Health and Physical Education Commons^™

Perceived Exercise Constraints And Motivation For Exercise Among University Undergraduate Students, Ryan Paul Harkema

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between perceived exercise constraints and motivation for exercise among university undergraduate students, and to identify if there is a difference in perceived exercise constraints and motivation for exercise among university undergraduate students in the three exercise behavior categories of regular exercise participants, intermediary exercise participants, and nonparticipants. As issues related to overweight and obesity continue to grow in the United States, research efforts must concentrate upon exercise behavior and the factors that influence exercise participation levels. This study focused upon the exercise behaviors of university undergraduate students, as Americans aged …

Predicting Ghanaian Pre-Service Teachers' Intention To Teach High-Risk Sexual Behavior Prevention From Teaching Efficacy And Prevention Approach, Joseph Kwesi Ogah

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Youth and adolescents in African Countries have been experiencing high prevalence levels of the outcomes of high-risk sexual behavior (HRSB), such as HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy, illegal abortions, and dropping out of school. Education is one means by which HRSB can be reduced among adolescents, but the sensitive nature of sex education and the controversy over which prevention approach to use have made the teaching of HRSB prevention in schools a cautious undertaking. The purpose of this study was to describe (a) pre-service teachers’ efficacy beliefs for teaching HRSB prevention and (b) pre-service teachers’ preferred approach to HRSB prevention, as determinants …

An Analysis Of Physical Activity And Two Forms Of Self Defense Training And Their Impact On Women’S Sense Of Self-Efficacy, Elizabeth Susan Guernsey

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Since the mid-l 970s, incidences of rape in the United States have steadily increased. American females aged 16-24 are at the greatest risk to experience rape. This indicates that college-aged women have a high probability of experiencing a sexual assault during their college years. Women are at particularly high risk of being raped by an acquaintance or a date. This may be due to traditional social gender roles in American society. Rape Aggression Defense Systems is the largest self defense program for women that has become particularly popular on college campuses. Ozer and Bandura (1990) sought to study possible increases …

Effect Of Childcare Facilities On Vigorous Physical Activity In Preschool Aged Children, Nicole Kelly-Goreham

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of childcare centers with differences in outdoor space and play equipment upon the amount of time spent at vigorous physical activity by children. The research questions guiding this research were:

1. Is there a difference among childcare centers in the amount of time spent in vigorous physical activity by preschool age children?

2. Is there any relationship between the amount of time spent in vigorous physical activity at the childcare center and the child's BMI, the time spent outdoors time spent in vigorous physical activity outside the center, parental BMI, …

Leisure Constraints Among Residents Of A Remote And Isolated Island Environment, Andrea Teresa Criste

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to identify the leisure constraints among resident on a remote and isolate island environment. Individuals living in a remote and isolated environment encounter unique challenges when facing barriers or constraints that comes with living in extreme geographical disposition. Leisure constraint is a distinct subfield in the area of leisure, which was formerly termed, "barriers to participation." Intrapersonal, interpersonal and structural constraints refer to psychological, relationship and intervening factors within the basic leisure constraint construct. The study analyzed leisure constraint data obtained from a leisure needs, attitudes and opinions technical report conducted on Johnston Island …

The Role Of Goal And Identity In A Youth Development Framework, Megan L. Coleman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In the early 1990's there were over 17,000 youth development programs in the United States (Quinn, 1999). The overwhelming number of these organizations causes problems in defining, describing, and interpreting these types of organizations. The current definition describes these programs as opportunities and support to help youth gain the competencies and knowledge they need to meet the increasing challenges they will face as they mature. This definition is accurate, however, it does not fully describe how youth learn and grow nor does it describe how youth can gain this competency and knowledge. The limitations of Kohlberg and Mayer (1972) and …

Authentic Assessment In Physical Education: Prevalence Of Use And Perceived Impact On Students' Self-Concept, Motivation, And Skill Achievement, Joseph Kwame Mintah

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The volume of traditional assessments in the public schools of the United States has increased. At the same time, complaints about the use of standardized tests have become louder. The complaints and dissatisfaction have led to a paradigm shift in assessment. Available literature supports the use of alternative assessment. The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the type and the extent of authentic assessment used in public school physical education. A second purpose was to investigate physical education teachers' perceptions about the impact of authentic assessment use on students' self-concept, motivation, and skill achievement.

