidence that infants perceive and act similarly around real and water cliffs. This cross-sectional study investigated the effects of specific locomotor experiences on infants’ avoidance behaviour using the Real Cliff/Water Cliff paradigm. The experiments included 102 infants, 58 crawling, but pre-walking, infants (Mage = 11.57 months, SD = 1.65) with crawling experience ranging between 0.03 and 7.4 months (M = 2.16, SD = 1.71) and 44 walking infants (Mage = …

White Matter Plasticity In Healthy Older Adults: The Effects Of Aerobic Exercise, Andrea Mendez Colmenares, Michelle W Voss, Jason Fanning, Elizabeth A Salerno, Neha P Gothe, Michael L Thomas, Edward Mcauley, Arthur F Kramer, Agnieszka Z Burzynska

2020-Current year OA Pubs

White matter deterioration is associated with cognitive impairment in healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease. It is critical to identify interventions that can slow down white matter deterioration. So far, clinical trials have failed to demonstrate the benefits of aerobic exercise on the adult white matter using diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Here, we report the effects of a 6-month aerobic walking and dance interventions (clinical trial NCT01472744) on white matter integrity in healthy older adults (n = 180, 60-79 years) measured by changes in the ratio of calibrated T1- to T2-weighted images (T1w/T2w). Specifically, the aerobic walking and social dance interventions …

The Effect Of First-Time 4-Wheeled Walker Use On The Gait Of Younger And Older Adults, Humberto A. Omana, Edward Madou, Alison Divine, Walter Wittich, Keith D. Hill, Andrew M. Johnson, Jeffrey D. Holmes, Susan W. Hunter

Physical Therapy Publications

INTRODUCTION: The 4-wheeled walker is intended to enhance balance and gait for older adults. Yet, some research suggests that walking aids increase falls risk. An understanding of the influence of age with walker use on gait performance is required.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of initial 4-wheeled walker use on spatiotemporal gait parameters between younger and older adults.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional, repeated-measures.

SETTING: Community-dwelling.

PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-five younger (age: 26.5 ± 4.1 years) and 24 older (age: 68.5 ± 10.5 years) adults participated. Younger adults were aged 18 to 35 years, whereas older adults were 50 years or older. Included were people …

Exercise As Self-Care To Combat Nurse Burnout, Jessica Petefish

Theses and Graduate Projects

The demands on nurses continue to grow, inducing stress and other symptoms of burnout. Nurse burnout can cause short and long term physiological and psychological symptoms. Nurse burnout not only affects nurses but has implications for patients and hospitals as well. Exercise has been proven to have many health benefits and the ability to alleviate symptoms of burnout. Nurses on a hematology/oncology unit cited burnout as their reason for leaving the unit. This project proposes a walking program as a self-care method to reduce symptoms of nurse burnout. Utilizing Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring and her idea of self-care …

Effects Of Bimodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation On Modulation Of Spinal Circuitry In People With Chronic Post-Stroke Hemiparesis, John Patrick Gan, Rafael Cabrera, Lana Laudermilch, Benjamin Wolkenhauer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: Stroke can lead to gait abnormalities such as foot drop. Foot drop can result from decreased corticospinal tract input to the ankle dorsiflexors and/or from exaggerated stretch reflexes on the soleus due to reduced reciprocal inhibition from spinal reflex pathways. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) attempts to modulate corticospinal tract input and spinal reflex pathways by delivering electrical signals to parts of the brain. The degree of neuromodulation from tDCS can be measured through the Hoffman Reflex (H-reflex)—a tool used to estimate alpha motor neuron excitability which is increased in individuals post-stroke. Purpose: The primary purpose of this study …

Effects Of Altered Somatosensory Input On Lower Limb Mechanics Via Different Shoes And Barefoot Walking In Individuals With Chronic Post-Stroke Hemiparesis, Aaron Abraham Simon, Jynelle Marie Guerrero Arches, Megan Leigh Keohane, Wee Jin Jed Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

[Purpose/Hypothesis] Stroke is a leading cause of disability that results in various neurological deficits. Stroke can cause impaired somatosensory input, which results in decreased balance and gait speed, ultimately increasing fall risks. Therapies to increase somatosensory input have shown promise for people with stroke as well as other neurological populations. However, few studies have systematically investigated varying somatosensory input via different footwear to improve walking in people post-stroke. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of altering somatosensory input via different types of footwear (i.e., barefoot, self-selected shoes, and memory foam shoes) on gait kinetics and ankle …

Neurophysiological Assessments Of Brain And Spinal Cord Associated With Lower Limb Functions In Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Protocol For Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Leonard Ubalde, Jing Nong Liang

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Background: Task-dependent neurophysiological adaptations in people with cerebral palsy have been examined using various techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, peripheral nerve stimulation in order to assess H-reflexes, and transcranial magnetic stimulation. This activity-dependent plasticity is hypothesized to improve specific gross motor function in individuals with cerebral palsy. Although these adaptations have been examined extensively, most studies examined tasks utilizing the upper limbs. The aim of this review is to assess the neurophysiological adaptations of the central nervous system in individuals with cerebral palsy during lower limb functional tasks. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted to …

Perspectives Of Individuals With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury Following Novel Balance Training Involving Functional Electrical Stimulation With Visual Feedback: A Qualitative Exploratory Study, David J Houston, Janelle Unger, Jae W Lee, Kei Masani, Kristin E Musselman

Physical Therapy Publications

BACKGROUND: Individuals with an incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI) are highly susceptible to falls during periods of walking or standing. We recently reported the findings of a novel intervention combining functional electrical stimulation with visual feedback balance training (FES + VFBT) on standing balance abilities among five individuals with motor iSCI. However, the previous publication did not report the perceived impact of the intervention on the participants' lives. In this report, the experiences of these five individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI) who had recently completed the four-week balance training program are described.

