Health Psychology Commons^™

Exercise Therapy For Mood Disorders In Retiring/Former Athletes, Christian Antos

Dissertations

This dissertation examined the potential integration of exercise therapy and psychotherapy as a treatment approach for mood-related difficulties experienced by former elite athletes during the transition out of competitive sport. Retirement from athletics is often associated with significant biopsychosocial challenges, including disruptions in identity, healthy routines, social support, and emotional well-being. Existing literature suggests that exercise may serve as an effective adjunctive intervention for improving mood and overall psychological functioning, though limited research has explored its application among retiring athletes within psychotherapeutic contexts. This literature review synthesized current research related to athletic retirement, neurobiological mechanisms associated with physical activity, and …

Pilot Study Of The Barriers To Exercise Adherence And Motivation (Beam) Questionnaire For Adults With Osteoarthritis, Haley Ciara Hughes

Dissertations

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic condition affecting over 33 million adults in the United States (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2024). While exercise is one of the leading, non-pharmacological treatments for OA (Zhang et al., 2008), patients often struggle to meet physical activity guidelines, increasing their risk of lifelong disability, falls, and dependence (Wallis et al., 2013). Researchers in physiotherapy have struggled to identify effective, individualized treatments to improve exercise adherence for patients with OA that maintain long-term effects (Ezzat et al., 2015); an area behavior analysts could offer insight and guidance. Behavior analysts have developed indirect functional …

Intrapersonal And Interpersonal Factors Of Participation In Physical Activity And Resistance Training In Adolescent Girls: A Narrative Review, Ben Banse-Fay

University Honors Theses

Low rates of participation in physical activity and resistance training among adolescent girls are a concern due to increased health and injury risks. Adolescent girls participate in physical activity and resistance training at a lower rate than boys, which may explain higher rates of injury. Research examining physical activity of adolescent girls often utilizes an ecological framework, identifying intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental factors. Of these ecological levels, intrapersonal and interpersonal factors are modifiable without large costs.

Therefore, this review aimed to identify and summarize recent research that explores the intrapersonal and interpersonal factors associated with participation in physical activity and …

Grounded In Motion: Finding Calm Through Daily Stretching, Everett H. Tai

ENGS 15.11: Design and Education

This lesson targets undergraduate students, reframing stretching as an essential, evidence-based habit for long-term wellness and stress management. The lesson's primary goal is to empower students to confidently design and consistently apply a personalized routine that protects their mobility and independence. Students will master the core science, understanding that dynamic stretching may augment performance pre-exercise, while shorter static stretches can be performed without compromising muscle performance, and post-exercise stretching can reduce muscle pain perception. This lesson emphasizes proper execution, requiring students to warm up first with 5 to 10 minutes of light activity with focus on technique. This practical knowledge …

Barriers To Leisure-Time Physical Activity Among College Students, Ben Andrew Winfield

Masters Theses

Obesity is an increasing problem worldwide. In general, people eat more and exercise less, with a lot of individuals not meeting World Health Organization recommendation of 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity weekly. At times, individuals may face barriers which prevent or inhibit their ability to participate in leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), exercise completed in one’s free time. These barriers are known as leisure constraints and are comprised of three categories: intrapersonal, feelings and psychological aspects; interpersonal, relationship aspects; and structural, physical aspects. Body image, the perception individuals have about their bodies and …

Designing A Personalization Intervention To Reduce Churn In Exercise Mobile Apps: A Research Proposal, Chris Li

CMC Senior Theses

Sports and fitness mHealth app development has rapidly increased since the COVID-19 pandemic due to changes in living situations that increased the demand for exercising remotely. App developers struggle to understand the various strategies in reducing the amount of users that churn as time progresses. This research proposal will primarily focus on the effect that personalization has on churn, seeing the increased development of mobile health apps, strong desire for curated experiences, and the recent relevance of AI. To fully understand the relationship between personalization and churn, moderator effects of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and user engagement will …

The Associations Of Physical Activity And Sedentary Behavior With Self-Rated Health In Chinese Children And Adolescents, Yahan Liang, Youzhi Ke, Yang Liu

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Objective

The study aimed to analyze the independent and joint associations of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) with self-rated health (SRH) among Chinese children and adolescents.