The teachers rated …

School Playground Supervision Practices In The State Of Iowa, Heather Marie Bauer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate what types of playground supervision practices were being performed in Iowa public elementary schools. More specifically this study included the following research questions:

1. What is the typical public elementary school in Iowa? 2. Do schools in Iowa have playground supervision plans?
3. Who supervises the children?
4. Do schools require the supervisors to have playground safety training?
5. Do schools perform a regular maintenance check on their playground?

A questionnaire was designed to answer the research questions posed in this study. The questionnaire was reviewed by a panel of experts for …

Demographics, Treatment Approaches, Experience And Knowledge Of The Certified Substance Abuse Counselors In Iowa, Michelle R. Vogt

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study was designed to describe selected characteristics of certified substance abuse counselors in the state of lowa. Specifically, the following characteristics were considered: education, age, gender, length of time in profession, salary range, and if the counselor considers himself/herself recovering or not. Also, substance abuse treatment approaches, knowledge, and experiences of the substance abuse counselors were compiled. A questionnaire was designed and sent to 224 substance abuse counselors in Iowa. Sixty useable questionnaires were returned yielding a 26. 78% return rate. The results of this study indicated a majority (95.0%) of the respondents were over the age of 30 …

Comparison Of Health Practices Of International Students At The University Of Northern Iowa Before And After Coming To The United States, Joseph Kwesi Ogah

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The primary purpose of this study was to compare the health practices of international students at the University of Northern Iowa before and after coming to the United States (US). Also included in the study was a description of differences in the selected health behaviors by gender, age, marital status, residence type, place of origin, and length of stay in the US. A random sample of 81 international students from about 60 different countries (35% male, 65% female) responded to a 50-item health behavior survey in the Fall semester of 1999.

The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was …

The Effect Of Color On A Controlled Accuracy Test, Kaori Araki

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Human behavior is influenced by the environment and color is one ever present factor in the environment. Consequently, the impact of color on performance cannot be ignored. Previous research on the effect of color on a fine motor skill has not been systematic and results are inconclusive. The purpose of the present study, then, was to examine the effect of color (green, blue, red, and white) on the performance of a controlled target accuracy task (dart throwing). Based on previous literature, it was hypothesized that color would have an effect on performance. The experiment took place in the Psychomotor Behavior …

Physical Activity Patterns Among Physical Education Major Students In Selected Institutions Of China And The United States, Wei Bian

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The benefits associated with regular physical activity have been well documented in recent years. Numerous studies have investigated physical activity patterns among children, adolescents, and adults, yet little work to date has examined the patterns of habitual physical activity participation among pre-service physical education (PE) majors. Furthermore, inasmuch as physical activity affords health benefits irrespective of one's nationality or culture, comparisons among the peoples of nations around the world becomes of greater interest.

This study was designed to examine the leisure-time physical activity patterns of physical education major students in selected institutions from the People's Republic of China (PRC) and …

Factors Affecting The Self-Perceived Continuing Education Needs Of Certified Athletic Trainers, Marchell Cupett Austin

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This purpose of this study was to determine the self-perceived continuing education needs of Certified Athletic Trainers, the factors that affect those needs, and continuing education participation as well as preference for program format. A survey was developed using the domains and tasks depicted by the NATABOC's Role Delineation Study. Respondents rated the importance of their need for continuing education for each task within five domains: prevention of athletic injuries; recognition, evaluation and immediate care of athletic injuries; rehabilitation of athletic injuries; health care administration; and professional development and responsibility. The survey was sent to 2,000 randomly selected Certified Athletic …

The Incidence Of Domestic Violence Among A Group Of Iowa Women In Substance Abuse Treatment, Patricia G. Fitzgerald

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Domestic violence is receiving increasing attention in the media, communities, and classrooms across the country. It is suggested a minimum of from 2 to 3 million women are assaulted by male partners each year in the United States. More than 3 out of every 100 or 1.8 million women were severely assaulted as they were kicked, punched, choked, beaten, threatened with a knife or gun, or had a knife or gun used on them. The contribution of alcohol or drugs to this phenomena is frequently acknowledged but rarely examined in detail. This paper reports the incidence of domestic violence among …

Relationship Between Selected Health Behaviors Practiced And Health Behaviors Encouraged In Instruction Provided By School Health Educators, Terri Long Jedlicka

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine the personal health practices of school health educators endorsed by the Iowa Department of Education to determine if their health practices were consistent with the formal health education instruction they provided. A health education questionnaire and health risk appraisal, designed to obtain information about the personal health practices and formal instruction provided, were sent to a sample of 200 randomly selected school health educators endorsed by the Iowa Department of Education. There were 106 usable responses for a 53% return rate. The majority of the participants in this study were females in …

