Digital Commons Network^™

Freshman 15: How The University Of Akron Is Affected Per Residence Hall, Daniel G. Mcquillen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Students entering their freshmen year of college face a variety of lifestyle changes. These changes often include increased caloric consumption, increased levels of stress, decreased physical activity, and increased alcohol consumption. Because of these lifestyle changes, it is commonly asserted that freshman gain weight throughout their first year in college. A common expression used to describe this weight gain is the “Freshman 15,” which asserts that the average student gains 15 pounds during their freshman year. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to gather data regarding the on-campus freshmen’s diet and exercise habits. The data gathered was used to …

Women's Fitness Week, Claire T. Lucas, Tiffany M. Finch

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project addressed women’s wellness. Many women experience physical and mental health issues related to a lack of physical activity or psychological support. Women’s Fitness Week was offered to women of the University of Akron and the outside community, providing opportunities to learn more about and improve upon the various dimensions of wellness – emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social/cultural, and spiritual. Events were held at the University’s Student Recreation and Wellness Center and encompassed topics such as nutrition, weight training, and self-defense. The goals of this project were to: increase knowledge levels of fitness, health, and wellness, increase …

Primary Care Providers' Provision Of Therapeutic Lifestyle Change Counseling For Patients With Cardiovascular Risk, Tristen Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease is important to the U.S. healthcare system, as it constitutes a high prevalence of deaths and costs the system billions each year. In lieu of this, research directed at preventative measures is important, especially those related to therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC). TLC represents a host of healthy behaviors, such as physical activity and healthy nutrition, that have shown to provide benefits in both preventing and managing cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia. While public experts have advocated for physicians to recommend not only TLC for patients at cardiovascular risk but also to help …

The Relationship Between Personality Type And Exercise Motivation, Kayla Michelle Bowman

Online Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide further understanding of the complex nature of physical activity motivation. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to analyze personality type and internal/external autonomous regulation. Method: Subjects were college students age 18 years and older who attended the Fitness Five Project. Data collected from the Ten-Item Personality Inventory and the RM 4-FM: Motivation for Physical Activity Questionnaire were analyzed using a bivariate correlation. Results: Statistical analyses revealed the personality traits extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability were positively associated with intrinsic motivation. Results showed the personality trait openness to experience was …

President’S Annual Report, Jean E. Bartels

Office of the President: Annual Report (Archived)

No abstract provided.

Effectiveness Of Functional Electrical Stimulation Assisted Rowing To Improve Shoulder Pain And Aerobic Fitness In Manual Wheelchair Users With Spinal Cord Injury, Susan Wilbanks

All ETDs from UAB

Exercise is beneficial to adults with spinal cord injury (SCI) because of its ability to improve function and increase life expectancy. The goal of this dissertation was to determine an effective intervention for increasing aerobic fitness and decreasing shoulder pain in manual wheelchair users with SCI by identifying underlying mechanisms for shoulder pain, optimizing training and utilizing appropriate outcome measures. Three studies were conducted. The first study indicated that exercise interventions for adults with SCI are of low to moderate methodological quality, frequently using outcome measures associated with changes in body structures and functions, and not frequently examining effects on …

Effects Of Academic And Activity Class Participation On Cognition In Young Adults, Emily N. Simpson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Exercise Adherence Among Pregnant Women: The Roles Of Socioeconomic Status, Attitudes Towards Prenatal Exercise, And Social Support, Lee Anne Flagg

All ETDs from UAB

Drawing on the sociological theories of fundamental causes and social support, it was hypothesized that exercise during pregnancy would be positively associated with both socioeconomic status (SES) and social support for exercise and that the association between SES and exercise levels would be at least partially explained by attitudes towards exercise. It was also hypothesized that there would be a positive interaction between SES and social support for exercise in relation to exercise levels during pregnancy. Cross-sectional observational data was obtained from a survey of pregnant women, predominantly from those accessing prenatal care at Birmingham, AL area obstetric clinics. The …

Chasing Rx: A Spatial Ethnography Of The Crossfit Gym, Matt Crockett

Master's Theses

CrossFit is a group fitness program that incorporates a variety of weightlifting and gymnastic movements performed at high intensities. Although there is growing research on CrossFit’s physiological and behavioral outcomes, few studies have qualitatively examined the program’s psychological and sociological characteristics. Drawing from Henning Eichberg’s (1998) work on spatial geography, this five-month ethnographic study examined the space and place of two San Francisco Bay Area CrossFit gyms as an introduction to a broader discussion on CrossFit subculture and evolving discourses about the body, health, and fitness. Specifically, three major themes about the CrossFit space emerged from the participant-observation data, including: …

