Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Impact Of A Lifestyle Intervention On Risk Factors Of Cardiovascular Disease And Type Ii Diabetes Among At-Risk Hispanic Women, Kathryn A. Wagner

Doctoral Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes are global epidemics affecting approximately 127 and 21 million people in the U.S., respectively. Women who are overweight, obese or who develop glucose intolerance during pregnancy represent high-risk groups for the development of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Hispanic women are both more likely to begin their pregnancies as overweight or obese and have a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes, compared to non-Hispanic whites. However, prior lifestyle interventions have largely been limited to non-Hispanic whites. Therefore, this research assessed how culturally tailored lifestyle modification may affect cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes …

Project Spraoi: The Implementation And Outcomes Of A Process Evaluation Of A School-Based Health Promotion Intervention, Yvonne Larrissa O’Byrne

Theses

Large multi-site school-based interventions are challenging to implement and difficult to evaluate due to the complex adaptive nature of schools as a research setting. This study focused on implementing a comprehensive process evaluation of a multicomponent primary school-based health promotion called Project Spraoi (PS), alongside intervention delivery, to aid the translation of outcomes and understand the moderating role of contextual factors on intervention delivery. PS is led by a physical activity (PA) specialist known as an Energizer and aims to improve children’s PA levels and reduce sedentary time by delivering 20 minutes extra daily moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) during …

The Development, Short-Term Efficacy, And Pilot Implementation Of An E-Learning Course In Physical Activity And Sedentary Behaviour For Pre-Service Early Childhood Educators, Brianne Bruijns

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The overarching purpose of this dissertation was to develop an e-Learning course in physical activity and sedentary behaviour and test its short-term efficacy and implementation among pre- and in-service early childhood educators (ECEs). The Delphi approach was adopted for Study 1, wherein a panel of international experts in physical activity and sedentary behaviour suggested topics for the course and, together with a panel of ECE experts, rated their importance. Study 2 employed a pre-post design to explore the changes in pre- and in-service ECEs’ physical activity and sedentary behaviour-related knowledge, self-efficacy, behavioural intention, and perceived behavioural control following course completion. …

Assessing Physical Activity And Sedentary Time In The Early Years, Leigh M. Vanderloo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The overall purpose of this dissertation was to explore young children’s (18 months to 5 years) physical activity and sedentary time. Study 1 assessed the physical activity and sedentary time among a sample of toddlers from London, Canada using two data processing approaches. Study 2 explored the impact of three different early learning environments, and their respective characteristics (e.g., staff behaviours, equipment, sedentary opportunities, etc.), on preschoolers’ activity levels. Study 3 examined differences in two popular accelerometers used to measure young children’s physical activity and sedentary time to better understand measurement discrepancies.

Study 1 revealed that toddlers engaged in 37.27 …

Feasibility Of A Combined Physical Activity And Sleep Education Intervention For Girls Living In A Low Socioeconomic Status Urban Community, Cory J. Greever

Doctoral Dissertations

Declining sleep duration and poor sleep quality is a public health epidemic disproportionately effecting elementary age girls living in low socioeconomic status urban communities. The Girls Dancing and Sleeping for Health (Girls DASH) program was designed to test the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a combined physical activity and sleep education program in this population. In combination with baseline data from a previously conducted intervention in elementary age urban girls living in a low SES community in Springfield, MA, results from a cross-sectional analysis indicated that greater screen time was positively associated with parental reports of child’s sleep quality. Additionally, …

Icook 4-H: 0 To 24-Month Accelerometer-Derived Physical Activity And Sedentary Time In Youth, Emily Hofer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To assess accelerometer-derived physical activity and sedentary time from 0 to 24- months in youth in the iCook 4-H program. The iCook 4-H Program was a 5-state, randomized, control-treatment, family-based childhood obesity prevention intervention promoting cooking, eating and playing together. Youth, 9-10 years old, and their main adult meal preparer, participated in the 12-week program followed by monthly newsletters and bi-yearly booster sessions until 24-months. Physical activity and sedentary time were determined for youth who wore an Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometer for 7 days at 0, 4, 12, and 24-months and met defined accelerometer compliance standards. Mean daily minutes of sedentary …

Exploring Mothers' Influence On Preschoolers' Physical Activity Levels And Sedentary Time, Alana M. Maltby

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Physical activity (PA) patterns continue from childhood into adulthood; therefore, establishing healthy PA levels early is imperative. Mothers have been identified as influencing preschoolers’ activity behaviours; however, a holistic exploration of maternal influence is lacking. The purpose of this study was to explore maternal influence on preschoolers’ PA and sedentary time. Preschoolers (n = 30) and their mothers wore ActicalTM accelerometers, and mothers completed the adapted Environmental Determinants of Physical Activity in Preschool Children - Parent Survey. Direct entry regression analyses were conducted to explore maternal influence (e.g., support, enjoyment) on preschoolers’ activity levels. Maternal support was a significant predictor …

Does Change In Physical Activity Predict Mental Health Outcomes In Pre-Adolescent African American Girls?, Sarah A. Burkart

