Health Psychology Commons^™

Weight Status As A Moderator Of Low Self-Esteem And Poor Sexual Functioning, Madison Hinkle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have found that self-esteem and weight status can impact numerous aspects of an individual’s life, including reproductive health issues. However, there has been limited research specifically examining how self-esteem may affect female sexual functioning. The current study aims to examine whether self-esteem is a significant predictor of sexual functioning, and whether this relationship may change as a function of women’s weight status. Participants consisted of 730 women ranging from 18 to 49 years of age, who were recruited through an online questionnaire. Results indicate that higher levels of self-esteem predict better sexual functioning and weight status was found to …

The Influence Of Stressful Life Events On The Development Of Type 2 Diabetes, Joshua Minks

Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between distress and the development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the presence of established risk factors. Distress secondary to mental health disparities, stressful life events, and work conditions has been shown to promote insulin resistance and the development of T2DM.

Subjects (N=79) diagnosed with T2DM within the previous six months were recruited from SSM Health Centers and VA Medical Centers in the greater St. Louis area. They completed the Recent Life Changes Questionnaire, ENRICHD Social Support Instrument, and a demographic survey and analyses were conducted to determine differences between the veteran …

The Link Between Overweight, Obesity, And Perceived Exercise Benefits And Barriers Among College Students, Alexandra Szarabajko

Online Theses and Dissertations

The transition to college is a critical period in a young adult's life. Education about obesity and physical activity has significant effects on lifetime wellness before graduating and reaching adulthood. The purpose of this study was to examine exercise benefits and barriers of overweight, obese, and normal weight college students. Participants (n = 595) were college students who completed a questionnaire and whose body composition was measured. Results of this study revealed significant differences in perceived exercise benefits and barriers based on weight group. Slight group differences were mainly found between normal weight and obese students. Implications for future studies …

Structural And Functional Neural Correlates Of A Mind-Body Connection., Leonard Faul

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

The human brain underlies the complex cognitive processes of the mind, however, this is dependent upon the physiological processes of the body in order to receive adequate energy, oxygen, and blood flow. Therefore, physical measurements such as body mass index (BMI) and indices of cognitive functioning, such as intelligence, may be related via common neural features. Current analyses assessed morphometric differences in cortical and subcortical grey matter regions, white matter structural integrity, and resting-state functional activation in order to determine what combinations of neural variables predict BMI and intelligence (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence; WASI) with the best degree of …

Distortion In Body Schema: The Influence Of Body Fat And Mass On Perceptions Of Personal Size, Katarina Ann Ferrucci

Senior Projects Spring 2017

Obesity has been linked with a myriad of negative outcomes for both physical and mental health including feeding and eating disorders and cognitive impairments that affect perception of body size. Understanding the cognitive mechanisms and physiological factors that contribute to perception of body size may help us to comprehend how obesity impacts the construction and development of one’s mental body representations. Previous research by Scarpina, Castelnuovo, and Molinari (2014) suggests that, compared to those with a normal Body Mass Index, individuals with a BMI greater than 30 (obese) not only inaccurately estimate tactile and mental distances on their own bodies, …

Pathways Linking Sleep Timing To Obesity In Midlife Women, Dana R. Schreiber

Theses and Dissertations

Midlife women are vulnerable to developing obesity. Both sleep timing and negative emotion are risk factors, yet limited research has explored their role on weight outcomes in this population. The current investigation explored the association of sleep timing (i.e., mean sleep time, sleep time variability) and obesity (i.e., BMI, waist circumference) in midlife women, considering emotional pathways (i.e., depressive symptoms, anger) that might mediate this association. PROCESS parallel mediation models assessed direct and indirect pathways. In follow-up analyses, sleep duration was explored as an indirect pathway linking sleep timing to obesity. Results demonstrated that sleep timing does not directly predict …

The Relationship Between Sleep And Bmi In Cal Poly Freshman, Jacqueline Laing

Psychology and Child Development

To understand the relationship between BMI and sleep patterns in Cal Poly Freshman (First years) over the course of their first year at Cal Poly. First year students were recruited via campus email to fill out a survey regarding various health aspects. The survey was filled out at the beginning of the year (Fall 2009), and again in June (Spring 2010). The questions used in this study only pertained to height, weight, sleep quantity, and sleep quantity satisfaction rating. The results were not significant for the cross sectional analysis of the Fall 2009 sample and the Spring 2010 sample. The …