Public Health Commons^™

Understanding Adolescent Physical Activity In The Early Nutrition Transitioning Country Of Haiti, Haley V. Becker

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The nutrition transition is underway in Haiti, giving rise to the dual burden of malnutrition. Physical activity (PA) plays an important role in mitigating the negative health consequences of nutrition transition and the dual burden, but heretofore this data has been unavailable for Haiti. This dissertation undertook an exploratory needs assessment providing baseline PA data for Haitian adolescents. It evaluated two different PA data collection methodologies: a cross-sectional survey adapted from the IPAQ long-form and objectively measured PA via Actigraph GT1M accelerometers. Next, it identified initial covariates of self-reported and objectively-assessed PA behaviors; data was operationalized as meeting the World …

Increasing Physical Activity To Improve Health Through Primary Care Clinics In Rural Nebraska, Jill Reed

Theses & Dissertations

Addressing the lack of physical activity (PA) in rural adults is vital because of the role it plays in the risk for many chronic diseases. The purpose of the study was to explore the feasibility of conducting a 12-week intervention to increase PA behavior in inactive rural adults recruited from a primary care clinic. Subjects were randomized to the intervention (n=30) or control (n=29) group and wore a Fitbit to track PA. The intervention group completed action plans and received weekly motivational text messages to improve PA behaviors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with study participants (n=10) and a focus group …

Impact Of Physical Activity On Stress Levels And Methadone Maintenance Treatment Outcomes, Praneeja Matta, Robert Sterling, Phd

Phase 1

Introduction: While the opioid epidemic has continued to intensify over the last decade, unfortunately the likelihood of achieving stable long-term abstinence using methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) remains as low as 60 percent. Perceived stress has been identified as a factor predictive of premature termination and relapse, making stress reduction an important area of study in MMT. However, little research is available on the effects of active stress-coping mechanisms on MMT outcomes.

Objective: To address this gap, the current study was conducted to examine the impact of physical activity on stress reduction and treatment outcomes.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort …

Positive Deviance As A Framework For Understanding Motivations And Barriers To Exercise For University Students At Campus Recreation, René Dario Herrera

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to use qualitative research methodologies to better understand motivations and barriers to exercise for university students at campus recreation. The secondary purpose was to identify any correlations between physical activity habits and academic success. Ethnographic data obtained from a positive deviance sample and critically analyzed with feminist and postmodern theory could provide additional validation for campus recreation's value in positively contributing to the academic success of university students.

Participant observation, questionnaire, cultural domain analysis, interview, and focus group provided qualitative data.

Results indicate university students who frequent campus recreation to exercise are highly motivated …

Physical Activity During Pregnancy And Birth Outcomes In South Carolina 2009-2015, Andrew Tyler Broadway

Theses and Dissertations

Physical activity is known to be beneficial to adults in general, including pregnant women, but the literature on physical activity and neonatal outcomes has been inconsistent. Few studies have differentiated between physical activity prior to pregnancy and during pregnancy to see whether the typical beneficial effect is not due to having a more active lifestyle in general. The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) is a national cross-sectional surveillance system. Our data from SC PRAMS included 6391 respondents and was weighted to be representative of population of pregnant women that delivered in the state. We excluded births that were not …

Examining The Relationships Between School Engagement, Physical Activity, And Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder In Children Using The Ecological Model, Minh Nguyen

Theses & Dissertations

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence. During these developmental stages, social interactions and external environments can have significant impact on children’s growth and development. Few studies previously used a theoretical model to examine the effects of social and external environments on ADHD. The goal of this dissertation is to apply an ecological perspective to examine the roles of school and community in the development of childhood ADHD through school engagement and physical activity. Three studies were implemented to carry out this goal. Study 1 examined the associations of neighborhood, school, and …

Active And Safe Routes To School: Evaluating School Travel Planning To Support Children's Active Travel, Adrian Nicholas Buttazzoni

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Most Canadian children are not achieving their daily recommended physical activity (PA) levels despite the many emotional, psychological, and physical benefits of PA. Walking or wheeling to/from school, or active school travel (AST), is a viable method for improving children’s daily participation in PA. In Canada, the Active and Safe Routes to School initiative promotes AST through its comprehensive School Travel Planning (STP) program. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, broadly, this thesis investigates the i) implementation and ii) effectiveness of a regional, two-year STP program supporting AST. This thesis includes a systematic review of AST intervention models implemented in North America, …

