The Promotion Of Physical Activity For Use In Alzheimer's Disease Prevention Trials In Adults With Down Syndrome: Results From A 12-Month Randomized Trial., Lauren T. Ptomey, Brian C. Helsel, Richard A. Washburn, Robert N. Montgomery, Ron Krebill, Jessica C. Danon, Joseph R. Sherman, Daniel Forsha, Amy Bodde, Amanda N. Szabo-Reed, Anna M. Gorczyca, Joseph E. Donnelly

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

INTRODUCTION: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of death in individuals with Down syndrome (DS). Participation in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) may prevent or delay the onset of AD. Therefore, we evaluated the potential effectiveness of a remotely delivered home-based group exercise (≈8/group) to increase daily MVPA and cardiorespiratory fitness in adults with DS to a level that may be associated with delaying AD in adults with DS.

METHODS: Adults with DS ((n = 81, age ≈27 years 55% female) without dementia were randomized (2:2:1) to a 12-month intervention, which included 40-min exercise sessions scheduled once (remote low …

Motivating Students To Move And Therefore Honor God With Their Bodies, Shari Jurgens

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Abstract

This qualitative content analysis investigated the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation necessary for male and female colleges students to engage in physical activity, including spiritual aspects. Survey questions were used to collect data from 80 college students from the suburbs of Chicago, ages 18-24, 43 males and 37 females. Data analysis included coding of the student comments and results showed that males are motivated by the extrinsic motivators of competition and social engagement and the intrinsic motivators of enjoyment and stress relief while females are motivated by the extrinsic motivator of appearance and the intrinsic motivators of spirituality, enjoyment and …

The Impact Of Narratives And Active Video Games Among Black And Hispanic Children With Overweight And Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Amy S Lu, Tom Baranowski, Tiago V Barreira, Amy Fleischman, Melanie C Green, Shirley Y Huang, I-Min Lee, Lynne L Levitsky, Farzad Noubary, Debbe Thompson

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Overweight and obesity disproportionately affect Black and Hispanic children who also play more video games. Narratives, coupled with home-based active video games (AVGs), may enhance PA and mitigate these disparities. This study tested the effect of narrative-enhanced home-based AVGs among predominantly Black and Hispanic children with overweight and obesity.

Methods: This 6-month three-group RCT recruited 135 children aged 7-14 from pediatric clinics in Boston, MA (January 2020 - May 2022) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were randomized into: [Narrative + AVG], receiving an Xbox/Kinect with six AVGs interspersed with a narrative animation Ataraxia (72 episodes over six months), which …

Sedentary Behavior And Light-Intensity Physical Activity During Pregnancy And Cardiovascular Health: A Science Advisory From The American Heart Association, Kara H. Whitaker, Bethany Barone Gibbs, Marie-France Hivert, Nour Makarem, Elizabeth Moxley, Jason Vaught, Kelly R. Evenson

Faculty Scholarship-Nursing

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans supports sitting less and moving more. Growing evidence suggests that a waking behavior profile with less sedentary behavior and more light-intensity physical activity is associated with more favorable cardiovascular health. Remarkably, little is known about how these behaviors relate to cardiovascular health during pregnancy. The purpose of this American Heart Association science advisory is to describe the existing evidence on devicemeasured sedentary behavior and light-intensity physical activity in relation to cardiovascular health during pregnancy and to make specific calls to action for future research to improve health outcomes and to promote health equity. Outcomes …

Correlates Of Processing Speed Change With Combined Cognitive Rehabilitation And Exercise In Progressive Ms: Secondary Analysis Of The Cogex Trial, Brian M. Sandroff, Robert W. Motl, Roberto S. Hernandez, Maria Pia Amato, Giampaolo Brichetto, Jeremy Chataway, Nancy D. Chiaravalloti, Gary R. Cutter, Ulrik Dalgas, John Deluca, Rachel Farrell, Peter Feys, Massimo Filippi, Jennifer Freeman, Matilde Inglese, Cecilia Meza, Maria A. Rocca, Amber Salter, Anthony Feinstein