Bone Strength, Load Tolerance And Injury Risk In Elite Australian Football, Nicolas H. Hart

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

A paucity of research exists to characterise and investigate lower-body musculoskeletal characteristics and morphological adaptations in elite Australian Footballers with the aim to improve screening, monitoring and load management practices. Given the high prevalence of lower-body skeletal injuries in Australian Football; and the ability to measure, modify and train muscle and bone strength and their derivatives; this project served to extend scientific understanding of musculoskeletal morphology and bone strength characteristics in elite level field-based team sport athletes through a series of research studies using Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) and peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography (pQCT). In particular, studies one and two …

Obesity Among Young American Indian Adults In North Dakota, Abby Omahen

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Obesity among American Indian young adults is a significant health problem. There is an increase in the prevalence rate of diseases associated with obesity which tend to have high medical costs and high mortality rates. Fruit and vegetable consumption, exercise, gender and education are factors which could affect obesity among American Indians. Therefore, the primary purpose of the current study was to determine if there was an association between certain factors (fruit and vegetable consumption, exercise, gender and education level) and obesity among young American Indian adults in North Dakota. The secondary purpose was to determine if there was a …

An Assessment Of A 13-Week Teaching Gardens Intervention On Healthy Behavior Outcomes In 4th And 5th Grade Students At Crestwood Elementary School In Las Vegas, Nevada, Miranda Corgiat

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nearly 13 million children and adolescents are considered to be obese in the United States, with children enrolled in Clark County School District showing elevated overweight and obese weight statuses compared to national averages. Carrying an excessive amount of weight can lead children to experience a multitude of complications with their physical and mental health as well as increase their risk of developing various chronic diseases. The American Heart Association's Las Vegas Teaching Gardens program implemented a school-based garden pilot study to target environmental causes of obesity in 4th and 5th grade students at Crestwood Elementary School. The objective of …

Is Postpartum Depression A Disease Of Modern Civilization?, Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook, Martie Haselton

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Access to calorie-dense foods, medicine, and other comforts has made modern humans healthier than our prehistoric ancestors in many respects. However, the epidemics of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease suggest that there are also drawbacks to modern living. Here, we address the question of whether the dramatic cultural changes that have occurred over the past century have inflated rates of postpartum depression, adding postpartum depression to the list of diseases of modern civilization. We review evidence from cross-cultural, epidemiological, and experimental studies documenting associations between postpartum depression and modern patterns of early weaning, diets deficient in essential fatty acids, low …

Application Of The Transtheoretical Model: Assessing Exercise Behavior In African Americans In A Church-Based Setting, Robin Marie White

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sedentary behavior rates are higher among African-American men and women than in other American races and ethnicities, placing them at greater risk for chronic illness. Routine physical activity reduces the risk of chronic health problems such as: (a) overweight and obesity, (b) type 2 diabetes, (c) hypertension, (d) coronary artery disease, (e) stroke, (f) congestive heart failure, and (g) cancers. Assessment of African-Americans' exercise attitudes in a church-based setting may provide information with which to develop effective interventions to improve physical activity. This descriptive, cross-sectional study used components of the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) to assess whether any associations exist between …

Parental Factors That Influence Swimming In Children And Adolescents, Jennifer Pharr, Carol C. Irwin, Richard L. Irwin

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Swimming can be an important source of physical activity across the life-span. Researchers have found that parents influence physical activity behaviors of their children. The purpose of this study was to determine what parental factors influenced the number of days that children swam. Survey respondents (n = 1,909) from six cities across the United States were surveyed at local YMCAs. Children were found to swim significantly more if their parents encouraged them to swim, members of the family knew how to swim and swam with them, or their parents were not afraid of the children drowning or afraid of …

Can Resistance Training Contribute To The Aerobic Components Of The Physical Activity Guidelines?, Travis J. Hrubeniuk, Neal Prokop, Semone Myrie, Martin Sénéchal, Danielle R. Bouchard

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 7(4) : 278-285, 2014. To evaluate if resistance training can reach Moderate to Vigorous Intensity (MVI) and contribute to the aerobic component of the international physical activity guidelines. Sixteen participants aged between 20 and 35 were recruited. Heart rate was recorded by heart rate monitor during a resistance training program. Based on maximal heart rate, time spent at MVI (55-69% of maximal heart rate) was calculated. Participants displayed a HR equal or above MVI for 51.5% ± 21.7% of time. When stratifying by lower and upper body sessions, that proportion was median (25-75th); 75.0% (32.5%-89.2%) …

