Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of The Pura Vida Lifestyle On Mental Health In Costa Rica, Gabrielle Sledge

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Costa Rica’s unofficial slogan “Pura Vida” (“Pure Life”) encapsulates how its people, Ticos, live. Ticos are known as a peaceful, homogenous people but a lack of mental health research limits assessment of Tico mental health status. The purpose of this study is to evaluate Ticos’ personal experiences and opinions to understand better how Costa Rica’s “Pura Vida” culture affects Ticos’ mental health and wellness compared to the United States. A 33-question survey addressing mental health experiences and perceptions was administered to a Costa Rican sample (n = 56) and a United States sample (n = 331). Additionally, 6 interviews were …

Integrative Dance For Adults With Down Syndrome: Effects On Postural Stability, Sarah E. Dipasquale, Benjamin Canter, Mary Roberts

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(3): 1317-1325, 2020. Postural stability, one’s ability to maintain an upright stable position, is a crucial aspect of functional mobility and independent living. The purpose of this study was to examine if integrative dance classes have the potential to improve the postural stability in individuals with Down syndrome (DS). Utilizing a one group design, seven participants with DS were evaluated before and after a 12-week integrative dance class (ClinicalTrials.gov#NCT03660423). Postural stability was evaluated in uni- and bilateral quiet standing using a Wii Balance Board. Stability levels were measured based on changes in center of pressure …

High Supervised Resistance Training In Elderly Women: The Role Of Supervision Ratio, Denis Cesar Leite Vieira, Dahan Da Cunha Nascimento, Vitor Tajra, Tatiane Gomes Teixeira, Darlan Lopes De Farias, Ramires Tibana, Alessandro Oliveira Silva, Thiago Santos Rosa, Milton Rocha Moraes, Fabrício Azevedo Voltarelli, James W. Navalta, Jonato Prestes

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(3): 597-606, 2020. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of very high supervision (VHS-RT) versus high supervision (HS-RT) ratio resistance training (RT) on irisin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF), muscle strength, functional capacity, and body composition in elderly women. Participants performed daily undulating periodized RT over 16 weeks with two different supervision ratios: VHS-RT at 1:2 (supervisor/subject) or HS-RT at 1:5. Serum was used to analyze brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) and irisin by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Body composition was evaluated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, while functional capacity was evaluated using …

Families First: Impact On Parent Knowledge, And Association Between Program Quality And Child Symptom Severity, Cibrian Johnson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Families First parenting workshops were developed for caregivers of children recently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The primary site hosts inperson workshops, but webcasts the workshops to remote sites in different areas of the United States. The purpose of this study was to assess whether parents have an increase in knowledge after participating in Families First workshops at a remote site, and to assess whether program quality ratings and child symptom severity are associated with parent knowledge. The current study addressed the following research questions:

1. Do parents participating in the Families First workshops at a remote site …

Insights On Ten Weeks Of Classical Ballet Training And Postural Stability In Older Adults, Hannah Weighart, Sarah Dipasquale

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(1): 101-112, 2020. Older adults show an increased risk of falling as they age, but dance interventions of various genres have been shown to improve postural stability in this population. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a ten-week beginning ballet intervention on postural stability for older adults. Eleven participants enrolled in the Dance Group (DG; 73.3 ± 10.6 years) while six enrolled in the Control Group (CG; 69.5 ± 11.9 years) via convenience sample. Following the intervention, no significant differences were seen within the DG from pre- to post-testing or …

Rate Of Perceived Exertion And Cardiorespiratory Fitness In Older Adults With And Without Alzheimer's Disease, Andrea Bevan, Eric Dennis Vidoni, Amber Watts

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(3): 18-35, 2020. Exercise has many benefits for physical and cognitive health in older adults, yet there are many barriers to exercise adherence in this population. Subjective perception of exercise difficulty, or rate of perceived exertion (RPE), may especially be a barrier to exercise in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), due to changes in initiation and motivation that accompany changes in cognition and brain function. RPE is the most commonly used measure of subjective effort in exercise research, yet the relationship between RPE and objective fitness is not fully understood in older adults. A better …

2020-2021 Graduate Catalog, Wku Graduate School

Graduate School

Graduate School catalog regarding admissions, curriculum and policies.