School of Health Professions

Background: Cognitive rehabilitation and exercise training are promising approaches for improving cognition in persons with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Identifying heterogeneity of change and factors that influence the effects of cognitive rehabilitation and/or exercise training on cognitive outcomes at the individual level have direct relevance for developing tailored and optimized rehabilitation interventions for improving cognition in progressive MS. Objective: This study involved a secondary data analysis from the CogEx trial in progressive MS. This study first described heterogeneity of change in cognitive processing speed (CPS) across the intervention conditions and then identified possible adherence/compliance, baseline performance, and demographic/clinical variables as …

Improving Hypertension Control Through Structured Lifestyle Interventions In Primary Care Settings In Rural Populations “Hypertension: The Silent Killer”, Jose M. Soto-Hernandez

Cohort XIII

Objective: Prevalence of Hypertension: Hypertension is a common condition that affects a significant portion of the population, and its prevalence is higher in rural areas due to limited access to healthcare services and resources. Access to Care: Rural communities often face barriers such as fewer healthcare facilities, limited healthcare providers, and longer travel distances for medical care, leading to delayed diagnosis and management of hypertension. Health Disparities: Rural populations may experience health disparities, including higher rates of hypertension-related complications like stroke and heart disease, due to socioeconomic factors and limited access to preventive care.

Method: Community Assessment: Conduct surveys and …

Strength And Conditioning Society (Scs) 7th Annual Meeting, Murcia, Spain, 2024, Pedro E. Alcaraz, Konstantinos Spyrou, Anthony J. Blazevich, Tomás T. Freitas, Elena Marín-Cascales, Aarón Manzanares Serrano

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

On behalf of the Strength and Conditioning Society (SCS), we are pleased to present the abstracts submitted for the SCS 7th Annual Meeting. The event was held at the Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM) headquarters in Murcia, Spain, on 9–11 October 2024, and comprised several invited sessions by international and national speakers on a variety of topics related to biochemistry and exercise physiology, strength and conditioning practices and their application to health, injury prevention, and sports performance. These included strength training in high-performance sports, sport science and training–competition load management in elite environments, biochemistry and exercise physiology and prescription, nutrition …

Associations Between The Timing Of 24 H Physical Activity And Diabetes Mellitus: Results From A Nationally Representative Sample Of The Us Population, Qian Xiao, Qiuyu Feng, Martin K Rutter, Gali Albalak, Heming Wang, Raymond Noordam

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Aims/hypothesis: Growing evidence suggests that timing may be an important aspect of physical activity that influences cardiometabolic health. However, the current literature is inconclusive regarding the time of day that physical activity offers the greatest metabolic advantages. We investigated associations between hourly physical activity levels and diabetes mellitus and glycaemic biomarkers in a cross-sectional and nationally representative sample of US adults.

Methods: We studied 7074 adults (mean age 48 years; 52% women) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011-2014). Physical activity was measured by actigraphy. A monitor-independent movement summary (MIMS) unit was used to derive the total activity …

Management Of Cystic Fibrosis With Diet And Exercise, Chuck Hultmark, Maggie Mcdermott, Daisy Monge, Christian Ninan

RESP 1102 Intermediate Respiratory Care

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a chronic genetic condition that significantly impacts respiratory and digestive health. This paper explores how structured nutritional strategies combined with regular physical activities can improve outcomes for individuals with CF, including enhanced lung function, healthier weight gain, and reduced hospital admissions. Excessive mucus production impairs digestion and nutrient absorption, increasing the need for caloric intake and micronutrients. According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (n.d.), individuals with CF require 1.5 to 2 times the daily caloric intake of those without CF. This paper highlights the importance of ongoing nutritional assessments such as BMI, micronutrient levels, glucose tolerance …

Physical Activity Measurement Reactivity Among Midlife Adults With Elevated Risk For Cardiovascular Disease: Protocol For Coordinated Analyses Across Six Studies., Kiri Baga, Gabrielle M Salvatore, Iris Bercovitz, Amanda L Folk, Ria Singh, Laura M König, Meghan L Butryn, Jacqueline A Mogle, Danielle Arigo

