Life Sciences Commons^™

Racial Disparities In Gestational Weight Gain, Body Mass Index, And Physical Activity During Pregnancy And After Delivery, Marcey Acacia Jiles

Theses and Dissertations

Background & Purpose: African American women have higher rates of obesity than white women. Pregnancy is characterized by rapid weight gain, and 48.8% of women in South Carolina exceed recommended limits. Prenatal exercise is recommended and may help prevent excessive gestational weight gain (GWG). Our purpose was to determine whether GWG and prenatal exercise levels differed between African American and Caucasian women.

Methods: We included 79 women who delivered a singleton infant 6 months - 3 years ago and were free from smoking, type 1 or 2 diabetes, or use of steroids or protease inhibitors (mean age =31.3 yrs; mean …

Physical Activity And Sedentary Behavior During And After Pregnancy And Postpartum Weight Retention, Kaitlyn Taylor Ramey

Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE

Pregnancy is associated with increased changes in body weight that can shape long-term health in women. Previous studies have shown that increased prenatal physical activity and decreased sedentary time correlated with less excessive gestational weight gain. Little is known about how leisure time exercise and sedentary behavior affects postpartum weight retention. The aim of our study was to identify how sedentary behavior and leisure time physical activity, both mid-pregnancy and after pregnancy, relate to postpartum weight retention from 6 months to 3 years after childbirth.

METHODS

A total of 79 women who delivered a singleton infant 6-months …

Clinical Determinants Of Vo2 Max Response To Endurance Training: Heritage Family Study, Emanuel Ayala

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Maximal oxygen uptake trainability (U+0394VO₂max) is largely determined by non-modifiable traits. However, less is known of the contribution of modifiable phenotypes to VO₂max response to endurance training. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between baseline cardiopulmonary, metabolic, and body composition traits and U+0394VO₂max.

Methods: Subjects were 717 healthy, physically inactive adults (44% female, 34% Black) who completed a 20-week, highly standardized, endurance training program as part of the HERITAGE Family Study. Resting and exercise phenotypes were collected at baseline and post-training. A total of 33 variables related to cardiopulmonary, …

The Influence Of Adhd On Concussion In Ncaa College Athletes, Brett Steven Gunn

Theses and Dissertations

Evidence suggests attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be associated with an increased incidence of concussion; however, no study has cross-sectionally (Aim 1) and longitudinally (Aim 2) assessed the associations of ADHD with concussion. Additionally, there is reason to expect cognitive alterations following concussion in athletes with ADHD. Further, there is currently no study that has evaluated the influence of common medications often taken to mitigate some symptoms of ADHD, such as methylphenidate and amphetamines. Therefore, we sought to longitudinally assess cognitive profiles (Aim 3) of athletes with ADHD taking medication (ADHD+Rx) and not taking medication (ADHD_uRx) at baseline, 24-48 hours …

Multiple Processes Predict Motor Learning And Impairments After A Stroke, Christopher Michael Perry

Theses and Dissertations

Acquiring, refining, and adapting motor skills allows for successful interaction with our environment to perform daily activities such as driving, cooking, and self-care. Those with stroke often exhibit a compromised ability to relearn motor skills affected by their stroke resulting in chronic disability. Previous rehabilitation studies suggest that deficits in skilled limb movement primarily contributes to deficits after a stroke. However, studies in motor skill performance suggests that multiple behavioral features including visual search, eye-hand coordination and visuomotor decisions also contribute to improved performance. Currently, it is not known if refinements in multiple behavioral features independently contribute to motor learning, …

The Influence Of Sport Participation On Physical Activity In Youth, Emily R. Shull

Theses and Dissertations

Youth sport participation has been widely supported as a strategy for promoting physical activity in children and youth. Previous research has identified positive associations between youth sport participation and children’s physical activity levels. However, there is a paucity of research regarding characteristics of youth sport that may affect the amount and intensity of physical activity youth attain during sport participation. This dissertation is comprised of three studies, and the overall purpose is to examine how characteristics of youth sport associate with children’s physical activity. In the first study, the relationship between types of sport participation and objectively measured physical activity …