Creating A Social Communication Module For Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Erin Walton

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Research (Hales, Carroll, Fryar, & Ogden, 2017) shows that those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience poorer physical health and fewer opportunities for social interactions than typically developing peers. As the prevalence of ASD increases, it is essential to consider effective interventions that target multiple skill areas for individuals seeking therapy. Youth ages 9 to 17 with ASD may experience physical health and social communication benefits from the implementation of a social communication curriculum module that could potentially be incorporated with Bingocize®, an online application that incorporates bingo with physical exercise, as well as educational content. Social communication educational …

Book Proposal: Reimagining Higher Education: A Guide To Creating The Competent College Graduate, Molly Kerby

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Given the climate of distrust, colleges and universities are examining strategies to enable them to remain relevant. Efforts to answer the recent outcry for productive, effective, and evidencedbased outcomes include adapting curricula and degree programs to better prepare graduates for employment. Competency-based education (CBE) programs are at the forefront of these approaches. Although not a new concept, CBE has shifted from its vocational training roots to its current attention on student results. The acquisition of competence requires an engaged learner who practices self-reflection (Dreyfus, 2004). Albanese, et al. (2008) suggest competencies should be outcome focused, emphasize applied-learning, and be measurable. …

Three-Months Of Neuromotor Fitness Program Affect The Body Composition And Physical Performance In Untrained Women, João Vinnícius Vasconcellos De Oliveira, Estêvão Rios Monteiro, Victor Gonçalves Corrêa Neto, Paulo Henrique Marchetti, Jefferson Da Silva Novaes, Amanda Fernandes Brown

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 12(4): 1346-1354, 2019. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of three months of neuromotor fitness on body composition and physical performance in untrained women. Nine untrained women (age: 38.1 ± 6.9 years; total body mass: 79.3 ± 10.7 kg; height: 161.5 ± 3.9 cm; body mass index: 30.4 ± 4.1) participated in the present study. Subjects attended the laboratory on twenty-seven occasions during a three-month period at least forty-eight hours in between sessions. Sessions 1 and 2 were used to measure morphology and body composition, and to familiarize all subjects with …

The Effect Of Viewing Advertisements Depicting Information And Communication Technology On Older Adults' Technology Self-Efficacy, Hollie Brianne Coleman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are an important part of society today. Older adults often report ICTs as difficult to use and unhelpful; however, ICTs can support older adults’ ability to stay in touch with family and friends across long distances and help increase their quality of life. Unfortunately, training programs targeted at teaching older adults to use ICTs are often costly and time-consuming. The current study attempts to determine whether advertisements depicting older adults using ICTs can be used to increase self-efficacy without the use of training programs.

A within subjects experimental design was completed using an independent variable …

Trunk Muscle Activation During Dynamic Sling Training Exercises, Tobias Morat, Denis Holzer, Rieke Trumpf

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 12(1): 590-601, 2019. The purpose of this study was to examine the level of trunk muscle activation to characterize different dynamic sling training exercises. Thirty-six young adults (25±3 years, 1.78±0.1 m, 71.5±10.4 kg) performed six different sling training exercises while muscle activation of eight different trunk muscles was measured unilaterally by surface electrodes. Four of the exercises were conducted at two different difficulty levels (an easy and a hard version) by changing the body angle. The six sling training exercises differed regarding muscle activation, with significant differences (p< 0.05) between the three body parts (front, side, back). High muscle activations (76-87%) of the (front) trunk flexor muscles were measured. The back muscles tested reached more than half of their peak reference trial values only during one exercise tested. Regarding the side muscles, three of the sling exercises achieved muscle activations of 60% and higher (66-92%). All eight trunk muscles tested demonstrated a significantly (p< 0.05) higher muscle activation in the harder version compared with the easy version. Based on the results, the sling training exercises tested in this study seem to be most effective for the abdominal muscles. As assumed based on the former literature, changing the body angle during sling training exercises is shown to be a feasible way of adjusting the intensity of sling training. This could potentially be used in longitudinal sling training studies to assure a controlled, progressively increasing training intervention.