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the United States, and adults aged 40-60 years with specific health conditions are at particularly elevated risk for developing CVD. Physical activity (PA) is a key cardioprotective behavior and many interventions exist to promote PA in this group. Effective promotion requires accurate assessment of PA behavior; as PA is often estimated by averaging across multiple days, a threat to accurate assessment is measurement reactivity, or an atypical increase in PA behavior at the start of measurement periods that may bias conclusions. Evidence for PA measurement reactivity is equivocal, though …

Moderate Exercise And Tirzepatide Versus Tirzepatide Alone For Long-Term Weight Loss Maintenance, Edward Amoah Acheampong

Nursing Capstones

Background: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist (RA) drugs have been transformative when managing obesity in the clinical setting. Though these medications are effective for weight loss, questions regarding their efficacy for long-term weight loss or maintenance remain unanswered.

Purpose: The purpose of this scoping review was to answer the following clinical question: Can overweight or obese patients (P) who use tirzepatide without exercise (I) as compared to those incorporating 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic exercise (C) sustain a ≥5% weight loss (O) one-year post-treatment (T)?

Methods: Five electronic article databases were searched to locate articles …

Relationships Between Performance In The Frequency Speed Kick Test, Heart Rate Variability, And Body Composition In Amateur Muay Thai Fighters, Antonio Beira De Andrade Junior, Elena Marie Peixoto Ruthes De Andrade, Patrícia Dos Santos Vigário, Cesar Antonio Luchesa, João Eduardo De Azevedo Vieira, Igor Ramathur Telles De Jesus, Agnaldo Jose Lopes

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 18(6): 428-442, 2025. In martial arts, heart rate variability (HRV) measurements can potentially be used to assess injury risk and susceptibility to fatigue. Muay Thai uses the Frequency Speed of Kick Test (FSKT) to measure kick speed, but it is unknown whether better fitness results in improved autonomic function and body composition, which may affect athletic performance and recovery. We aimed to evaluate the correlations between FSKT, HRV, and body composition measures in amateur Muay Thai fighters. This is a cross-sectional study with 37 Muay Thai fighters. They underwent FSKT-10s and multiple FSKT to measure …

A Qualitative Inquiry Of Exercise Preferences Among Hispanic Adults With Multiple Sclerosis, Stephanie L Silveira, Robert W Motl, Tania Ontiveros, Victoria Flores

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study aimed to identify the components of an ideal exercise training program for Hispanics with multiple sclerosis (MS), cultural adaptations, and avenues for dissemination of information to this population. Online, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 adults with MS who identified as Hispanic. A deductive content analysis approach was applied for assessing necessary and desired components of an exercise program. Participants articulated preferences for "what," "when," "where," and "who" of exercise programs. All participants expressed an interest in aerobic training (n = 27) and need for resistance (n = 14), flexibility (n = 8), and neuromotor components (n = …

Age Of Anaerobic, Aerobic, And Skill-Based Olympic Athletes 1988 - 2024, Corban J. Ruiz, Iliana G. Hernandez, Edward K. Merritt

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 18(3): 404-414, 2025. The age at which athletes compete at a high-level provides understanding of human physiology, development, aging and skill refinement. The Olympics, with high-level performances across events with differing metabolic demands, provide unique data for analysis of optimal performance age given the type of performance required. The aim of this study was to classify Olympic events from 1988-2024 into aerobic, anaerobic, mixed, or skill, and compare male and female athlete ages in each classification. Events of maximal effort under 2-minutes duration were classified as anaerobic. Events longer than 5 minutes were classified as …

The Impact Of Energy Intake And Macronutrient Distribution On Recovery Rates In Young Women With Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea, Hadley Day, Rebecca Lyons, Taylor Vas

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) is characterized by irregular or absent menstrual cycles due to disturbances in the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis. Young women ages 18-25 are particularly vulnerable to FHA, which can have long-term consequences on bone health, fertility, and overall well-being. While meeting energy needs is essential for recovery, the question arises of whether different macronutrient distributions within an energy-sufficient diet influence the recovery rate. This study aims to evaluate the impact of varying macronutrient compositions on the recovery of young women with FHA. The study will be conducted using a randomized controlled trial design to examine whether diets with …

Health Social Media’S Influence On Gen Z African American Women, Aniyah Hamlin, Kalynda C. Smith Ph.D.