Antecedents Of Regular Exercise Among Women Who Do And Do Not Achieve Weight Loss Over Six Months, Heather Vartanian

Dissertations (1934 -)

In the United States, 35.5% of adult women are classified as obese, defined as a body mass index (BMI) of > 30 kg/m2. The health risks associated with obesity can be mitigated through losing even 5-10% of initial body weight. Evidence shows that reductions in caloric intake alone without increases in caloric expenditure leads to a decline in resting metabolic rate, thereby impeding attainment or maintenance of weight loss. The purpose of this cross-sectional, mixed-methods study was to explore the antecedents of regular exercise among women with obesity who did and did not achieve weight loss over six months. The antecedents …

Effects Of Exercise On Bmi Z-Score In Overweight And Obese Children And Adolescents: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis, George A. Kelley, Kristi S. Kelley, Russell R. Pate

Faculty Publications

Background: Overweight and obesity are major public health problems in children and adolescents. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis to determine the effects of exercise (aerobic, strength or both) on body mass index (BMI) z-score in overweight and obese children and adolescents.

Methods: Studies were included if they were randomized controlled exercise intervention trials ≥ 4 weeks in overweight and obese children and adolescents 2 to 18 years of age, published in any language between 1990–2012 and in which data were available for BMI z-score. Studies were retrieved by searching eleven electronic databases, …

Circulating Angiogenic Cell Population Responses To 10 Days Of Reduced Physical Activity, Gayatri Guhanarayan, Julianne Jablonski, Sarah Witkowski

Exercise and Sport Studies: Faculty Publications

Circulating angiogenic cells (CACs) are a diverse group that have been identified as predictors of cardiovascular health and are inversely proportional to cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes. Inactivity is a growing concern in industrialized nations and is an independent risk factor for CVD. There is limited evidence regarding the impact of reduced physical activity (rPA) on different CAC populations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of objectively monitored rPA with maintained energy balance on two CAC populations (CFU and CD34+cells), intracellular nitric oxide (NOi), and genes related to NO production in active, healthy men. Participants (age 25 …

Toward A More Perfect Definition Of Learning: Using Biomarkers To Predict And Assess Learning Performance, Samuel J. Hunt

Dissertations

This study seeks to establish groundwork for a new definition of learning based on neurogenesis capable of guiding future educational policy and practice. The purpose of the research was to: (1) produce separate increases in neurogenesis and intelligence, (2) measure the changes in neurogenesis using protein biomarkers, and (3) correlate increases in levels of the protein biomarkers with increases in intelligence. The study employed a randomized pretest-posttest, control/comparison group research design. Thirty-eight fourth- and fifth-grade students with diverse academic needs were divided into three experimental groups: chess, exercise, and combined; with an additional control group. Pre-post measures included intelligence (RSPM) …

Objective Measures And Insight Assessments Of Muscle Dysmorphia, Austin Blake Lowe

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Muscle dysmorphia is a relatively new psychological disorder primarily affecting males who engage in weightlifting or bodybuilding. Individuals with this disorder are obsessed with the idea that their body is not sufficiently lean or muscular when compared to others and engage in several, risky behaviors (i.e., frequent exercise sessions, anabolic steroid use, structured diets) to increase muscularity. As obtaining and maintaining a muscular physique is so important to his or her self-worth, an individual may have little insight to how their behaviors are affecting their social and occupational lives and are reluctant to seek out psychological treatment. The purpose of …

Acute Testosterone Responses To Different Resistance Exercise Intensities, Robert Rietjens

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

We investigated the acute testosterone response to four different resistance-training protocols. We observed testosterone levels pre-workout, immediately post-workout, and 60-minutes post-workout following a bout of upper body exercise at 70%,1 RM, 90% 1 RM, and lower body exercise at 70% 1 RM and 90% 1 RM. Total training volume was held constant but all amount of weight, sets, and reps were different. 10 healthy, male, resistance trained individuals volunteered for the study. The performed each exercise condition on separate days. Capillary blood was taken via finger prick at the time points specified above. Blood samples were analyzed via Accubind Testosterone …

The Percussionist Bodybuilder: Optimizing Performance Through Exercise And Nutrition, Anthony Joseph Merlino

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Do preventive therapies have the potential to help avoid common injuries among percussionists? This document investigates physiological therapy and nutrition in relation to percussion performance. My interest in this subject matter is derived from my personal experiences with injuries related to the performance of percussion. Although I have studied and played percussion professionally for more than a decade, I was unaware of certain methods of rehabilitation that were available to me prior to my injuries. As I learned about the rehabilitation process through first hand experience, I discovered that my injuries were very common among percussionists. This raised the question: …