Methods

Cross-sectional data on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), school-based PA, extracurricular physical activity (EPA), screen time (ST), homework time, and SRH were assessed through a self-report questionnaire in the sample of 4227 Chinese children and adolescents aged 13.04 ± 2.62 years. Binary logistic regression was used to compare gender differences in PA, SB, and SRH among children and adolescents, and analyses were adjusted for age and ethnicity.

Results

In independent associations, boys …

Exercise And Mental Health Within A National Population, Robert A. Bourne

Honors Theses

This study assesses the relationships among exercise frequency, exercise intensity, and exercise type on four mental health variables of depression, anxiety, satisfaction with life, and flourishing. Participants include a sample of non-collegiate adults residing in or claiming citizenship of the United States. Participants provided survey data via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk crowdsourcing platform. To assess exercise, two measures were employed to distinguish duration only and duration combined with intensity, while a third was used to assess exercise type. After analyses were conducted on these variables, mixed results were found. Within the duration-focused measure of exercise, it was shown that participants who …

Barriers To Exercise In A Medical Unit Of Us Army Reservists: An Exploratory Study, Madelyn B. Huhn, Elizabeth A. Kleitz, Namuna Sunar

Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences

Military Reservist healthcare workers must meet physical fitness standards similar to those on active duty. They, however, experience a unique occupational environment as citizen Soldiers. Their civilian careers as healthcare workers and their positions in the military both demand shift work, long hours, and critical response to high stress events. For a small group of Reservists working in civilian healthcare occupations who also serve in medical roles in the military, this exploratory study aimed to describe any perceived barriers to exercise. Although over 60% of respondents to an exercise barriers scale perceived physical and social health as the top benefits …

My Baby, My Move+: Feasibility Of A Community Prenatal Wellbeing Intervention, Jenn A. Leiferman, Rachael Lacy, Jessica Walls, Charlotte V. Farewell, Mary K. Dinger, Danielle Symons Downs, Sarah S. Farrabi, Jennifer L. Huberty, James F. Paulson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background

Excessive gestational weight gain (EGWG), insufficient prenatal physical activity and sleep, and poor psychological wellbeing independently increase risks for adverse maternal and infant outcomes. A novel approach to mitigate these risks is utilizing peer support in a community-based prenatal intervention. This study assessed the feasibility (acceptability, demand, implementation, and practicality) of a remotely delivered prenatal physical activity intervention called My Baby, My Move + (MBMM +) that aims to increase prenatal physical activity, enhance mood and sleep hygiene, and reduce EGWG.

Methods

Participants were recruited through community organizations, local clinics, and social media platforms in the Fall of 2020 …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Quality Of Life: A Mediating Role Of Physical Activity And Executive Function, Loni Parrish

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ACEs have been associated with heightened risk for a range of chronic health problems, substance use, and cognition in adulthood (Center for Disease Control (CDC), 2019; Hinojosa et al., 2017). One potential protective factor is physical activity (McEwen, 2016; Wu et al., 2013). Physical activity is associated with sustaining overall health, improving mental health by reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety (Murri et al., 2019; Sharma et al., 2006; Tasci et al., 2019), and maintaining a healthy body weight and BMI (WHO, 2021). Therefore, this study examined whether barriers to physical activity, physical activity levels, and executive outcomes serve as …

Let's Get Physical: Exploring The Socioemotional Motivators Of Group Exercise For Older Adults, Tessneem S. Hasan, Alyssa R. Minton, Jason Snyder, Joseph A. Mikels