2025 Honors College Research Symposium

Social media platforms often serve as sources of community and culturally relevant health information, providing accessibility to healthy lifestyle choices. This study explored the health and fitness messages that Generation Z (Gen Z), African American female college students encounter on social media, aiming to understand how these messages influence health behaviors and can inform culturally tailored health interventions. Data collection occurred in two phases, the first involved interviews with 35 participants about their perceptions of health messages on social media, while phase 2 investigated 19 participants' eating and fitness habits. All participants attended a large historically Black university. Qualitative analysis …

Multi-Omic Analysis Of Biological Aging Biomarkers In Long-Term Calorie Restriction And Endurance Exercise Practitioners: A Cross-Sectional Study, Giovanni Fiorito, Valeria Tosti, Silvia Polidoro, Beatrice Bertozzi, Nicola Veronese, Edda Cava, Francesco Spelta, Laura Piccio, Dayna S Early, Daniel Raftery, Paolo Vineis, Luigi Fontana

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Calorie restriction (CR) and physical exercise (EX) are well-established interventions known to extend health span and lifespan in animal models. However, their impact on human biological aging remains unclear. With recent advances in omics technologies and biological age (BioAge) metrics, it is now possible to assess the impact of these lifestyle interventions without the need for long-term follow-up. This study compared BioAge biomarkers in 41 middle-aged and older adult long-term CR practitioners, 41 age- and sex-matched endurance athletes (EX), and 35 sedentary controls consuming Western diets (WD), through PhenoAge: a composite score derived from nine blood-biomarkers. Additionally, a subset of …

O The Places Rural Children Will Go…To Get Physical Activity: A Cross Sectional Analysis., Bethany Forseth, Jordan A. Carlson, Adrian Ortega, Chelsea Steel, Brittany Lancaster, Lauren Fitzpatrick, Qianxia Jiang, Ann M. Davis

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

PURPOSE: Youth living in rural areas have higher risk for overweight/obesity. It is important to understand where these children engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time to encourage or intervene on activity in specific locations. This study compared MVPA and sedentary time across locations among children with overweight/obesity in the rural Midwest of the U.S.

METHODS: Participants wore an accelerometer and Global Positioning System tracker over 7-days to collect data on MVPA, sedentary time, and location. Locations were categorized as Home, Home Neighborhood, School, School Neighborhood, and 'Other'. Differences based on school and non-school days were examined.

RESULTS: …

Optimizing Interventions For Major Depressive Disorder And Provider Burnout: Self-Speak Exercise Dosing (Sed), Laureen Maloney-Gepfert

Lynchburg Journal of Medical Science

ABSTRACT

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is ranked highest among mental illnesses in the United States (US) and significantly contributes to the mental health care crisis. Patients experience resistance to pharmacologic interventions, side effects, co-morbidities, and mental health provider shortages. Subsequently, 33 % of Serious Mental Illnesses (SMIs) are being redirected to Primary Care Providers (PCPs). Concurrently, prescriber mental health is in crisis. Growing workloads for physicians and Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) have increased provider burnout syndrome (BOS). Major Depressive Disorder and BOS are positively affected by exercise, Cognitive Restructuring (CR), and Behavioral Activation (BA). Sports medicine and psychology research shows …

Cardiometabolic Risk Factors Associated With Physical Fitness And Activity Levels: An Exploratory Study Of Us College Students, Keegan T. Peterson, Gabrielle Barraco, Jennifer Niessner, Melissa Rodgers, Melissa Bopp