Exercise, Ptsd Symptoms, And Weight-Loss In Veterans Enrolled In A National Weight-Management Program, Jordan A. Fields

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Evidence suggests that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may function as a risk factor for obesity, which is linked to a number of deleterious physical health comorbidities. Individuals with PTSD also tend to decrease their participation in exercise, which further increases risk for adverse health outcomes. However, studies suggest that exercise may be a promising intervention for PTSD and exercise is often included as an important part of weight loss treatment. Military veterans are a population at high risk for PTSD and obesity and Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMC) nationwide have instituted a weight management program (MOVE!) to address the issue …

Vascular Function In Trained Females, Jacqueline Aileen Augustine

Theses - ALL

ABSTRACT

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death in women. Early stages of subclinical atherosclerosis cause functional changes to the vasculature manifesting as endothelial dysfunction. These early functional changes give way to structural alterations to the vessel wall that can lead to increased arterial stiffness and irreversible vascular remodeling, (i.e. altered lumen diameter and increased intima media wall thickness (IMT)) which can ultimately lead to a cardiac event. Chronic exercise combined with energy deficiency may lead to a lack of menses or amenorrhea in premenopausal women. This state is associated with endothelial dysfunction and is believed to be …

The Effects Of Consuming A High Protein Diet (4.4 G/Kg/D) On Body Composition In Resistance-Trained Individuals, Jose Antonio, Corey Peacock, A. Ellerbroek, B. Fromnoff, Tobin A. Silver

Department of Health and Human Performance Faculty Articles

BACKGROUND:

The consumption of dietary protein is important for resistance-trained individuals. It has been posited that intakes of 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg/day are needed for physically active individuals. Thus, the purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of a very high protein diet (4.4 g/kg/d) on body composition in resistance-trained men and women.

METHODS:

Thirty healthy resistance-trained individuals participated in this study (mean ± SD; age: 24.1 ± 5.6 yr; height: 171.4 ± 8.8 cm; weight: 73.3 ± 11.5 kg). Subjects were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: Control (CON) or high protein (HP). The CON …

Exercise And Diet Program For The College Student, Brooks Briel

Senior Theses

Oftentimes college students can be seen going to the gym with simply no direction in exercise or nutrition. They go through the motions of exercising, but have no real understanding of what they are doing. These students may see some progress, but plateau early and find it discouraging to continue to workout. The goal of this project was to create a personal diet and exercise program that could be used by the average college student to improve their physical fitness levels. The exercise program attempts to improve body composition, cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility. This is done …

Exercise And Time Of Day: Influence On Hunger And Caloric Intake Among Overweight/Obese Adults, Molly C. Weber

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the time of day at which exercise was performed, morning compared to evening, influences acute daily caloric intake and hunger in overweight/obese sedentary adults. 8 overweight/obese (Age: 40 ± 4 yrs, Height: 170 ± 4 cm, Weight: 85.7 ± 6.4 kg, BMI: 29 ± 2 kg/m2) sedentary adults completed 3 trials: control, morning, evening in a randomly counterbalanced cross over design. Caloric intake was assessed over three 4-day periods with subjects consuming ad libitum diets. Hunger was measured 15 minutes before exercise and 15 and 30 minutes following exercise. …

Muscle Physiology And Performance During Intensified Cycle Training: Impact Of Carbohydrate-Protein Supplementation, Andrew Christian D'Lugos

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Previous studies show that carbohydrate-protein (CP) ingestion can enhance short-term recovery following exercise, thereby benefiting subsequent exercise performance and compounding physiological parameters, when compared to carbohydrate (CHO) alone. Less is known about the influence that CP supplementation may have over a long-term intervention (several days/weeks). The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether CP supplementation was effective in improving tolerance to a period of intensified training (IT), compared to CHO. Additionally, the influence of CP on recovery/ adaptation to a period of IT followed by a period of reduced volume training (RVT) was examined. Eight endurance-trained cyclists (age: 24.9±7.3 …

Diet And Exercise Interventions Following Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: A Review And Call To Action, Garrett N. Coyan, Katherine M. Reeder

College of Nursing Faculty Publications

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has been used for the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD) for approximately 50 years, and has been performed on millions of people globally. However, little is known about the impact of diet and exercise on long-term outcomes of patients who have undergone CABG surgery. Although clinical practice guidelines on the management of this patient population have been available for approximately 2 decades, evidence regarding secondary prevention behavioral interventions, lifestyle modifications and self-management to slow the progressive decline of CAD, reduce cardiac hospitalizations, and prevent reoperation remains virtually absent from the literature. Diet and …