A Comparison Of The Speed Of Two Defensive Step Patterns By Women Volleyball Players, Sergei Y. Sherstnev

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to compare the speed of two defensive step patterns in volleyball. The shuffle step and long step were evaluated in terms of the speed of the shift of the center of gravity and stability. Subjects were 14 former female collegiate volleyball players. Each subject performed both the shuffle step and the long step in both directions. Statistical analysis revealed no significant difference in speed of the two step patterns, movement time, and height of the center of gravity (p >.05). There was a significant difference in displacement (F = 15.3687, p <.0001). The long step showed significantly greater distance from the line of gravity to the center of the base in the direction of the step than did the shuffle step (F = 24.2806, <.0001). The long step showed significantly greater size of the base of support as compared to the shuffle steps on both sides {F = 55.1042, p <.0001). The long steps demonstrated more mobility in the direction of the step, and the shuffle step showed more stability in the final position.

Constructing Family Health Histories: Connecting Theory And Practice In The Health Education Classroom, Ragene Dalton Gwin

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purposes of this study were to describe how the construction of a multigeneration family health history affected health-related knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and intentions of postsecondary students enrolled in a personal health course; and to determine pedagogical effects of utilizing a multigeneration family health history construction project within that context. This study connects constructivist theory with authentic learning and health education outcomes to better understand what knowledge is important and what instructional methods enhance development of knowledge.

Research questions shaping this investigation included:

1. How does the process of constructing a multigeneration family health history influence health-related knowledge?
2. How does the …

A Study Of The Nature And Delivery Of The Environmental Health Curriculum In Selected Iowa Schools, Grades 9-12, Craig Allen Zoellner

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to describe the nature and extent of environmental health education currently being offered and taught in selected Iowa high schools during grades 9-12. The sample consisted of 136 high schools in Iowa. Schools in this sample were selected based on high school size using random stratified sampling techniques. A questionnaire was constructed to ascertain the nature and extent of environmental health education. Of the 136 questionnaires mailed, 86 were returned. The data were analyzed descriptively by compilation of frequencies and percentages for responses to each question. The results of this study indicated that within …

Proposition 48 Football Players In The Gateway Football Conference: 1986-1991, Todd D. Eagen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of Proposition 48 student athletes competing in football in the Gateway Football Conference. In conjunction with this, the total number of Proposition 48 student athletes at each institution since its implementation was determined. Individual data concerning most often failed requirement, college grade point average, and progression towards a degree were also extracted. Finally, opinions of the head football coaches in the conference concerning Proposition 48 were revealed. Subjects for this study included any Proposition 48 football player entering any of the seven conference schools between the Fall of 1986 …

Predicting Adolescent Aids-Related Risk Behavior From Psychosocial Factors: A Replication, Erika Lea Kumerow

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to replicate Hays's (1992) methodology and extend her sample size. Replication of Hays's (1992) results would allow for generalization and would lend support to the path model of sexual activity she proposed.

Subjects for the study were 529 ninth grade students attending four schools in a rural midwestern state. Of the four schools, three were public schools and one was a parochial school. The parochial school was made up of two separate buildings, one located in a metropolitan area and the other in a rural area. Although the buildings were considered to be combined …

Knowledge Of Performance Presented By Visual Graphic Kinematic Information, Dana Lynn Lichty

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Some form of information feedback is considered to be critical in the acquisition of a motor skill (Adams, 1971; Adams, Goetz, & Marshall, 1972; Bilodeau, 1966; Bilodeau, Bilodeau, & Schumsky, 1959). Information feedback provides the learner with information regarding the effectiveness of the response. Bilodeau (1966) defines information feedback 1 as an independent variable which communicates any discrepancy between a response made and the required response. This information can be received either intrinsically or extrinsically.

Predicting Adolescent Aids-Related Risk Behavior From Psychosocial Factors: A Path Analysis, Sharon M. Hays

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study had two purposes. The first was to develop a model for relating the unique and combined contributions of knowledge about AIDS, attitudes toward AIDS, and several psychosocial characteristics to the self-reported sexual activity of adolescents. The second purpose was to validate the proposed causal paths by studying a sample of ninth-grade adolescents and using the results of a path analysis to revise the a priori model.

The model validation study was conducted among 179 ninth-grade adolescents. A questionnaire involving knowledge, attitudinal, psychosocial characteristics, and self-report behavioral information was administered (spring, 1989). The instrument used combined a questionnaire developed …

The Effects Of Two Teaching Methods On Students’ Aids-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs, And Behaviors, Connie M. Ryan

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of two different teaching methodologies on acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of a selected group of undergraduate students at the University of Northern Iowa. The two methods used were a lecture on AIDS for one group of students and the same lecture followed by a panel discussion with individuals upon whom AIDS has had a direct effect on their lives for a second group of students.

