Kinesiology Commons^™

Accuracy And Precision Of Wearable Camera Media Annotations To Estimate Dimensions Of Physical Activity And Sedentary Behavior, Julian Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

Physical activity (PA) is a complex behavior to measure given its sporadic nature and its all-encompassing definition as bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that result in increased energy expenditure. Sedentary behavior (SB) is another complex health behavior to measure as it is more exactly defined as sitting, reclining, or lying while having an energy expenditure ≤ 1.5 metabolic equivalents (METs). For both PA and SB, it is important to measure the dimensions of frequency, intensity, duration and type of activity being performed when associating the volume of PA and SB with different health outcomes. However, commonly used measurement tools …

Using Music To Modify Step-Rate And Running Biomechanics In Healthy Runners, Erin Marie Lally

Theses and Dissertations

Context: Running-related injury (RRI) is a significant public health issue that may be caused by injurious running biomechanics. Increasing step-rate (SR) using gait retraining may prevent and treat RRI. The Optimizing Performance Through Intrinsic Motivation and Attention for Learning (OPTIMAL) theory indicates enhanced expectancies, autonomy, and external focus of attention will optimize motor learning. Music has been shown to create enhanced expectancies, can provide incidental choices (autonomy), directs attention externally, and may increase compliance. No studies have investigated if music can be used to alter SR and running biomechanics or strategies that may improve compliance to gait retraining. Objective: The …

Educational Environments And Children's Physical Activity And Sedentary Behaviors, Nathan R. Tokarek

Theses and Dissertations

Children and adolescents spend the majority of their day engaged in sedentary behaviors (SB), while also not meeting physical activity (PA) recommendations. The failure to develop and maintain health enhancing behaviors from a young age may impact an individual throughout their life. With children and adolescents spending a large proportion of their waking hours in a school setting, the educational environment presents an opportunity in which children and adolescents’ PA and SB can be positively influenced. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was to explore how children and adolescent’s school time PA and SB are associated with the educational setting, …

Full-Body Biomechanical Characterization Of Children With Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome During Gait And Activities Of Daily Living, Anahita Alahmoradiqashqai

Theses and Dissertations

Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) is an inherited connective tissue disorder, often under-diagnosed, and presenting with frequent chronic pain and severe musculoskeletal symptoms that can drastically reduce the quality of life during one’s life span. While there are limited quantitative approaches in the literature on adult movements, the biomechanics of movements during activities of daily living (ADLs) in children have not been investigated comprehensively. Therefore, the primary purpose of this dissertation was to characterize the biomechanics of the musculoskeletal system and investigate the biomechanics of hEDS by quantifying joint dynamics and muscle activations during ADLs and gait in the pediatric population. …

Effects Of Seat And Axle Position On Pain, Pathology, And Independence In Pediatric Manual Wheelchair Users With Spinal Cord Injury, Hannah Frank

Theses and Dissertations

Manual wheelchair (MWC) users with spinal cord injury (SCI) rely heavily on their upperextremities to complete daily occupations. Due to repetitive shoulder use during wheelchair mobility and propulsion, MWC users are at greater risk of shoulder pain and shoulder pathology, and thus decreased independence, and lower quality of life. The relative fit of the wheelchair and its parameters are critical and can further impact the user’s propulsion biomechanics. Parameters such as seat angle and axle position may put the user in detrimental shoulder positions for longer periods of time, impacting health outcomes even more. Although the effects of wheelchair setup …

Central Sensitization, Muscle Function, And Knee Kinematics In Females With Patellofemoral Pain, Kemery Jean Sigmund

Theses and Dissertations

Context: Females with patellofemoral pain (PFP) are at higher risk, have higher rates, and experience worse long-term outcomes than males. Structural and functional changes have been observed in pain networks and neuromuscular systems in individuals with PFP. Central sensitization describes dysfunctional pain modulation which could lead to altered neuromuscular control. Evidence examining relationships between central sensitization and muscle function in PFP is lacking.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine whether females with PFP exhibit signs of central sensitization compared to pain-free females. Then, after grouping each individual based on her quantitative sensory test results into a centrally …