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 …

Examining Geographic Variation In Children's Perceived Barriers To Physical Activity And The Implications On Behaviour, Leah Gabrielle Taylor

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Low levels of physical activity among Canadian children has become a national public health issue. Recent research has suggested that children’s physical activity levels are associated with their perceptions of their everyday environments. A better understanding of the formation of these perceptions within different contexts is needed to explain the extent of the relationship. Using a multi-tool quantitative protocol, this thesis examines geographic variation in socio-ecological factors influencing children’s perceptions of barriers to PA, and the extent to which perceptions mediate the relationship of the environment and PA. Results indicate that perceptions form within contexts, and have an influence on …

Exploring The Influence Of Childcare Type On Physical Activity And Sedentary Time Of A Nationally Representative Sample Of Canadian Preschoolers, Julie Statler

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A large number of Canadian children are enrolled in childcare, and they spend substantial time there. Capturing a national picture of the relationship between childcare type and physical activity (PA; i.e., light, moderate- to-vigorous, and total) and sedentary time (ST) in young children is needed. Using a nationally representative sample of preschoolers (aged 3-5 years), this cross-sectional study used cycles 3 and 4 of the Canadian Health Measures Survey. Childcare type (e.g., centre-, home-based childcare, home with parent, kindergarten) was reported by parents. Preschoolers wore an accelerometer for 7 consecutive days. Device and population-specific cut-points were applied to delineate PA …

Exploring The Physical Activity And Screen Viewing-Related Knowledge, Training, And Self-Efficacy Of Early Childhood Education Candidates, Brianne Bruijns

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Early childhood educators (ECEs) greatly influence young children’s physical activity (PA) and screen viewing (SV) behaviours. This study explored the PA and SV-related knowledge (i.e., of important PA/SV concepts), training (i.e., PA/SV courses/content received), and self-efficacy (i.e., to facilitate PA and limit SV in childcare) of early childhood education students. A sample of 1,292 students from 61 Canadian colleges/universities completed the online survey. In general, students exhibited the least amount of knowledge regarding the link between SV and health. Further, 67.8% and 73.3% of students had not completed PA or SV courses during their post-secondary training, respectively, and students who …

Application Of The Gps Technology To Assess Time-Location Pattern Of Undergraduate Students At A Private Medical University In Karachi, Pakistan: A Pilot Study, Tanzil Jamali, Adeel Ahmed Khan, Asaad Ahmed Nafees, Muhammad Ahmed, Syed Iqbal Azam, Muhammad Masood Kadir, Kiyoung Lee

Community Health Sciences

To compare time-location pattern of undergraduate university students through GPS and diary method, and with level of physical activity, a cross-sectional survey was conducted from September 2012 - May 2013 involving 50 undergraduate students from Aga Khan University. Data were recorded through GPS, diary method, International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-L) and accelerometer (ActiGraph). Median self-reported time spent in the indoor-inside the campus, indoor-outside the campus and outdoor environment was 405 (IQR:300-540), 720 (IQR:465-840) and 300 minutes (IQR:180-495) respectively, while 52% of the students were in moderate, 40% vigorous and 8% in mild categories of physical activity. Mean differences in location …

Quality Of Life Associated With Physical Activity But Not Sedentary Time In Youth, K. Kattelmann, E. Hofer, C. Merfeld, J. Meendering, M. Olfert, J. White, S. Colby, R. Meade, L. Franzen-Castle, T. Aquirre, D. Matthews, A. White

Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Purpose: It has been reported that youth who engaged in more screen time had lower quality of life scores compared to those that were more physically active. Furthermore, increased sedentary behavior increases health risks particularly the risk for obesity. A cross-sectional analysis was completed to examine the relationship between healthrelated quality-of-life (HRQOL) and accelerometer-measured sedentary time (ST) and physical activity (PA) in 9-10-yearold youth who were recruited for the family-based, childhood obesity intervention, iCook 4-H. It was hypothesized that objectively measured ST would be negatively correlated and PA would be positively correlated with HRQOL.
Methods: A subset of participants (n=118) …

Temporal And Intensity Relationships Between Physical Activity And Drunkorexia Behaviors Among First-Year College Students, Robert E. Booker Jr