DePaul Discoveries

Approximately 75% of active adults in the U.S. do not meet the recommended levels of overall physical activity (CDC, 2021a). Given the beneficial impact of physical activity on health, an 8-week long, evidence-based group exercise program—Fit & Strong! (F&S!)—was created to improve the health of older adults (Hughes et al., 2004, 2006, 2010). Despite the clear physical benefits of F&S!, it remains unknown what motivates F&S! participants to initially participate in the program and also throughout the program. Drawing from core notions of socioemotional selectivity theory (SST; Carstensen, 2006), research has found that older adults are highly motivated to exercise …

Determining The Optimal Exercise Intensity Level For Adjunctive Treatment Of Major Depressive Disorder, C James Block

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A clinical decision report using:

Helgadóttir B, Hallgren M, Ekblom Ö, Forsell Y. Training fast or slow? Exercise for depression: A randomized controlled trial. Prev Med. 2016;91:123-131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.08.011

for a patient seeking an exercise regimen to help with depressive symptoms.

Does Social Support Mediate The Relationship Between Locus Of Control And Activity Levels?, Leah L. Oglesby

Masters Theses

The aim of the present study is to examine the mediating effect of social support on the relationship between internal locus of control (LOC) and engagement in activity, treating general physical activity and deliberate exercise as specific and separate domains. Two models will be investigated: a domain-general model and an exercise-specific model, the former examining the mediating effect of general social support on the relationship between health locus of control and general physical activity and the latter examining the mediating effect of exercise-specific social support on the relationship between exercise LOC and deliberate exercise engagement. Survey responses from 279 college-aged …

Evaluating The Effects Of Client-Set Versus Coach-Set Goals In The Context Of A Health-Coaching Intervention For Physical Activity, J. Logan Gibson

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Health coaching is a relatively new integrated health role in which practitioners use a combination of behavioral interventions to evoke health-related behavior changes; however, there is a lack of valid evidence to support health-based claims. We investigated the effect of an approximation of a health coaching intervention on three college students' number of steps per day. We provided participants with weekly telehealth coaching sessions focused on goal-setting and feedback and used Fitbits to track the results. We used a multiple baseline across participants design to compare daily steps across four phases; self-monitoring, self-monitoring with experimenter-set goals and feedback, self-monitoring with …

The Effect Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On How Social Media Use Influences Eating Disorders And Exercise Motivation, Abhilasha Kumar

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically impacted the life of every individual. Stay-at-home orders imposed to control the spread of the virus have only led to an increase in social media use to stay connected with others. College students were particularly affected by the measures put in place to control the spread of COVID-19 due to geographical, social, and economic changes (Aristovnik et al., 2020). The stress caused by these changes can increase eating disorder symptoms (Lacey et al., 1986) and exercise behaviors (Kim & McKenzie, 2014). The aim of the study is to observe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic …

Burstiness And Stochasticity In The Malleability Of Physical Activity, Vincent Berardi, David Pincus, Evan Walker, Marc A. Adams

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

This study examined whether patterns of self-organization in physical activity (PA) predicted long-term success in a yearlong PA intervention. Increased moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) was targeted in insufficiently active adults (N = 512) via goal setting and financial reinforcement. The degree to which inverse power law distributions, which are reflective of self-organization, summarized (a) daily MVPA and (b) time elapsed between meeting daily goals (goal attainment interresponse times) was calculated. Goal attainment interresponse times were also used to calculate burstiness, the degree to which meeting daily goals clustered in time. Inverse power laws accurately summarized interresponse times, but …

Experiences Of An Exercise Program: Perspectives From Breast Cancer Survivors, Yvonne Anisimowicz, Lauren Rudy, Ryan Hamilton, Erin Mcgowan, Travis Saunders, Melanie Keats, Scott Grandy, Courtni Ruth-Anne Soucy, Danielle Bouchard