Upper Extremity Kinematics And Pain Outcomes During Activities Of Daily Living In Pediatric Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Olivia Yanez Wilwert

Theses and Dissertations

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a group of heritable connective tissue disorders, consisting of thirteen different subtypes. Among the thirteen, Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) is the most common. Individuals with this condition present with frequent joint instability that results in ongoing subluxations and dislocations. Secondary diagnoses of this condition include chronic pain, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The diagnostic process of hEDS is convoluted by the lack of a genetic identifier (Malfait et al., 2017). Individuals with hEDS are often not diagnosed until later in adulthood, leaving their adolescent life full …

Quantitative Evaluation Of Geared Manual Wheelchair Mobility In Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury: An Integrative Approach, Omid Jahanian

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to quantify the effects of using geared wheelchair wheels on upper extremity biomechanics and energy expenditure during functional mobility tasks in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). The effects of using geared wheels on hand-rim biomechanics, glenohumeral joint dynamics, and shoulder muscle activity were investigated during manual wheelchair propulsion over tiled and carpeted level-floors and up a ramp in low gear (1.5:1) and standard gear (1:1) conditions. The results for the hand-rim biomechanics indicated that regardless of the terrain, using the geared wheels in the low gear condition significantly decreased the propulsion speed, stroke …

Investigating The Hip And Trunk Kinematic And Strength Differences Between Those With A History Of Exertional Medial Tibial Pain And Healthy Controls, Allison Hocking

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Exertional medial tibial pain (EMTP) has been shown to be one of the leading injuries in females who have weakened hip strength. Increased trunk and hip kinematic excursion and decreased hip external rotation and hip abductor strength are related to injury in the athletic population but there is a lack of research in the role of hip strength in the development of exertional medial tibial pain in competitive female runners. Purpose: Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate differences in hip strength, hip kinematics, and trunk kinematics between those with a previous history of exertional medial tibial …

Replacing Sedentary Behavior With A Light Intensity Physical Activity In The Homes Of Older Adults, Nicholas Louis Lerma

Theses and Dissertations

Aging is positively correlated with time spent in sedentary behavior (SB), which has been found to be linked to premature mortality, cardiovascular disease risk, and functional limitations. Moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) is a potent stimulus for preventing and improving functional limitations in older adults, but less than 17% of the older adult population meets the recommended PA guidelines. While increased time spent in SB is detrimental to health in all, the impact among those that are physically inactive appear to be most pronounced. Recent evidence suggests increasing light-intensity physical activity (LPA) in these populations may provide health benefits and could …

The Impact Of Stand-Biased Desks On After-School Physical Activity Behaviors In Children, Nathan Tokarek

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess changes in after-school time spent performing sedentary behavior (SB), light intensity physical activity (LPA), and moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) among elementary school children in response to the introduction of stand-biased desks in the classroom. Thirty-one 6th grade participants randomly assigned by their teacher to a traditional (CON) or stand-biased (INT) desk provided complete accelerometer data. After-school PA and SB were measured on four consecutive weekdays at baseline and 10-weeks. Wilcoxon Rank Sum Tests were used to detect significant differences (p<0.10) in changes in the proportion of after-school wear time performing SB and PA between groups. Results suggested no significant differences in changes in after-school time performing SB (p=0.770), LPA (p=0.740), or MVPA (p=0.470). Significant differences in the change in moderate PA (INT: -1.4%; CON: -0.2%, p=0.093) were detected. Stand-biased desks were not detrimental to children’s after-school PA and SB.