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 18(8): 379-393, 2025. College students are a vulnerable population at risk of developing and/or experiencing poor physical fitness and insufficient physical activity (PA) levels, both associated with poor cardiometabolic health. Thus, this study assessed the association of physical fitness and domain-specific PA levels on cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRFs) among college students. A volunteer sample of students enrolled in general health and wellness courses at a large, Northeastern U.S. institution from Spring 2023 – Spring 2024 (n=1418, 69.0% male, 89.9% non-Hispanic White) completed an objective health assessment as part of a required course assignment. CMRFs (e.g., …

Exploring Profiles Of Fathers Integrating Food And Physical Activity Parenting Practices, John A Jimenez-Garcia, Louise C Mâsse, Robert L Newton, Salma M Musaad, Alicia Beltran, Teresia M O'Connor

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Objective: This study aims to identify fathers' profiles integrating food parenting practices (FPP) and physical activity parenting practices (PAPP).

Design: We analysed cross-sectional data. The fathers completed the reduced FPP and PAPP item banks and socio-demographic and family dynamics (co-parenting and household responsibility) questionnaires. We identified fathers' profiles via latent profile analysis. We explored the influence of social determinants, child characteristics and family dynamics on fathers' profiles using multinomial logistic regression.

Setting: Online survey in the USA.

Participants: Fathers of 5-11-year-old children.

Results: We analysed data from 606 fathers (age = 38 ± 8·0; Hispanic = 37·5 %). Most fathers …

Church Leaders’ Health Behaviors And Program Implementation In The Faith, Activity, And Nutrition Program In The United States, Kelsey R. Day, Sara Wilcox Phd, Lindsay Decker, John Bernhart Ph.D., Mph, Ches, Meghan Baruth, Andrew T. Kaczynski Ph.D., Christine A. Pellegrini Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Objectives: Church leaders are important to the success of faith-based health promotion interventions through the role modeling of health behaviors. However, clergy may be at a higher risk of chronic disease than their congregants and their health is understudied. This study examined church leaders’ health-related behaviors, differences in health behaviors by socio-demographic characteristics, and associations between health behaviors and church-level implementation of an ecological intervention. Methods: Pastors (n = 93) and church coordinators (n = 92) reported body mass index (BMI), self-rated health, fruit and vegetable consumption (F&V), and physical activity (PA) at baseline and 12 months post-training in the …

Implementing An Exercise Program In Prediabetic Patients On Glp-1 Ras To Increase Self-Efficacy And Decrease Hgba1c, Bmi, And Weight, Tamara Alston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Obesity is a significant factor in the progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes mellitus. Obesity is a condition of excess adipose tissue caused by an imbalance between the calories a person takes in, the absorption of those calories, and energy expenditure or how many of those calories a person burns. In 2022, the total cost of care for people with diabetes was $413 billion. Evidence indicates increased physical activity is directly associated with weight loss and decreased waist circumference. The literature supports that 150 minutes of weekly exercise can reduce HgbA1c, weight, and body mass index. Additionally, improved self-efficacy …

Associations Of Parental Perceived Health With Child Movement Behaviors Within Two-Parent Households, You Fu, Hayley Almes, Nora Constantino, Doria Schmidt, Ryan D. Burns

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

This study aimed to examine how perceived parental mental and physical health status was associated with child physical activity, screen time, and sleep. Participants were 6- to 17-year-old minors (N = 20,156; 47.9% female) from the 2022 US National Survey of Children’s Health. Dependent variables were children’s physical activity frequency, screen time, and sleep. Independent variables were parents’ physical and mental health status. Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model, two adjusted path models were constructed. One for parent mental health associating with parental physical health, another for parent physical health associating with parental mental health–both further associating with child movement behaviors. …

Voluntary Wheel Running Improves Glucose Homeostasis And Visceral Adiposity In Old Mice, Alexandra Canizales, David J. Buckley, Sogol Zahedi, Daniel W. Trott

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Age is an independent risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes, which is characterized in part by impaired glucose homeostasis, greater body weight and visceral adiposity. In older humans, exercise has been demonstrated to be a viable modality to improve these aforementioned outcomes. Surprisingly, to date, no one has assessed whether exercise improves glucose tolerance in old mice. Further the mechanism(s) of improvement in old animals independent of overt obesity is not well understood. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether 8 weeks of voluntary wheel running would result in improved glucose tolerance and …