METHODS: Five individuals with a motor …

Effects Of Customized Foot Orthoses On Lower Limbs Kinematics In Adults With Highly Pronated Foot, Pimwadee Permsombat, Praneet Pensri

Chulalongkorn Medical Journal

Background: Previous studies have assumed that pronated foot may cause mechanical deviations of the lower limbs. Foot orthoses have been used for management to elevate the arch of the foot and alter the kinematic variables during walking. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine changes in lower limb kinematic variables during the subphases of the gait stance of individuals with highly pronated foot after wearing customized foot orthoses (CFO). Methods: Thirteen adults (five women and eight men, average age 23.3  3.0 years) with asymptomatic highly pronated foot were included in the study. Participants with Foot Posture Index …

Evaluating Intrinsic Fall Risk Factors After Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury: Distinguishing Fallers From Nonfallers., Kristin E Musselman, Tarun Arora, Katherine Chan, Mohammad Alavinia, Mackenzie Bone, Janelle Unger, Joel Lanovaz, Alison Oates

Physical Therapy Publications

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether performance on measures of lower extremity muscle strength, sensory function, postural control, gait speed, and balance self-efficacy could distinguish fallers from nonfallers among ambulatory individuals with spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D).

DESIGN: Prospective cohort study.

SETTING: Community.

PARTICIPANTS: Individuals (N=26; 6 female, aged 58.9±18.2y) with motor incomplete SCI/D (American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale rating C [n=5] or D [n=21]) participated. Participants were 7.5±9.1 years post injury. Seventeen participants experienced traumatic causes of spinal cord injury.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants completed laboratory-based and clinical measures of postural control, gait speed, balance self-efficacy, and lower extremity …

Development And Feasibility Of A Mobile Phone Application Designed To Support Physically Inactive Employees To Increase Walking, Joanna C. Nicholas, Nikos Ntoumanis, Brendan J. Smith, Eleanor Quested, Emmanuel Stamatakis, Cecilie Thøgersen-Ntoumani

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2021, The Author(s). Background: Physical inactivity is a global health concern. mHealth interventions have become increasingly popular, but to date, principles of effective communication from Self-Determination Theory have not been integrated with behavior change techniques to optimize app effectiveness. We outline the development of the START app, an app combining SDT principles and 17 purposefully chosen BCTs to support inactive office employees to increase their walking during a 16-week randomized controlled trial. We also explored acceptability, engagement with, associations between app usage and behavioral engagement, and perceived impact of the app in supporting behavior change. Methods: Following development, fifty …

Actual And Perceived Balance Abilities While Performing Tasks That Challenge Balance In Older Adults And Individuals With Parkinson's Disease., Jutaluk Kongsuk

All ETDs from UAB

Walking is a fundamental activity for one to interact effectively with one’s environment. Walking in the community often requires both a wide range and constant modification of walking speed. Decreased walking capacity, that is the maximum speed that a person can physically achieve, results in a decline in both functional mobility and personal independence, contributing to decreased community participation among individuals whose walking is impaired. The most common test of walking speed (i.e., overground comfortable and maximum walking speed) may not reflect the full capacity of individuals to regulate gait control. Whereas walking with progressively increasing treadmill speeds allows researchers …

Frequently Asked Questions By Patients About Exercise, Julie Evans

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

A significant portion of patient visits at Milton Family Practice are related to one or multiple aspects of metabolic syndrome. Exercise is a common topic during these visits either brought up by patients or providers. This project focused on creating a handout for patient education with answers to commonly asked questions pertaining to exercise and resources in the community.

Walking Towards A Healthier Future: A Pocket Guide To Walking Routes In Colchester And The Health Benefits Of Walking, Kevin Dibona

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

The obesity epidemic is a complex problem necessitating a multifaceted long-term response. While there is no single solution to this decade-evolving issue, exercise remains one of the most important health interventions available. This project aims to serve as a resource for patients seeking to lose weight; outlining some of the walking routes local to Colchester Vermont, as well as the health benefits of a sustained exercise plan.