Upper Extremity Kinematic And Kinetic Comparison Of Anterior Versus Posterior Walkers During Functional Activities In Children With Cerebral Palsy, Chris Burckardt

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Investigating the differences in upper extremity (UE) joint biomechanics between anterior and posterior walkers has been explored in limited contexts, even though research has shown that prolonged use of walking aids can lead to UE joint weakening or musculoskeletal injuries. Recent studies have investigated some of these differences in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy (CP) during gait; however, no research has been conducted that compare these UE joint biomechanical differences during functional activities or activities of daily living (ADLs). The aim of this study is to use motion analysis to compare kinematic and kinetic differences between anterior and …

The Lived Experiences Of An Injured Athlete And Members Of A Performance Management Team During Injury Rehabilitation: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Courtney Wynne Hess

Theses and Dissertations

In response to an ever growing understanding of the biopsychosocial nature of health and well-being, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to rehabilitation have grown in acceptance over the past decade. Studies that have explored the effect of these two approaches have found them to be effective in improving rehabilitation outcomes (McAlister et al., 2001; Tur et al., 2003). Although they have been shown to be objectively effective, the impact that these approaches have on the lived experiences of the team employing them, and the athlete or patient they serve, is not well understood. As such, the purpose of the current study …

The Effects Of Static Stretching Versus Dynamic Stretching On Lower Extremity Joint Range Of Motion, Static Balance, And Dynamic Balance, Wenqing Wang

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of static stretching (SS) versus dynamic stretching (SS) on lower extremity joint range of motion (ROM), static balance, and dynamic balance. Fifteen active subjects with tight hamstring and calf muscles participated. Hip flexion and knee extension ROM angle was measured using a fluid inclinometer. A closed-chain method of measuring ankle dorsiflexion ROM was used. Static balance was assessed in single-leg stance on a force plate using the time-to-boundary (TTB) measurement. The Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) was used to assess dynamic balance in three directions. These measurements were assessed before …

Examining Mediators To Physical Activity As A Link To Interventional Efforts Aimed At Increasing Activity Levels And Improving Physical Functioning In Older Adults, Christopher Dondzila

Theses and Dissertations

The number of older adults living in the United States is growing at an increasingly rapid rate, and is host to a high prevalence of chronic diseases and physical impairments. Physical activity and exercise have been shown to be beneficial in impacting such conditions, yet the majority of older adults remain inactive. The purpose of this dissertation was to employ a sequence of studies to investigate mediators to physical activity, leading to an intervention to increase activity and promote health.

The purpose of Project VOICE was to examine whether awareness and utilization of community resources to promote physical activity and …

Investigation Of Web-Based Motivational Interviewing To Increase Physical Activity Participation Among Adults, Sasha Karnes

Theses and Dissertations

Interventions to enhance physical activity (PA) participation are needed given the high prevalence of under-activity and inactivity (CDC, 2001) and related occurrence of negative health consequences among the general adult population (Kung, Hoyert, Xu, & Murphy, 2008). Preliminary support for a therapeutic technique called Motivational Interviewing (MI) suggests promise for application to enhance PA participation (Burke, Arkowitz, & Menchola, 2003). Given the need for interventions to enhance PA and the preliminary support for MI as an intervention to increase PA, the aims of the current study were to: (a) determine if web-based MI is effective in enhancing PA participation, and …

Effects Of Physical Exertion And Alignment Alterations On Trans-Tibial Amputee Gait, And Concurrent Validity Of Prosthesis-Integrated Measurement Of Gait Kinetics, Goeran Fiedler

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of slight changes in the alignment of the artificial limb of trans-tibial amputees on the walking pattern on the level of forces and moments, particularly when physical exertion levels increase. Two alignment conditions were assessed in ten trans-tibial amputees while walking with low and with "strong" levels of exertion. Two separate data collection methods were utilized simultaneously: a conventional motion analysis, and continuous recordings from prosthesis-integrated force sensors. While the former was used to compare bilateral leg symmetry across conditions, the latter allowed analyzing unilateral step variability within subjects. This paper presents both analyses in …

Development Of A Methodology For The Quantification Of Physiological Load For Soccer Players, Robert W. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

The overall aim of this research project was to devise valid mathematical models for quantifying the physiological load (PL) of practices and competitions for female and male NCAA Division I collegiate soccer players. Data from sub-maximal and maximal effort tests were used to construct these models. After development of the physiological load quantification (PLQ) models, the validity of them occurred by comparing them to the physiological gold standard of performed work, volume of oxygen consumed (V*O2). Last, comparisons of the scores from the PLQ models to the PL scores from the previous models occurred. In combination these three studies have …