Performance Of The Wrist-Worn Actigraph Gt3x + In Measuring Physical Activity In Older Women, Michal Talley Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Being able to accurately measure physical activity intensity and energy expenditure is crucial to understanding the role physical activity plays in lowering the risk for disease. This thesis aims to examine the performance of the wrist-worn GT3X+ in measuring PAEE and classifying activity intensity in a healthy non-obese population of older women. Methods: Baseline data collected in the Women’s Energy Expenditure in Walking Programs Study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01722136) were used. PAEE was measured concurrently for 2 weeks using the doubly labeled water method in combination with indirect calorimetry, the GT3X+ ActiGraph accelerometer (GT3X+, ActiGraph LLC, Pensacola, FL), and the …

The Relationship Of Structured Environments With Children’S Body Composition And Obesogenic Behaviors, Ethan T. Hunt

Theses and Dissertations

Recent nationally representative data show among children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years, the prevalence of obesity is 17.0% (95CI= 15.5%-18.6%). Further, rates of obesity are disproportionately high among minoritized youth. The prevalence of children and adolescents with obesity is lower among White children compared to Black children (14.7% vs. 19.5%) or Hispanic children (14.7% vs. 21.9%). Disparities by socioeconomic status exist as well. Prevalence of children with obesity from households with an income that is >350% of the federal poverty threshold (after accounting for household size) is significantly less compared to children from households with an income that …

Effects Of Basketball Exercise Simulation Test (Best) On Landing Mechanics In Active Females, Madison Treece

Theses and Dissertations

Intro: In the United States, female basketball players have the second highest rate of ACL injury, following female soccer players. This injury rate is four times higher than their male counterparts. These injuries occur more frequently at the end of the first and second halves and may be associated with exercise-induced fatigue causing knee instability. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the effects of a basketball simulation test on landing mechanics. Methods: Six subjects completed both the intervention and the control trial consisting of four 10-min quarter game simulations of the validated Basketball Exercise Simulation …

Strengthening The Evidence-Base Of Youth Nutrition Programs: A Three Part Approach, Rebecca Kyryliuk

Theses and Dissertations

National dietary guidelines recommend that children’s diets consist of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, while limiting high-fat foods. Studies indicate, however, that children consume an abundance of sugar-sweetened, calorically dense foods and are lacking in fruit and vegetables, behaviors which significantly contribute to high rates of childhood obesity and subsequent, lifelong, detrimental health impacts. This dissertation provides new knowledge to strengthen the evidence-base and inform future best practices in youth nutrition programming so that more children will have the opportunity to meet national dietary recommendations. Three distinct investigations sought to 1) examine current and past youth dietary intake by comparing …

Examination Of Energy Needs And Female Athlete Triad Components In Competitive Cheerleaders, Allison Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The sport of cheerleading has grown immensely over the recent decades. The current sport requires full body athletic abilities like gymnastics, ballet, and swimming and diving. These sports have previously reported high rates of eating disorder (ED) risk, body image dissatisfaction, and Female Athlete Triad (Triad) components (low energy availability with or without and eating disorder, menstrual cycle dysfunction, and low bone mineral density). Scientific research examining these factors within cheerleaders has been limited. The purpose of this study was to examine overall ED risk across cheerleading team type (All-Star, college), squad type (all-girl, coed), and by position (flyer, base, …

Milk-Fat Intake And Differences In Abdominal Adiposity And Bmi: Evidence Based On 13,544 Randomly Selected Adults, Klarissa Rae Wilkinson

Theses and Dissertations

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between milk-fat intake and obesity, particularly abdominal obesity, in 13,544 U.S. adults. A secondary objective was to determine the extent to which the association was influenced by multiple potential confounding variables. This cross-sectional study used data from the 2011–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Level of milk-fat content regularly consumed was the exposure variable. Body mass index (BMI) and sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD), a measure of abdominal obesity, were the outcome variables. SAD correlates strongly with visceral fat, when measured by computed tomography, and has been shown …