The Qualitative Report

Few studies have examined how breast cancer survivors experience an individually tailored group exercise program designed to help mitigate physical and psychosocial challenges and improve health outcomes. This research used qualitative interviews to provide insight into what motivates breast cancer survivors to join an exercise program, what they hope to gain from exercise programs, the barriers they experience to participation, and their overall satisfaction with the program. Thirty-three breast cancer survivors from Atlantic Canada completed semi-structured, qualitative interviews following the completion of a twelve-week supervised exercise program, and thematic analysis was applied to transcripts of the interviews. Our findings suggest …

Exploring The Perceived Barriers And Benefits Of Physical Activity Among Wounded, Injured, And/Or Sick Military Veterans, Robert Walker, Caroline Limbert, Paul M. Smith

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Wounded, injured, and/or sick (WIS) military veterans face significant physical and psychosocial challenges following discharge from service. Physical activity can have many positive effects on the holistic wellbeing of such individuals. However, little knowledge exists regarding the perceived barriers and benefits of physical activity within this population, creating challenges surrounding physical activity promotion. Therefore, this study was designed to identify key barriers and benefits among this population, so that informed approaches to encourage participation in physical activity can be developed. A questionnaire related to the perceived barriers and benefits of physical activity was completed by 105 WIS British military veterans. …

Cultural Influences On Exercise Type And Body Confidence In Women, Skye Sakashita, Desiree Crevecoeur-Macphail

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This study examined cultural influences on exercise habits and body confidence in women, specifically between ethnic minority and white women. Past research has indicated that Asian women often feel more cultural pressure than their White counterparts. This study wanted to examine further and see if an individual’s parent being an immigrant differs in amount of cultural pressure. Another aspect that this survey examined is motivation for exercise. Past research found that women who felt greater dissatisfaction with their physical appearance were more likely to list factors such as appearance or weight as their reasoning for exercise rather than for health …

An Ecological Momentary Assessment Of Self-Improved And Self-Evaluation Body Comparisons: Associations With College Women's Body Dissatisfaction And Exercise, Rachel I. Macintyre, Kristin E. Heron, Abby L. Braitman, Danielle Arigo

Psychology Faculty Publications

Upward body comparisons are prevalent among college women and associated with body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. However, less is known about distinguishing features of the comparisons themselves as they occur in daily life. The primary purpose of the present study was to examine whether two types of upward body comparisons previously studied experimentally (self-improvement and self-evaluation) are differentially associated with body- and exercise-related outcomes in real-life settings using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Undergraduate women (N = 74) between 18-25 years (Mage = 20.4, SD = 1.63) completed five surveys on smartphones daily for seven days. EMA measures …

Examining The Relationship Of Exercise And Sleep In Students Across Multiple Academic Disciplines, Taylor Zewe

Honors Projects

Students in college learn the importance of balancing their academic studies with their sleep and exercise habits. The amount of sleep and exercise a student recieves has been examined in previous research studies. In these studies it was found that exercise had a postive affect on the amount of sleep received. However, there is little research on the affect academic discipline has on sleep habits and/or exercise habits of students in college. The purpose of this study is to examine the sleep and exercise habits among students in multiple academic majors at Bowling Green State University.

Alcohol Use, Dietary, And Exercise Behaviors: A Latent Profile Analysis Of Young Adult Lifestyle Behaviors, Ryan Wesley Grant

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As individuals enter adulthood, their lifestyles and lifestyle behaviors begin to change drastically. These lifestyle behavior changes in emerging adulthood provide a foundation for future health behaviors that often persist through all of adulthood. The aim of this study was to use Latent profile analyses (LPA) to discover distinct profiles of homogenous groups of young adults based on alcohol, diet, and exercise behaviors. Overall, five distinct profiles for both males and females were identified: Moderates, Unhealthy Eaters, Medium Drinkers, Healthier Eaters and Exercisers, and Heavy Drinkers. Heavy Drinkers and Unhealthy Eaters were the highest risk groups and reported the highest …

Law Library Blog (April 2019): Legal Beagle's Blog Archive, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Law Library Newsletters/Blog

No abstract provided.

