Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Student Wellness During Curriculum Implementation Of A Lifestyle Medicine Approach Within The Social-Ecological Model: A Longitudinal Study., Betsy J. Becker, Tessa Wells, Kathleen G. Volkman, Nicole M. Sleddens, Teresa Cochran

Posters and Presentations: Physical Therapy

Purpose

The student-life experience is an ideal time to implement lifelong wellness behaviors needed for the professional role. The ongoing effects of the COVID pandemic have amplified the need for Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) educational programs to train an emerging workforce that can, through personal wellness, withstand the stressors of personal and professional lives. The study purpose is to: a) evaluate the change in student wellness from matriculation to mid-program to completion after implementation of a curriculum based on a lifestyle medicine approach within the Social-Ecological Model, and b) compare student wellness between cohorts that matriculated before and during …

Effective Occupational Therapy Interventions To Decrease Picky Eating In Children: A Systematic Review, Savannah L. Jacobsen, Josie Cox, Alli Bos, Cherokee Ferguson, Stacey Smallfield, Molly Whitlow

Student Systematic Reviews: Occupational Therapy

PURPOSE: Picky eating is related to the lack of consumption in food variety by children when shown different foods (Wolstenholme et al., 2020). A 2015 study reported that almost half of children experience a period of picky eating at some point during early childhood, including almost 15% of children for whom picky eating does not resolve by age 6 (Cardona et al., 2015). The purpose of this systematic review is to identify interventions within the scope of occupational therapy that increase food acceptance in children under the age of seven years who demonstrate picky eating characteristics and who have no …

Zoom In To Fitness: A Novel Way Of Bringing Fitness Experts To Seniors, Tessa Wells, Jenna Boyd, Gabriel Fisher, Victoria Kranz, Mckenzi Petricko

Posters and Presentations: Physical Therapy

Participants will discover a how a local educational institution was able to think creatively and bring much-needed programming to local seniors during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Participants will also experience first-hand how a virtual physical activity session can be delivered safely and effectively in the comfort of the senior’s own living environment or a group fitness room environment. Participants will be asked to think creatively of possible community partners, as well as possible barriers and facilitators to implementing this innovative wellness strategy. Information will be presented regarding additional activities that could be presented in this format such …

Gender-Specific Effects On Muscle Activation During Incline Treadmill Walking: A Virtual Perturbation Study For Future Astronauts, Jie Hao, Robin High, Ka-Chun Siu

Posters and Presentations: Physical Therapy

Introduction Microgravity-induced muscle atrophy is a critical issue for astronauts in spaceflight [1]. To overcome neuromuscular deconditioning, combining virtual reality (VR) with treadmill training protocol could be a promising countermeasure for astronauts to enhance muscle activities and maximize the training effect [2]. Our previous study [3] found the presence of visual perturbation significantly increased muscle activation while walking on incline treadmill, compared with no visual perturbation; surprisingly, we found females had more pronounced muscle responses than males. Based upon these findings, this study aimed to investigate the effects of different visual rotation speeds and different types of visual perturbation on …

Occupational Therapy Interventions For Adls In Adults Post-Tbi With Visual Symptoms: A Systematic Review, Connor Jarman Bs, Olivia Vander Haar Bms, Lauren Wobken Bs, Stacy Smallfield Drot, Msot, Otr/L, Bcg, Faota, Molly Whitlow Phd, Mph

Student Systematic Reviews: Occupational Therapy

PURPOSE: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and injury in the United States. In fact, it is estimated that 1.5 million Americans experience them every year (CDC, 2022). Visual impairments may be a symptom following TBI (Richman, 2014). This affects an individual’s ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) such as dressing, hygiene, and functional mobility, including the reading required for these activities. The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesize the evidence and intervention options within the scope of occupational therapy for adults post-TBI experiencing visual symptoms.

