Kinesiology Commons^™

Nutrition And Physical Activity Recall To Assess The Health Status Of Commuters And Residents On A College Campus, Holly Scott

Health Sciences Student Work

Introduction: Behavioral patterns acquired in college may contribute to overweight and obesity later in life. Food found in college dormitories and dining halls are those of convenience. Physical activity and a healthy diet are important components to maintaining a healthy weight. Research Questions: The purpose of this study is to investigate if residency during college and access to kitchen appliances impacts students’ dietary composition and physical activity levels and other health behaviors. Methodology: 38 students (27 residents and 11 commuters) from Merrimack College participated in the study. These participants were recruited through convenience sampling on campus. All participants completed a …

Exploring The Relationship Among Role Models, Physical Activity And Dietary Behaviors Among Young Adults Enrolled In A Weight Management Trial, Rachel Ingersoll, Meghan Mavredes, Melissa Napolitano

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Background. Role models can have a profound impact on an individual’s development and lifelong behaviors. However, there are gaps in research when it comes to the impact of role models among young adults, particularly related to health behaviors. Previous research has primarily focused on youth, leaving a gap of knowledge surrounding the developmental life stage of young adulthood. Little research has been done examining health risk behaviors such as physical inactivity and unhealthy dietary practices. It is important for young adults to develop healthy habits in college, for many habits will follow young adults into their adult lifespan.

Purpose. To …

Active And Passive Stress Management Mechanisms In Physically Active Young Adults, Krista Lepping, Melissa Napolitano

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Background: Physical activity and stress are common factors that affect the health and wellness of young adults worldwide. Higher levels of stress in students can lead to increased blood pressure and decreased immune system defenses. Previous studies have found that students who report more physical activity also report lower levels of stress. Perceived stress is subjective, however, and therefore the amount of physical activity that affects stress levels could vary. Additionally, extensive research has yet to be conducted on the different coping mechanisms that physically active students use to relieve stress. These mechanisms may include physical activity as a …

Oncology Section Edge Task Force On Cancer: Measures Of Cancer-Related Fatigue—A Systematic Review, Mary Insana Fisher, Claire Davies, Hannah Lacy, Deborah Doherty

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Background: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is one of the most common side effects of cancer and cancer treatment. Being able to accurately screen for and assess CRF will improve access to and prescriptions for interventions. Valid and reliable measures to screen for and assess CRF need to be identified.

Purpose: To identify and recommend reliable, valid, and clinically useful tools to screen for and assess CRF among those treated for cancer.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted to assess the published psychometric properties and clinical feasibility of each method identified. Task force members independently reviewed each measure using …

Patterns Of Social Skill Development Over-Time Among Clusters Of LifeSports Participants, Dawn Anderson-Butcher, Eric Martin, Lauren Paluta, Dan Gould

Kinesiology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Although growing in prevalence, little is known about how and for whom sport-based positive youth development (PYD) programs make a difference. This study addresses two gaps: A lack of multi-year studies and limited research differentiating outcomes between groups of participants. Specifically, this study uses repeated measures ANOVAs and hierarchical and non-hierarchical modeling procedures to investigate outcomes among two clusters of underserved youth who participated in two consecutive LiFEsports summer camps. Two hundred and thirty one youth participated, with the majority African American (87%) and male (62%). The average age of participants was 10.71 years. Participants completed surveys to assess …

Neuromuscular Adaptations Following Training And Protein Supplementation In A Group Of Trained Weightlifters, Christopher B. Taber, Kevin M. Carroll, Brad H. Deweese, Kimitake Sato, Charles A. Stuart, Mary Howell, Kenton Hall, Caleb Bazyler, Michael H. Stone

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a recovery supplement compared with a placebo on muscle morphology in trained weightlifters. Vastus lateralis and muscle fiber cross sectional area of type I and type II fibers were compared between groups using a series of 2 × 2 (group × time) repeated measure ANOVAs. Both groups on average improved cross-sectional area of the vastus lateralis, type I and type II muscle fibers from pre-to-post but individual response varied within both groups. Greater magnitude of changes in type I and type II muscle fibers were observed for the placebo …

The Relationship Between Hand Use And Direction Of Handwriting, Madison K. Hopper

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Altered Skeletal Muscle Mitochondrial Phenotype In Copd: Disease Vs. Disuse, Jayson R. Gifford, Joel D. Trinity, Oh-Sung Kwon, Gwenael Layec, Ryan S. Garten, Song-Young Park, Ashley D. Nelson, Russell S. Richardson

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exhibit an altered skeletal muscle mitochondrial phenotype, which often includes reduced mitochondrial density, altered respiratory function, and elevated oxidative stress. As this phenotype may be explained by the sedentary lifestyle that commonly accompanies this disease, the aim of this study was to determine whether such alterations are still evident when patients with COPD are compared to control subjects matched for objectively measured physical activity (PA; accelerometry). Indexes of mitochondrial density [citrate synthase (CS) activity], respiratory function (respirometry in permeabilized fibers), and muscle oxidative stress [4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) content] were assessed in muscle fibers biopsied …

Summer Camp As A Force For 21st Century Learning: Exploring Divergent Thinking In A Residential Camp Setting, Myles L. Lynch, C. Boyd Hegarty, Nate E. Trauntvein, Jonathan Plucker

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

This study investigated change in divergent thinking (DT), an indicator of creative potential, at two gender-specific residential summer camps. Additionally, this study examined whether the change in DT varied by gender and by the type of activities campers self-select. Quantitative methods, using a quasi-experimental design was used in order to understand differences in camper scores. A total of 189 youth, 100 girls, 89 boys, between the ages of 9 and 14 years participated in the current study. Participants were administered a modified version of Guilford's (1967) alternate uses task, a measure of DT, in which respondents were asked questions such …

The Benefits Of Exercise For Individuals With Concussion Grant Proposal, Tyler Dundore

Honors Projects

This is the abstract for a grant proposal for the following study following the NFL Concussion Grant Guidelines.