Describing Transitional Care Using The Nursing Intervention Classification: Faith Community Nursing, Deborah J. Ziebarth, Katora Campbell

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

Abstract

Objective(s)

Faith community nurses (FCNs) provide transitional care to community patients following discharge from acute care facilities. Study objectives: describe transitional care using a standardized nursing language, Nursing Intervention Classification (NIC) and compare transitional care interventions to those considered to be evidenced-based.

Sample

Two years of de-identified intervention data captured from the FCN’s documentation of transitional care.

Design

A mixed method descriptive design was used to facilitate a thorough exploration of the interventions. A qualitative descriptive method operationalized the concepts regarding transitional care interventions performed. A quantitative descriptive design was used to count nominal categories of documented nursing interventions. …

Self-Regulation: A Cross-Sectional Study Of Preschool-Age Children, Sam J. Fugate

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Self-regulation predicts school readiness and consists of “cool” and “hot” self regulation. “Cool” self-regulation is characterized by inhibition of a dominant response, working memory, and set shifting. “Hot” self-regulation involves inhibition, shifting attention, and regulation of emotion in arousing situations. In this study, self-regulation was measured in 80 preschool-age children (3-5 years). Two “cool” tasks (Pencil Tap and Day/Night) were coded for percent correct, and the other two “cool” tasks (Dimensional Change Card Sort and Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders) were coded for total score. The “hot” task (Snack Delay) was coded for compliance to task demands (no touching of snack/materials until timer beeped …

Age Differences In Attentional Capture Effects Of Emotional Faces, Shelby King

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Sustained attention is necessary to accurately complete cognitive tasks. However, sustained attention can often be disrupted by distracting information. When distractors contain emotional content, past research suggests that they might attract attention. The rapid detection of emotional information is important in everyday life because emotion often emerges in social interaction, including unpleasant interactions where others might pose a threat. The attentional capture effects of emotional faces were explored by inserting them into a visual search task that included differing levels of perceptual load. Twenty-five younger adults and twenty older adults identified target letters in standard trials containing distracting elements, but …

Triple Hop For Distance As A Predictor Of Lower Extremity Performance In Firefighter Equipment, Sean M. Rogers, Zachary K. Winkelmann, Lindsey E. Eberman, Kenneth E. Games

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 12(6): 515-525, 2019. The objective of this study was to examine the predictive value of the Triple Hop for Distance (THD) physical performance test to assess lower extremity (LE) strength and power in individuals donning firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE). Thirty-one healthy participants completed the THD in firefighter PPE on both the dominant and non-dominant limb. Dependent variables included LE power (vertical jump height [cm]) on a jump mat, and LE strength of the quadriceps and hamstrings (peak torque [Nm]) on an isokinetic dynamometer. THD was a strong predictor of LE power on the dominant …

Ua66/14/1 Ogden College Of Science & Engineering Nursing Administration, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about the administration of Nursing.

Ua66/13/2 Ogden College Of Science & Engineering Public Health Centers, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records related to Public Health Centers.

2019-2020 Catalog, Wku Graduate Catalog

Graduate School

Graduate School catalog regarding admissions, curriculum and policies.

Ua3/7/7 President's Office-Alexander Scrapbook File, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Scrapbooks created by and about Kern Alexander administration.