DESIGN: We conducted a systematic review …

Occupational Therapy Interventions To Optimize Functional Use Of The Upper Extremity After Peripheral Nerve Injury: A Systematic Review, Shayleigh Clarkson, Allison Fisher, Sean Mcfadden, Payton Swanson, Molly Whitlow, Stacy Smallfield

Student Systematic Reviews: Occupational Therapy

PURPOSE: Peripheral nerve injuries are a distinct group of injuries that are commonly caused by motor vehicle accidents, falls, industrial accidents, household accidents, and penetrating trauma (Kamble et al., 2019). A peripheral nerve injury can affect an individual’s daily occupations and routines due to unrelenting pain, loss of sensation, and/or burning sensations. Peripheral nerve injuries can result in motor loss and subsequent muscle imbalance which can create functional loss (Chae et al., 2020). The purpose of this systematic review was to provide occupational therapists with evidence supporting the use of interventions to increase the functional use of the upper extremity …

The Development Of A Well-Being Program For Occupational Therapy Graduate Students, Stacy Smallfield, Emma Burry, Kelsey M. Lawrence, Kathy M. Yang, Katherine M. Chin, Hannahmarie Klute

Journal Articles: Occupational Therapy

High levels of stress among occupational therapy graduate students have led to the adoption of unhealthy coping habits such as poor nutrition, little exercise, and disrupted sleep. In response, many institutions have explored programming and even curricular changes to support student well-being. However, very few are built upon a strong theoretical foundation to address holistic well-being. Therefore, this paper describes how logic modeling was used to develop a student well-being program based on Facilitating Learning and Occupational Well-Being Using Research-Based Initiatives for Student Health (FLOURISH), a theoretical approach rooted in the Person-Environment-Occupation Performance Model. A well-being program delivered via a …

Self-Care: An Occupational Therapy Student Perspective, Isabelle Laposha, Stacy Smallfield

Journal Articles: Occupational Therapy

Health professional students, including occupational therapy students, report increasing rates of stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout while completing their academic programs of study. Self-care is one potential solution to this crisis, as engagement in evidence-based self-care practices has been found to improve the health and well-being of various student populations; however, the self-care practices of occupational therapy students have not been well studied. Therefore, this study explored how occupational therapy students understand and practice self-care, and how self-care correlates to perceived stress. Twenty participants engaged in a focus group and completed a 72-hour time diary. Focus group results indicated that …

Rapid Student Assessment And Review Program (R-Star) Training Manual ©, Nicole M. Sleddens

Manuals: Physical Therapy

No abstract provided.

Effectiveness Of Functional Cognition Intervention For Adults With Traumatic Brain Injuries: A 
Systematic Review, Lauren Mccormick, Madison Otte, Delaney Hill, Emily Leahy, Stacy Smallfield, Molly Whitlow

Student Systematic Reviews: Occupational Therapy

Purpose: An estimated 5.3 million Americans are living with a permanent disability due to having a traumatic brain injury (TBI) (CDC, 1999). A common deficit seen in this population includes impaired functional cognition, which is the ability to use and integrate thinking and processing skills to complete complex instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) (Giles et al., 2017). Occupational therapy practitioners support individuals post-TBI by creating and implementing occupation-based interventions during rehabilitation to optimize functional cognition and improve individuals' ability to complete IADLs. This study aims to identify the effectiveness of interventions within the scope of occupational therapy practice …

Physical Activity For Adl Performance In Older Adults With Dementia: A Systematic Review, Clancy Hesseltine, Josiah Heun, Murphy Porter, Sam Wyrick, Stacy Smallfield, Molly Whitlow

Student Systematic Reviews: Occupational Therapy

PURPOSE: An estimated 5.8 million people in the United States live with dementia. By the year 2060, this number is expected to climb as high as 14 million people (CDC, 2019). Performance and participation in activities of daily living (ADLs) is a primary goal of occupational therapy. Exercise intervention is an occupational therapy approach for individuals with dementia that will increase ADL performance (Giebel et al., 2015). The present study examined the effects of physical exercise to maintain or improve activities of daily living performance for adults with dementia.

DESIGN: This systematic review of systematic reviews examined whether physical activity …

Ease-Ing Dpt Students Into The Acute Care Environment, Nicole M. Sleddens, Tessa Wells, Stacie Mae Larreau Christensen, Kellie Clapper, Lora Pieper

Posters and Presentations: Physical Therapy

Purpose: The Early Acute Service Experience program (EASE) is a dual-purpose program that prepares physical therapy students to transition from the academic setting to the acute clinical environment while providing a helpful service to key clinical partners. Methods/Description: This program requirement begins as students are assigned a weekend in the second semester of the DPT curriculum to work with a physical therapist in the hospital. As the first step in their orientation, students complete an e-learning module which focuses on the knowledge, skills, and abilities required in the acute care clinical environment. Once a student has completed the module and …

Enhancing The Patient Experience Through Innovative Quality Improvement Education, Tami Struessel, Betsy J. Becker, Nicole M. Sleddens