Waist Circumference And The Relation To Aerobic Exercise And Perception Of Illness In Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Bailey J. Huebner

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to observe the relationship between waist circumference (WC), amount of aerobic exercise performed weekly and overall Health Belief Model (HBM) score in adults with diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Members from a local Midwest adult fitness program (n = 5) who had been diagnosed T2DM participated in this study. Participants ranged in age from 70 to 80 years with an average age of 74 years. Four of the participants were female and one participant was male. The questions included in this study were 1 .) in those with diagnosed T2DM, was a low …

The Use Of Bicycle Desks To Increase Physical Activity In Two Special Education Classrooms, Alicia Fedewa, Colleen Cornelius, Elizabeth Whitney, Soyeon Ahn, Mary Comis

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND

Although the literature has predominantly focused on elementary youth, preliminary findings indicate that attentional benefits may arise from adolescent physical activity as well. Limited research has examined the impact of classroom-based physical activity for secondary students, and no research to date has explored bicycle workstations as a means to improve physical activity within the special education classroom.

PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE

Two special education resource classrooms within a high school took part in the research study. Students were given the option of riding on the bike or sitting on chairs in each classroom. Heart rate, calories, miles, time, and on-task …

The Association Between Attitudes Towards High Intensity Exercise And Self-Esteem, Emily Fullhardt

Honors College Theses

There has been much research that has examined the association between exercise and self-esteem. Specifically, research suggests that there is a positive association of high intensity exercise, including running, weight lifting, and interval training, with self-esteem in both children and adults. However, much of this past research involved experiments where an exercise regimen was introduced to test cause and effect of exercise and self-esteem. Further, much of the past research focused on adults outside of the United States (Hasanpour, Yìğiter, Yook). I aim to test whether there are associations of preferences for and attitudes towards high intensity exercise with self-esteem …

Long-Term Impact Of Lifelong Fitness: Examining Longitudinal Exercise Behavior In College Students, Garrett Drake

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Over time, the United States population has gradually shifted to an increasingly inactive lifestyle, and there has been a decline in health behavior. Only 50% of the population meet the recommended guidelines for weekly physical activity. With this glaring increase of inactive lifestyles, programs designed to increase health behavior change have become crucial. One solution to this problem has been a required Lifelong Fitness class at George Fox University where new college students learn knowledge and skills to implement for healthier lifestyles during this transformative time. A multiple regression model predicting long-term exercise by pre-minutes of exercise, post-minutes of exercise, …

Evaluating The Attitudes And Practices Of Exercise Prescription Among Psychotherapists, Igor Vasilj

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Exercise has been shown to improve mood, anxiety, stress, and promote neuroplasticity (Conn, 2010; Donaghy, 2007; Josefsson, Lindwall, & Archer, 2014; Silveria et al., 2013; Stathopoulou et al., 2006). However, limited research on the topic suggests that many psychologists and mental health providers are not incorporating exercise into psychological treatment, and many lack the confidence to do so (Burton, Pakenham, & Brown, 2010; Weir, 2011). The purpose of this study was to evaluate current exercise prescription trends among practicing psychologists and trainees, including identifying their current beliefs, attitudes, training, and the perceived barriers hindering psychotherapists from recommending and prescribing exercise. …

The Effects Of Exercise On Mental Health: A Research Review, Kaylani Benson

Honors College Theses

This research review looks at the effects exercise and physical activity have on mental health. The results of this review are based upon the results of the formal studies that have been included. These studies are Benefits of Exercise on Physical and Mental Health in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients, Exercise Effects on Mental Health of Preschool Children, The Effect of Morning Exercise on Mental Health of Female Police Employees, Exercise and Mental Health of People Living with HIV: A Systemic Review, Exercise Improves Physical Function and Mental Health of Brain Cancer Survivors: Two Exploratory Case Studies, Effect of Yogic and Physical …