MSU Graduate Theses

The purpose of this research was to examine the temporal element of physical activity (PA) in relation to drunkorexia occurrences and how PA intensities predict severity of drunkorexia behaviors. No research, to our knowledge, has explored if students are proactively or reactively engaging in PA to reduce the effects of calories consumed from alcohol nor if there exists a dose relationship among PA intensities (sedentary, moderate, vigorous) and severity of drunkorexia behaviors. A convenience sample of first-year college students living in residence halls was selected to participate in the current study. Participants completed an online survey including The Drunkorexia Motives …

The Association Between Fruit And Vegetable Consumption And Physical Activity With The Risk Of Glaucoma: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Ramanpreet Brar

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Objectives: This study aimed to examine whether physical activity and consumption of fruits and vegetables were associated with the risk of developing glaucoma.

Methods: The Household, Longitudinal component of the Canadian National Population Health Survey database was used. Weighted crude and adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were fitted with time-dependent covariates. The adjusted models were controlled for age, sex, BMI, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, heart disease, education, and income.

Results: A total of 9,950 respondents were included, of which 190 developed glaucoma within the 10-year follow-up period. The adjusted hazards ratios for physical activity …

Perceptions’ On The Impact Of Families For Health After-School Program, Kathryn Lane

Health Sciences Student Work

Introduction Studies show that parents send their children to afterschool programs as a form of supervision while they are at work, but studies also stress the importance in the parental role in a child’s ability to retain the skills and concepts that are learning within these programs. So what if there was an afterschool program where parents attended and participated with the children, would this have an effect on the impact of the program? Families for Health is an afterschool program designed to bring Families together while teaching key concepts that lead to a healthy lifestyle, focusing on physical activity …

Validity Of Wrist-Worn Consumer Products To Measure Heart Rate And Energy Expenditure, R. S. Thiebaud, Merrill D. Funk, Jacelyn C. Patton, Brook L. Massey, Terri E. Shay, Martin G. Schmidt, Nicolas Giovannitti

Health & Human Performance Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction: The ability to monitor physical activity throughout the day and during various activities continues to improve with the development of wrist-worn monitors. However, the accuracy of wrist-worn monitors to measure both heart rate and energy expenditure during physical activity is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of several popular wrist-worn monitors at measuring heart rate and energy expenditure.

Methods: Participants wore the TomTom Cardio, Microsoft Band and Fitbit Surge on randomly assigned locations on each wrist. The maximum number of monitors per wrist was two. The criteria used for heart rate and energy …

Process Evaluation Of The Healthesteps™ Lifestyle Prescription Program, Wendy Blunt, Dawn P. Gill, Brendan Riggin, Judith Belle Brown, Robert Petrella

Lifestyle Research Team

Background: Physical inactivity, sedentary behaviour, and poor diet are contributing to the rise in chronic disease rates throughout the world. HealtheSteps™ is a lifestyle prescription program focused on reducing risk factors for chronic disease through in-person coaching sessions, goal setting and tracking, and technology supports.

Purpose:A process evaluation was conducted alongside a pragmatic randomized controlled trial to: a) explore the acceptability of HealtheSteps™ program from coach and participant perspectives; and b) identify where the program can be improved.

Methods:Participants at risk or diagnosed with a chronic disease were recruited from five primary care/health services …

Physical Activity And Annual Medical Outlay In U.S. Colorectal, Breast And Prostate Cancer Survivors, Alice F. Yan, Yang Wang, Alexander V. Ng

Public Health Faculty Articles

Multiple chronic conditions in cancer survivors are highly prevalent and may increase health care costs for both patients and the health care system. Studies of cancer survivors reveal positive effects of physical activity (PA) on reducing risk of cancer recurrence, other chronic conditions, and secondary cancer. Few nationally representative studies have examined how physical activity levels have affected survivors' annual economic burden in the United States.