Masters Theses

Pediatric obesity is a significant clinical and public health issue for African American girls in which low physical activity (PA) is a contributor. The mother-daughter relationship (MDR) has rarely been examined in the context of improving health behaviors such as PA and mental health outcomes (MHO) within this population. PURPOSE: To examine if change in PA following a 12-week culturally-tailored mother-daughter PA intervention predicts change in MHO variables (self-esteem, depressive symptoms, body image dissatisfaction) and MDR in pre-adolescent African American girls. METHODS: Mothers (n=27; age=36.0±17.0 years; body mass index (BMI)=34.0±7.4 kg/m²) and daughters (n=27; age=9.0±1.4 years; BMI=20.3±5.7 kg/m …

The Relationship Between Opportunity For Physical Activity And Classroom Behavior In School Aged Children., Kortney Lee Aeikens

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between physical activity and students' classroom behavior. This descriptive study explored student classroom behavior. This study is to find answers to the following research question: What is the relationship between negative classroom behavior and the amount of time spent in daily physical activity?

Understanding the effects of physical activity on student classroom behavior can help school teachers and administrators in their creation of school scheduling and policy. A sample of students from grades kindergarten thru second grade was used from Pine Island Public Schools. The data was analyzed using aggregate …

Stress And Depression During Pregnancy Among Hispanic Women: Risk For Adverse Birth Outcomes And The Role Of Physical Activity, Kathleen Szegda

Doctoral Dissertations

Preterm birth and low birth weight are among the leading causes of infant mortality and morbidity in the United States. Puerto Rican women are at increased risk for these adverse birth outcomes and elevated levels of depression and psychosocial stress during pregnancy when compared to non-Hispanic Whites. Therefore, it is important to understand whether these psychological factors increase risk for these adverse birth outcomes and mechanisms to prevent/reduce depression in this high-risk population. The first study of this dissertation examined associations between perceived stress during pregnancy and preterm birth, low birth weight, and birth of a small-for-gestational age infant (SGA) …

Move More Mommy: A Web-Based Physical Activity Intervention For Postnatal Women (Pilot Study), Sarah Gray

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Despite the many benefits of physical activity, postnatal women are not currently meeting Health Canada Guidelines of 150 minutes per week of moderate-vigorous physical activity. This study, Move More Mommy, used a mixed methods design to test the feasibility and acceptability of a web-based intervention combined with a group mediated cognitive behavioural approach, and it’s effectiveness to increase physical activity, self-efficacy, and group cohesion among postnatal women. Participants received an 8-week intervention delivered through 8 group exercise classes and a purpose built website. From baseline to post-intervention, participants significantly increased self-reported physical activity levels and group cohesion. Objectively measured physical …

Parents' Perceptions Of Activity Restrictions In Children With Epilepsy: First Two Years Post-Diagnosis, Nathan C. King

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Children with epilepsy are less physically and socially active than their peers. The objective is to explore whether parents represent a barrier to children’s activity, by examining associations between child and family factors and parents’ perceptions of epilepsy-related activity restrictions. Data were from the Health Related Quality of Life in Children with Epilepsy Study, a longitudinal study of children 4-12 years old with new-onset epilepsy. Parents reported on activity restrictions and family factors and neurologists reported on epilepsy-related characteristics at baseline, 6, 12, and 24 months. Linear mixed models were used to model relationships among child and family factors and …

The Influence Of The Childcare Environment On Physical Activity Among Preschool-Aged Children: A Feasibility Study, Leigh M. Vanderloo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study sought to: (1) measure moderate-vigorous physical activity (PA) levels of a sample of preschoolers; (2) assess which attributes (e.g., space, equipment, policies) within centre-based childcare environments influence PA; and, (3) pilot the methodology to ensure the feasibility of undertaking a full-scale study. Thirty-one preschoolers from five childcare centres across London, Canada participated. Actical® accelerometers were worn by participants for one day during childcare hours to assess activity levels using a 15-second epoch length. The Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation instrument was used to conduct a full-day evaluation of the childcare environment. On average, participants engaged in 11.45 …

Active Video Gaming Compared To Unstructured, Outdoor Play In Children: Measurements Of Estimated Energy Expenditure And Measured Percent Time In Moderate-To-Vigorous Physical Activity, Susan Brittin Macarthur

Masters Theses

It is recommended that children and adolescents participate in > 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day. Despite the current recommendations and positive health benefits, many children and adolescents still do not engage in regular physical activity (PA).

One challenge for assisting children in becoming more active is sedentary screen-based activities (SBAs), such as watching television (TV), using computers, and playing sedentary video games (VGs), as SBAs may compete with time for being physically active in children. One modification to sedentary VGs that may increase PA in children is to alter them so that the VGs actually provide an …

Physical Activity Among Latino Children In London, Ontario: An Assessment Of Physical Activity Levels, Sedentary Behaviours, And Physical Activity-Related Barriers And Facilitators, Gillian E. Mandich

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of the study was to assess the physical activity (PA) levels, sedentary behaviours, and PA-related barriers and facilitators of a sample of Latino children in London, Canada. Forty boys and 34 girls (mean age = 11.4 years) completed questionnaires related to PA levels, sedentary behaviours, and PA-related barriers and facilitators, and 64 of these children wore an accelerometer for 4 consecutive days. Children spent an average of 53 minutes per day in moderate-to-vigorous PA. The average daily sedentary time for participants was 8.6 hours, and subjective measures revealed that participants spent 3.8 hours per day in front of …