Posters and Presentations: Physical Therapy

The “Patient Experience” arm of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Quadruple Aim is defined by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) as quality care that is safe, effective, patient-centered, timely efficient, and equitable. The IOM called for a uniform approach to health professions education utilizing five core competencies to achieve high-quality care. “All health professionals should be educated to deliver patient-centered care as members of an interdisciplinary team, emphasizing evidence-based practice, quality improvement approaches, and informatics.” Physical Therapy educators have expanded curricula to teach three of these five competencies. We routinely teach that physical therapists practice in interprofessional teams to provide …

The Effect Of Obstacle Intervals On Foot Integrated Pressure And Obstacle Negotiation Strategy, Zhuo Wang

Theses & Dissertations

When stepping over a single obstacle, despite of some spatiotemporal parameter changes, the impulse of the leading and trailing leg stays the same. This is considered an efficient obstacle avoidance strategy. However, research has shown that the strategy of multiple obstacles negotiation is different from a single obstacle crossing. Would this efficient strategy still exist during multiple obstacles negotiation? This study attempted to answer this question. Nineteen healthy young adults were recruited in this study. Each participant was required to complete 15 trials under 3 conditions: one-step, two-step, and three-step intervals. Data were collected for foot integrated pressure (FIP), walking …

Adaptation Of Human Locomotion And Unilateral Limb Loading During Different Inclination Treadmill Walking, Yuhang Zhang

Theses & Dissertations

Human locomotion is adaptive in any external environment or different terrains, which has been widely investigated. For example, people can walk at different walking speeds in each leg on a split-belt treadmill. However, human locomotor behaviors are passively adapted during the split-belt treadmill walking. Therefore, the knowledge of how humans actively adjust the flexibility of locomotion is limited by using the split-belt treadmill. To address this gap, this study investigated the flexibility of locomotion by using a 4-lb ankle weight on the dominant leg to induce the asymmetric walking pattern when walking on the inclined, declined, and level treadmill. Twenty …

Quantifying Fear Of Falling By Utilizing Objective Body Sway And Muscle Contraction Measures, Chenfan Gui

Theses & Dissertations

Fear of falling (FOF) is a psychological condition that can lead to increased morbidity and mortality in the elder population. However, the subjective and multidimensional nature of FOF resulted in the limitations of existing FOF measurements, which could influence the quality of those studies. The present study aimed to quantify FOF by using objective center of pressure (COP) trajectories and muscle contraction of the lower extremity to compensate for those limitations. Nineteen young healthy adults (24 years ± 2.47) were recruited in the present study. Subjects were required to watch three 360-degree videos, one control video and two roller coaster …

Is The Walking Pattern Similar Between Slope Walking And Obstacle Negotiation?, Jiani Lu

Theses & Dissertations

Studying biomechanical characteristics of human motion sheds light on the motor control strategies in the central nervous system. Slope walking and obstacle negotiation appear to have some similarities in control strategies based on subjective observation, but these two motions have never been compared objectively in biomechanics literature. This study aimed to investigate the similarities between obstacle negotiation and slope walking in kinematics and muscle activity. The similarities were determined by the correlation of the maximum heel elevation and muscle co-activation index between obstacle negotiation and inclined treadmill walking. The strength of correlation was compared in four different pairs of conditions: …

Effects Of Virtual Reality Intervention On Neural Plasticity In Stroke Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review, Jie Hao, Haoyu Xie, Kimberly Harp, Zhen Chen, Ka-Chun Siu

Posters and Presentations: Physical Therapy

Effects of virtual reality intervention on neural plasticity in stroke rehabilitation: a systematic review Background: Virtual reality (VR) has been increasingly adopted in medicine for recent decades, and this emerging technology has shown promising results in stroke rehabilitation. As a computer-generated simulation technology, VR creates an enriched and gamified environment, facilitate task-specific training and provides multimodal feedback to augment the functional recovery by driving the experience-dependent neural plasticity. Currently, a majority of research focuses on effects of VR on functional recovery and clinical outcomes; understanding how the neural underpinnings of those effects are critical for optimizing the use of VR …

Can Incline Treadmill Walking Protocol Be Augmented By Visual Perturbation For Physical Therapy Use?, Jie Hao, Ka-Chun Siu