Validity Of A Portable Metabolic Analyzer For Estimating Resting Metabolic Rate In Muscular Resistance-Trained Adults, Christian Rodriguez, Christine M. Florez, Ethan Tinoco, Joao P. Cardoso, Jaylynn Rasco, Julia Whitson, Sieneh Francis, Grant M. Tinsley

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

An individual’s resting metabolic rate (RMR) is commonly the largest contributor to total daily energy expenditure. The accepted reference method for in vivo measurement of RMR is indirect calorimetry (IC). However, the accessibility of traditional IC analyzers is limited to select settings; therefore, portable indirect calorimeters are also applied to estimate RMR. Limited data are available to inform the validity of the VO2 Master for estimating RMR in muscular resistance-trained adults. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of the VO2 Master portable metabolic analyzer for estimating RMR in muscular resistance-trained adults. METHODS: A sample of …

Educating Medical Students In Sleep, Diet, And Exercise To Determine Effects On Their Treatment Plan Development For Future Patients, Paul Jackson, Wyatt Edgekoski, Kaleb Gustavsen, Andrew Payne

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Correlates Of Inaccuracy In Reporting Of Energy Intake Among Persons With Multiple Sclerosis, Stephanie L Silveira, Brenda Jeng, Barbara A Gower, Gary R Cutter, Robert W Motl

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) are interested in diet as a second-line approach for disease management. This study examined potential variables that correlate with inaccuracy of self-reported energy intake (EI) in adults with MS.

METHODS: Twenty-eight participants completed two assessment appointments within a 14-day period that included a standard doubly labeled water (DLW) protocol for estimating total energy expenditure (TEE). The participants reported their EI using the Automated Self-Administered 24 h (ASA24) Dietary Assessment Tool. The primary variables of interest for explaining the discrepancy between TEE and ASA24 EI (i.e., inaccuracy) included cognition (processing speed, visuospatial memory, and verbal …

Associations Between Deficit Accumulation Frailty And Baseline Markers Of Lifestyle In The Us Pointer Trial, Mark A Espeland, Yitbarek N Demesie, Kayloni Olson, Samuel N Lockhart, Sarah E Tomaszewski Farias, Maryjo L Cleveland, Christy C Tangney, Lucia Crivelli, Heather M Snyder, Michele K York, Laura D Baker, Rachel A Whitmer, Rena R Wing, Katelyn R Garcia, Kathryn E Callahan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Multidomain lifestyle interventions may have the potential to slow biological aging as captured by deficit accumulation frailty indices. We describe the distribution and composition of the 49-component frailty index developed by the U.S. POINTER clinical trial team of investigators and assess its cross-sectional associations with sociodemographic factors and markers chosen to be representative of behaviors targeted by the trial's multidomain interventions.

METHODS: We draw baseline data from the 2 111 volunteers enrolled in U.S. POINTER who were ages 60-79 years and at increased risk for cognitive decline. Frailty components were grouped into 9 domains. Associations that frailty index scores …

Couple-Based Lifestyle Intervention For Minority Prostate Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Feasibility Trial, Dalnim Cho, Yisheng Li, Karen Basen-Engquist, Chiara Acquati, Nga T T Nguyen, Hilary Ma, Curtis A Pettaway, Lorna H Mcneill

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Black and Hispanic prostate cancer (PCa) survivors, who face a high burden of comorbid conditions and often engage in low levels of physical activity and healthy eating, remain significantly underrepresented in lifestyle intervention studies.

Purpose: Given the significance of spousal influence, we developed a culturally tailored lifestyle intervention for these survivors and their spouses and assessed its feasibility, acceptability, and impact on behavioral change.

Methods: Survivor-spouse couples were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 22), which received 12 health-coaching calls over 6 months, or a usual-care control group (n = 9). Assessments were conducted at baseline (T1), …