Validity Parameters For Step Counting Wearable Technologies During Treadmill Walking In Young People 6-20 Years Of Age, Zachary Gould

Masters Theses

Introduction: Wearable technologies play an important contemporary role in the measurement of physical activity (PA) and promotion of human health across the lifespan, including for young people (i.e., children, adolescents, and young adults). As new objective wearable technologies continue to develop, standardized approaches to documenting validation parameters (i.e., measures of accuracy, precision, and bias) are needed to ensure confidence and comparability in step-defined PA. Purpose: To produce validity parameters for step counting wearable technologies during treadmill walking in young people 6-20 years of age Methods: 120 participants completed 5-minute treadmill bouts from13.4 to 134.1 m·min^-1. Participants wore eight …

Effects Of Goal Type And Reinforcement Type On Self-Reported Domain-Specific Walking Among Inactive Adults: 2×2 Factorial Randomized Controlled Trial, Mindy L. Mcentee, Alison Cantley, Emily Foreman, Vincent Berardi, Christine B. Phillips, Jane C. Hurley, Melbourne F. Hovell, Steven Hooker, Marc A. Adams

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background: WalkIT Arizona was a 2×2 factorial trial examining the effects of goal type (adaptive versus static) and reinforcement type (immediate versus delayed) to increase moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among insufficiently active adults. The 12-month intervention combined mobile health (mHealth) technology with behavioral strategies to test scalable population-health approaches to increasing MVPA. Self-reported physical activity provided domain-specific information to help contextualize the intervention effects.

Objective: The aim of this study was to report on the secondary outcomes of self-reported walking for transportation and leisure over the course of the 12-month WalkIT intervention.

Methods: A total of …

Feasibility Of Twice A Week In-Clinic Treadmill Intervention In Infants With Down Syndrome, Taylor Clark Spt, Nicole Craig Spt, Katie Westin Spt, Laura Zuniga-Morales Spt, Julia Looper Pt, Phd

Physical Therapy Research Symposium

Background: Children with Down syndrome (DS) on average take independent steps at 24-26 months compared to 12 months for typically developing children. In-home treadmill training has been shown to be an effective intervention to reduce delayed walking onset for infants with DS.

Purpose: To see if 20 minutes of in clinic treadmill training twice a week for infants with DS is a feasible intervention.

Methods: Participants must pull to stand independently but not yet walk. Pre-intervention testing included 5 minutes of treadmill walking and scores for sections D and E of Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM). 20 minute treadmill sessions …

Cadence As An Indicator Of The Walk-To-Run Transition, Colleen Chase

Masters Theses

Humans naturally select a point at which to transition from walking to running when gradually increasing locomotor speed. This point is known as the walk-to-run transition (WRT). The WRT is traditionally expressed in terms of speed and is known to occur within a close range of 2.1 m/s, which is an accepted heuristic (i.e., empirically based, rounded) threshold value. Very little research exists defining the WRT in terms of cadence (steps/min) despite the fact that spatial temporal aspects of gait underlying the WRT include this parameter. Preliminary evidence suggests that the WRT may be associated with a cadence of 140 …

Neuromotor Control Of The Hand During Smartphone Manipulation, Prasanna Kumar Acharya

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary focus of this dissertation was to understand the motor control strategy used by our neuromuscular system for the multi-layered motor tasks involved during smartphone manipulation. To understand this control strategy, we recorded the kinematics and multi-muscle activation pattern of the right limb during smartphone manipulation, including grasping with/out tapping, movement conditions (MCOND), and arm heights.

In the first study (chapter 2), we examined the neuromuscular control strategy of the upper limb during grasping with/out tapping executed with a smartphone by evaluating muscle-activation patterns of the upper limb during different movement conditions (MCOND). There was a change in muscle …

Process Evaluation Of An Email-Based Walking Program With Extension Educators, Elizabeth A. Richards, Stephanie Woodcox

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

This study evaluated the implementation process of an email-based walking program from the perspectives of program deliverers. Twenty-four Extension Educators participated in the process evaluation. We used an online survey to examine the perceptions of the implementation process of Get WalkIN’, a twelve-week email-based walking program. Educators agreed that the provided program training and recruitment materials were sufficient for successful program delivery. Program implementation involved sending emails to program participants at least weekly. Educators also agreed that the program was easy to deliver and took twenty minutes or less to implement each week. Strengths and areas for program improvement are …

Process Evaluation Of An Email-Based Walking Program With Extension Educators, Elizabeth Richards

School of Nursing Faculty Publications

This study evaluated the implementation process of an email-based walking program from the perspectives of program deliverers. Twenty-four Extension Educators participated in the process evaluation. We used an online survey to examine the perceptions of the implementation process of Get WalkIN’, a twelve-week email-based walking program. Educators agreed that the provided program training and recruitment materials were sufficient for successful program delivery. Program implementation involved sending emails to program participants at least weekly. Educators also agreed that the program was easy to deliver and took twenty minutes or less to implement each week. Strengths and areas for program improvement are …

Predicting Running Ability After Lower Extremity Amputation: A Review, Rebecca Dutton

Western Journal of Orthopaedics

The ability to ambulate with a prosthesis after lower extremity limb loss is an important determinant of functional independence and quality of life. Some individuals may be capable of achieving higher levels of mobility (eg, running) that can further improve function, physical health, and mental health. Thus, a fundamental understanding of the variables that help predict ambulation ability after lower limb loss is important. Particular attention should be given to modifiable predictors, as interventions directed at these conditions can help facilitate optimal mobility and function. This article reviews various factors that influence the ability