Posters and Presentations: Physical Therapy

Purpose/Hypothesis: Incline treadmill walking (ITW) has been used in different patients receiving physical therapy. Given the critical role of visual information in human locomotion, integrating visual perturbation (VP) to treadmill training could induce the challenge to patients, magnifying the training effects. However, literature regarding how VP influences muscle activation during ITW is limited. Knowledge gaps exist in whether and how the muscle is modulated by the systematically manipulated visual information. We hypothesized that VP could increase muscle activation during ITW, and larger VP could elicit higher muscle activation. Number of subjects: 28 healthy young adults (20-33 years old). Experiment One …

Occupational Therapy Student Perceptions Of Wellness: Focus Group Findings, Kelsey Lawrence, Katherine Chin, Stacy Smallfield

Journal Articles: Occupational Therapy

Despite the evidence of significant consequences stemming from the intense demands on students, most graduate-level programs have insufficiently considered components of students’ wellness. Thus, the purpose of this research study was two-pronged: 1) to evaluate current occupational therapy students’ perceptions of wellness and 2) to explore student perceptions on using communities of practice as a program delivery method to enhance wellness. A qualitative study design was selected to gather experiences and feedback from occupational therapy graduate students. Participants were recruited via email from a convenience sample of a large, research-based Midwestern occupational therapy program. Participants attended one focus group and …

A Web-Based Intervention Is Feasible For Supporting Weight Loss And Increased Activity In Rural Women With Arthritis, Patricia A. Hageman, Christine Eisenhauer, Joseph E. Mroz, Rebecca Johnson Beller

Journal Articles: Physical Therapy

Rural women have well documented health disparities, with higher prevalence of obesity and chronic conditions, including arthritis. Change in weight and actigraph-recorded data were examined in a subset of 63 of 82 women with physician-diagnosed arthritis who completed a 30-month web-based clinical trial. Repeated measures analyses showed women lost weight from baseline to six months, slowly regained at 18 and 30 months, ending with a lower weight than baseline F(1,62)=40.89, p<0.001, η2p =0.40. Of 53 women with complete data, activity increased at six months, decreased at 18 months, and increased at 30 months F(1,52)=4.14, p =.04, η2p=0.07. Women showed improved change in weight and activity from baseline at six, 18 and 30 months. This study adds support that web-based programs may promote weight loss and activity in a hard-to-reach, underserved population of midlife and older rural women with arthritis

Joint Loading Factors Of Articular Cartilage Structure In Healthy And Acl-Injured Knees, Elizabeth Wellsandt

Theses & Dissertations

Articular cartilage structure and chondrocyte health are sensitive and reliant on dynamic joint loading during activities. The risk of osteoarthritis (OA) is high after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, but mechanisms underlying its development are poorly understood. The overall goals of this work were 1) to determine the association between measures of individual and cumulative knee joint loading with T2 relaxation times in the knee cartilage of young individuals without injury and 2) to determine if these same knee joint loading factors are associated with cartilage T2 relaxation time one month after ACL injury. The central hypotheses was that lower …

Effects Of Liquid Viscosity And Food Texture On Swallowing Sounds, Chun Feng

Theses & Dissertations

Cervical auscultation (CA) is a technique of monitoring swallowing performance according to swallowing acoustic signals utilizing a stethoscope or other measurement devices such as a microphone and an accelerometer. In the past few years, doctors have utilized the stethoscope to identify the swallowing sounds, which resulted in an inability to accurately diagnose the aspiration/penetration in patients with dysphagia when compared to the gold standard. A digital CA assessment records swallowing acoustic signals and extracts the specific features from the recordings. It has been proven that digital CA as a promising portable and low-cost tool can be used for identifying patients …

Declined Treadmill Walking Eliminates Asymmetric Walking Pattern In Healthy Young Adults, Yuhang Zhang, Ka-Chun Siu, Jung Hung Chien

Posters and Presentations: Physical Therapy

Background: Human locomotion is flexible in any environment, and this fact has been proven when walking on different speeds in each leg on the split-belt treadmill. However, during the split-belt walking, participant’s locomotor behaviors are passively adopted by a motor-driven treadmill. Therefore, how humans actively adjust the flexibility of locomotion is still limited by using the split-belt treadmill. Our current study investigated the flexibility of locomotion by using ankle weight on the dominant leg to induce asymmetric walking pattern when walking on a regular treadmill. We hypothesized that the level of active control would increase to adapt the asymmetric walking …

The Use Of Immersive 360 Videos To Induce Different Strategies Of Postural Control, Chenfan Gui, Jung Hung Chien, Ka-Chun Siu