Leisure-time physical activity data from the National Health Interview Survey was linked to health care expenditure data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data (2008–2012). We calculated per-person annual total medical expenditures for identified …

Policy Determinants Of Physical Activity Across The Life Course: A Dedipac' Umbrella Systematic Literature Review, Anna Puggina, Katina Aleksovska, Christoph Buck, Con Burns, Greet Cardon, Angela Carlin, Simon Chantal, Donatella Ciarapica, Giancarlo Condello, Tara Coppinger, Cristina Cortis, Sara D'Haese, Marieke De Craemer, Andrea Di Blasio, Sylvia Hansen, Licia Iacoviello, Johann Issartel, Pascal Izzicupo, Lina Jaeschke, Martina Kanning, Aileen Kennedy, Fiona Chun Man Ling, Agnes Luzak, Giorgio Napolitano, Julie Anne Nazare, Camille Perchoux, Tobias Pischon, Angela Polito, Alessandra Sannella, Holger Schulz, Rhoda Sohun, Astrid Steinbrecher

Publications

Background Despite the large number of studies and reviews available, the evidence regarding the policy determinants of physical activity (PA) is inconclusive. This umbrella systematic literature review (SLR) summarizes the current evidence on the policy determinants of PA across the life course, by pooling the results of the available SLRs and meta-analyses (MAs). Methods A systematic online search was conducted on MEDLINE, ISI Web of Science, Scopus and SPORTDiscus databases up to April 2016. SLRs and MAs of observational studies investigating the association between policy determinants of PA and having PA as outcome were considered eligible. The extracted data were …

Relationship Between Exposure To Phthalate And Obesity In The United States, Gladys Chidiebere Ezem

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is a public health problem. The global obesity problem has been attributed to unhealthy diet, inactivity, and hereditary factors. However, phthalates may also contribute to the obesity epidemic. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine whether there was a relationship between exposure to phthalates and obesity among adults 18 years and older in the United States. The theoretical framework was based on the socioecological model. The quantitative, cross-sectional design, and data analysis were based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011-2012 database. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the association between …

Characterizing The Metabolic Intensity And Cardiovascular Demands Of Walking Football In Southeast Asian Women, D. P. Heil, Robert U. Newton, Dee Dee Ayra Salle

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Given that the recent rise in obesity rates throughout Southeast Asia is disproportionately driven by women, part of the regional solution may be to encourage more habitual physical activity within this population. Taking advantage of the regional popularity of walking football, this study sought to characterize the cardiovascular demands and metabolic intensity of Southeast Asian women competing in walking football matches to determine the sports’ suitability for promoting physical health. It was hypothesized that both cardiovascular and metabolic intensity measures (≥65% HR% and ≥3.0 METs, respectively) would meet or exceed established thresholds for improving fitness and health. Methods: Women’s teams …

Physical Activity And Veteran Status In Obesity And Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Erin Mcguire Kren

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are few data available regarding the relationship between physical activity and veteran status in those with combined chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obesity. COPD is a common illness and a leading cause of death in the United States. Veterans represent a distinct subpopulation in the United States and are more likely to have COPD, which is a disease with a high rate of comorbidities such as obesity. Physical activity can improve outcomes for those with COPD and obesity. However, recommendations for physical activity for those with COPD and obesity are vague. This study, based on the self-determination theory, …

The Role Of Exercise For Postpartum Depression And Well-Being, Maria Gaz

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Postpartum depression is a prevalent condition (American Psychological Association, 2018). Untreated postpartum depression can have serious consequences for the mother and baby (McCurdy, Boule, Sivak, & Davenport, 2017). Traditional treatment options may not be feasible. Exercise is an effective treatment for adults with depression (McCurdy et al., 2017). Less is known about treating postpartum depression with exercise. This review of the literature sought to understand in postpartum mothers, how a regimen of regular exercise, compared to no regular exercise, impacted the perception of wellbeing and/or postpartum depression scores. The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) Plus with …

Interleukin-6 And Exercise; Early Evidence Of A Novel Myokine, Brendan Hogg Mr.

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) was first identified as a pleiotropic cytokine, with a host of body-wide functions. Cytokine functions are characterized by chronically elevated levels within various inflammatory states. In this regard, IL-6 is largely associated with the acute phase response to many stimuli and performs specific actions when produced from certain cell types. Accrued evidence indicates IL-6 release from skeletal muscle often includes myokine functions. Novel myokine functions are adaptive in nature, and as compared to inflammatory/cytokine roles, exhibit a transient time course. Following exercise plasma IL-6 peaks and returns to resting levels within 1-2 hours. In contrast, IL-6 is observed …