Job Termination Survey: Faith Community Nursing, Deborah Ziebarth

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

Research regarding community-based nurse voluntary and involuntary termination rates are limited and outdated. This study explores faith community nursing termination using a survey. Survey questions pertaining to why the termination occurred, supportive resources used during termination, and post termination behaviors are addressed. The first three reasons for termination were due to site leadership change, not a strategic priority of the hospital or faith community leadership, and organization restructuring or elimination of the program. The fourth through seventh reasons for termination were financial in nature. They were: not a financial priority to hospital or health care organization, not a financial priority …

Aging And The Perception Of Coherent Motion, Lindsey Marie Shain

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The aperture problem describes an effect by which a contoured stimulus, moving behind an aperture with both ends occluded, appears to move in a direction perpendicular to its own orientation. Mechanisms within the human visual system allow us to overcome this problem and integrate many of these locally ambiguous signals into the perception of globally coherent motion. In the current experiment, younger and older observers viewed displays composed of either 64 or 9 straight contours, arranged in varying orientations and moving behind circular apertures. Because these lines moved behind apertures, their individual local motions were ambiguous with respect to direction …

The Effects Of Bingocize® On Cognitive Aging: A Health Promotion Intervention, Rilee Pauline Mathews

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Previous research has suggested that physical exercise can play a role in not only improving functional performance, but also cognitive function. In this study, adults age 60 and older participated in a health promotion intervention that included two groups: (a) a Bingocize® group, who exercised and learned about relevant health information while playing bingo, and (b) a control group who only learned about relevant health information while playing bingo. The intervention was completed over the course of 10- weeks at community senior centers. Cognitive function, functional fitness, and health knowledge were assessed before and after the intervention to test for …

Unimanual And Bimanual Haptic Shape Discrimination, Catherine Jane Dowell

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In the current study 24 younger adults and 24 older adults haptically discriminated natural 3-D shapes (bell peppers, Capsicum annuum) using unimanual (one hand used to explore two objects) and bimanual (both hands used, but each hand explored separate objects) successive exploration. Haptic exploration using just one hand requires somatosensory processing in only one cerebral hemisphere (the hemisphere contralateral to the hand being used), while bimanual haptic exploration requires somatosensory processing in both hemispheres. Previous studies related to curvature/shape perception have found either an advantage for unimanual exploration over bimanual exploration or no difference between the two conditions. In contrast …

Central Hemodynamics Measured During 5 Repetition Maximum Free Weight Resistance Exercise, Jonathan S. Howard, Cherilyn N. Mclester, Thomas W. Evans, John R. Mclester, Jimmy P. Calloway

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 11(2): 342-354, 2018. The PhysioFlow™ is a piece of equipment that uses bioimpedance cardiography to measure central hemodynamics. The purpose of this research was to explore the novel approach of monitoring central hemodynamics during free weight resistance exercise using bioimpedance cardiography throughout a 5 repetition maximum (5RM). Thirty participants ranging from beginner to advanced lifters (16 males and 14 females) completed a 5RM for back squat, seated push press, and bicep curl while connected to the PhysioFlow™ to assess the response of heart rate (HR), stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (Q), and ejection fraction (EF). …

Ua3/6/3 President's Office-Zacharias Subject File, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Unprocessed subject files created by the President's Office during Donald Zacharias' administration. John Minton served as acting president from January to July 1979. Occasionally files created under his administration are found in the Zacharias papers. They are designated as such in the collection inventories.

The Efficacy Of Handheld Resistive Exercise Device (Hred) Training On Wellness Outcomes In Older Adults, Brian D. Clocksin, Ryan Harrison, Andrew Douglas

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 10(8): 1208-1225, 2017. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of Handheld Resistive Exercise Device (HRED) training on wellness outcomes in older adults. A secondary purpose was to assess the utilization of an HRED in older adult fitness program. A group of healthy, active older adults (N=28, 76.6 ± 6.7 years old) volunteered to complete a 10-week HRED training program. Pre- and post-intervention changes were evaluated for muscular strength, static balance, mobility, fall-efficacy, and self-efficacy for activities of daily living. Significant improvement was seen in muscular strength (grip strength, p < 0.01), mobility (TUG time, p …