Subjects consisted of three sections of students enrolled in an undergraduate personal wellness course at the university. One section of …

A Survey Of Consumer Satisfaction In Residential Treatment Centers In Iowa, David Allen Gates

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The expressed satisfaction of youth in placement in residential treatment centers (RTCs) has not been utilized for maximum benefit. A survey of the consumer's satisfaction with the programs in which they were placed was conducted. Eight of 18 treatment centers participated with a total of 65 surveys completed. Youth ages 12 to 17 in placement in RTCs in Iowa, were randomly selected to respond to 10 questions regarding their level of satisfaction with the program at the center in which they were placed. In general the youth were satisfied with the programs and the staff with whom they worked. They …

Health Interests Of Ninth Grade Students In Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia, Jamel F. Al-Rashad

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to describe the health interests and preferred health education teaching methodologies of selected ninth grade male students in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia.

The review of the literature indicated the importance of taking students' interests into consideration in designing effective and meaningful health education programs. It is hoped that the results of this study will help Saudi authorities develop a health education program that effectively responds to the students' health interests and one that is delivered in the most meaningful fashion to them.

The sample for this study consisted of 250 ninth grade male students …

Philosophies And Practices Regarding Youth Physical Fitness Testing In Iowa Schools, Amy Elizabeth Fuller

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the study was to determine the current philosophies and practices of physical educators regarding physical fitness assessment of children and youth in public and private schools in Iowa. Specifically, the study was designed to investigate the physical fitness assessment preparational procedures, the actual testing procedures, the follow-up procedures to testing, and the professional opinions regarding physical fitness testing of children and youth.

The subjects included physical educators from 79 Iowa schools that participated in the Iowa Youth Fitness Project. These subjects were selected based on their prior involvement in the collection of data concerning the physical fitness …

A Descriptive Study Of Breastfeeding Promotion In Iowa Hospitals, Joyce Kay Hansel

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to describe the practices of selected Iowa hospitals in the promotion of breastfeeding. Routine hospital policies, procedures, and patient education programs regarding breastfeeding mothers and their infants were investigated.

The study sample consisted of hospitals in the state of Iowa which had 200 births or more for the reporting year as listed in the 1989 American Hospital Association Guide to the Health Care Field. Based on this criterion the sample size was 44. A 20 item self-reporting questionnaire was designed and used as the tool for data collection. Frequencies and percentages were reported for …

Prediction Of Maximal Oxygen Consumption In Boys, Ages 11 To 14 Years: An Investigation Of Field Measurements For Use In Schools, Loran D. Erdmann

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study investigated the prediction of maximal oxygen consumption in boys, ages 11 to 14 years, from a shuttle walk protocol and other field measurements appropriate to use in school settings. Maximal oxygen consumption was determined in 67 subjects using a treadmill protocol (M = 52.3 ml^·kg^-1·min^-1, SD = 8.4). Subjects performed an 800-yard shuttle walk as fast as possible on a 20-yard course, with elapsed time recorded. Telemetrically measured postwalk heart rate, height, weight, sum of triceps and subscapular skinfold measurements, body mass index, and exercise frequency were also considered as predictors. Multiple …

The Effects Of Electrical Muscle Stimulation On Strength Gains In Healthy Subjects, Mary Jacobson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

It was the purpose of this study to test the effects of electrical muscle stimulation in developing strength. An additional purpose was to determine if specificity of training occurs with electrical muscle stimulation, in that a slow electrical pulse rate would be more effective in developing strength at slow limb speeds while faster electrical pulse rates would be more effective for strength at a faster limb speed. Thirty subjects were assigned to one of three treatment groups, (control, 5 electrical pulses/s stimulation group, and an 80 electrical pulses/s stimulation group) depending upon their tolerance to the electrical stimulation. Treatment groups …

The Impact Of A Model Inservice Program On The Components Of Comprehensive School Health Education, Susan J. Koch

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Inservice education has been utilized for both professional growth and school improvement in all educational disciplines for more than a century. As the focus of school health education has extended to include the concept of the wellness lifestyle and health promotion, school health educators have employed inservice education as a vehicle for improving the three components of comprehensive school health education: curriculum and instruction, school health services, and the healthful school environment.

One response to the need for professional training of school employees in wellness has been the Seaside inservice model. Initiated in Oregon in 1977, the model is based …