Posters and Presentations: Physical Therapy

Purpose/Hypothesis: Visual perception is a decision-making process of the central nervous system based on recognitions of relative distances and velocities between objects. With the input from visual perception, an appropriate postural control is applied to maintain balance. Previous studies on how visual perception affects the postural control were only in one direction. Therefore, this study used immersive 360° videos to identify how visual perception affects the postural control in multiple directions. We hypothesized that video with more turns could induce more ML body sway, and video with higher elevation could induce more AP body sway. Number of Subjects: Nineteen healthy …

The Effect Of Inclination On Lower Extremity Inter-Joint Coordination During Treadmill Walking, Jiani Lu, Jung Hung Chien, Ka-Chun Siu

Posters and Presentations: Physical Therapy

Purpose/Hypothesis: Inclined walking is a challenging daily task in comparison with level walking. It requires specific control from central nervous system and exhibits increases in muscle activities and alternations of joint kinematics in lower extremities. However, the knowledge of the inclination effect on the inter-joint coordination is limited. Previous studies have shown the benefits of investigating the inter-joint coordination in patients with Parkinson’s disease, low back pain and hemiplegic gait. This study aimed to evaluate such coordination in healthy young adults during inclined walking.

Number of Subjects: 19 healthy young adults (13 females, 6 males; aged 22 – 29 yrs) …

Designing A Course To Acculturate Professional Behaviors Of International Students In Physical Therapy Education, Nicole M. Sleddens, Kathleen G. Volkman, Betsy J. Becker, Ka-Chun Siu, Michael Smith, Joseph F. Norman

Posters and Presentations: Physical Therapy

The University of Nebraska Medical Center DPT program has a Global Health Opportunity track in which international students work on a master’s degree and complete a DPT. The current students are from China and meet all requirements of the DPT and graduate admissions, including a high proficiency in English (e.g. TOEFL ³ 90). All students have undergraduate degrees in medicine, rehabilitation therapy or medical sciences from universities in China. While these students have performed well in the didactic DPT curriculum, we noted a trend in professional interactions and communication which interfered with clinical performance and required remediation. To proactively circumvent …

Reaching The Summit: From Exposure To Immersion In Quality Improvement In Physical Therapy Education, Tami Struessel, Nicole M. Sleddens, Katherine J. Jones

Posters and Presentations: Physical Therapy

Following the release of its 2001 report, Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) convened a summit of 150 interprofessional healthcare educators to reform health professions education. As a result, in 2002, the IOM established an overarching vision to achieve care that is safe, effective, patient-centered, timely efficient, and equitable: “All health professionals should be educated to deliver patient-centered care as members of an interdisciplinary team, emphasizing evidence-based practice, quality improvement approaches, and informatics.” Physical Therapy educators have expanded curricula to teach three of these five competencies. We routinely …

Mobile Technology Intervention For Weight Loss In Rural Men: Protocol For A Pilot Pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial, Christine M. Eisenhauer, Fabiana Almeida Brito, Aaron M. Yoder, Kevin A. Kupzyk, Carol H. Pullen, Katherine E. Salinas, Jessica Miller, Patricia A. Hageman

Journal Articles: Physical Therapy

INTRODUCTION: Men who are overweight or obese in the rural Midwestern USA are an unrepresented, at-risk group exhibiting rising rates of cardiovascular disease, poor access to preventive care and poor lifestyle behaviours that contribute to sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet. Self-monitoring of eating and activity has demonstrated efficacy for weight loss. Use of mobile technologies for self-monitoring eating and activity may address rural men's access disparities to preventive health resources and support weight loss. Our pilot trial will assess the feasibility and acceptability of two mobile applications for weight loss in rural men to inform a future, full-scale trial.

METHODS …

Enhancing Scholarly Productivity Among Physical Therapy Faculty Through Professional Networks, Betsy J. Becker, Gilbert Willett, Victoria Kennel

Posters and Presentations: Physical Therapy

Purpose

Let's build a talented workforce of physical therapy educators with diverse ideas who collaborate on projects and discover new knowledge! Faculty are the educational leaders in physical therapy. With growing demands on workload and time, it is essential to attract talent to academia and provide a supportive team to navigate the path toward a successful career. Scholarly productivity accreditation requirements are challenging, especially for new faculty with primary teaching responsibilities or those without an academic doctoral degree. Evidence suggests that network connections can improve faculty performance, innovation and retention. This study arose from concerns in recent years related to …