Concussions are an issue in many sports at both the amateur and professional level. In 2015, 43.5% of athletes across all age groups and sexes that sustained a concussion returned to sport too soon1. In the past, patients with a concussion were told to restrict physical and cognitive activities until they are asymptomatic2. Recently, research about concussion recovery has shown that a rest period beyond 1-2 days’ post-concussion can be more detrimental to recovery than beneficial3.

The Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test (BCTT) …

Effects Of Static, Countermovement, And Drop Jump Performance On Power And Rate Of Force Development In 6–16-Year Old Boys, Lacey E. Jahn

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of static, counter movement, and drop jump performance on peak power and peak rate of force development (RFD). The secondary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between vertical jump outcomes, maturity offset, and muscle cress-sectional area (CSA). During a single testing session, twenty-one young males (mean age ± SD = 12.1 ± 2.4 yrs) performed maximal vertical jumps which included: static jump (SJ), counter movement jump (CMJ), and drop jump from 8 (DJ8), 12 (DJ12) and 16 (DJ16) inches in a randomized order. Peak power increased from …

Effects Of Ice Massage Prior To An Iontophoresis Treatment Using Dexamethasone, Brady Michael Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Context: Low current intensity iontophoresis treatments have shown an increase in skin perfusion over 700% from baseline potentially increasing drug clearance from the targeted area. Objective: To determine the effects of a 10-minute ice massage on subcutaneous dexamethasone sodium phosphate (Dex-P) concentration and skin perfusion during and after a 4 mA iontophoresis treatment. Design: Controlled laboratory study. Setting: Research Laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: 26 individual participants (Males = 15, Females = 11, age = 25.6 ± 4.5 y, height = 173.9 ± 8.51 cm, mass = 76.11 ± 16.84 kg). Interventions: Participants were randomly assigned into two groups: 1) …

The Effects Of A Three-Hour, After School Bout Of Sedentary Vs Active Behavior On Reward And Cognitive Control Activation In 8- To 9-Year-Old Children: A Randomized Crossover Study, Mary Linn White

Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: To compare the effects of after-school sedentary versus active play on activation in the reward and cognitive control regions of the brain to pictures of high- and low-calorie foods. METHODS: 32 children (12 girls, 20 boys; age 8.7 ± 0.5 years; height 137.9 ± 6.9 cm; weight 32.4 ± 6.2 kg) participated in a randomized crossover study with counterbalanced treatment conditions. Conditions took place on separate days after school and included three hours of active or sedentary play. After each condition, neural activation in reward and cognitive control regions of the brain were assessed using functional magnetic resonance imaging …

Positional Release Therapy Versus Therapeutic Massage In Reducing Muscle Trigger And Tender Points, Amber Hancock Bethers

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To determine the difference in effectiveness of positional release therapy (PRT) compared with therapeutic massage (TM) in treating trigger and tender points in the upper trapezius muscle. Background: Trigger points in the upper trapezius muscle are common and can be painful. Therapeutic massage is a more traditional treatment method for this condition while PRT is relatively new. Design and Setting: A randomized-group design was used to examine the differences between the 2 treatments for reducing pain and muscle tension. Subjects: Sixty healthy subjects (males = 24, females = 36; age = 27.1 ± 8.8 years; wt = 75.2 ± …

The Effect Of Whole-Body Vibration In Repositioning The Talus In Chronic Ankle Instability Populations, Melissa Nicole Frixione

Theses and Dissertations

Context: Dorsiflexion range of motion (DFROM) is often limited in patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Whole-body vibration (WBV) may enhance DFROM by helping to reposition the talus and assisting with talocrural arthrokinematics. Objective: To determine if WBV can enhance DFROM in patients with ankle instability and determine if talar position is affected. Setting: Cohort study. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 25 subjects with CAI (17 women, 8 men; age = 22 ±2.101 years, mass = 72.4 ±17.9 kg, height = 171.2 ± 11.6 cm) participated. Intervention(s): Participants in the WBV group completed a 4-week (12 session) WBV …

The Effect Of Photobiomodulation Therapy On Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage, Kathleen Nichole Thiriot

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To explore the difference between continuous and pulsed photobiomodulation (PBMT) versus a placebo treatment when using a red-blue light combination over multiple treatment sessions to decrease the symptoms of muscle damage in the quadriceps muscle after a bout of muscle damaging exercise. Methods: Thirty-six healthy, nonactive male and female participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: continuous PBMT, pulsed PBMT, and placebo treatment. Participants were assessed for muscle damage with knee extension maximal isometric and isokinetic contractions, as well as Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) scores. Blood creatine kinase (CK) was also …

Promoting Healthy Food Preferences From The Start: A Narrative Review Of Food Preference Learning From The Prenatal Period Through Early Childhood, S. Anzman-Frasca, Alison K. Ventura, S. Ehrenberg, K. P. Myers

Kinesiology and Public Health

The palatable, energy-dense foods that characterize modern environments can promote unhealthy eating habits, along with humans’ predispositions to accept sweet tastes and reject those that are sour or bitter. Yet food preferences are malleable, and examining food preference learning during early life can highlight ways to promote acceptance of healthier foods. This narrative review describes research from the past 10 years focused on food preference learning from the prenatal period through early childhood (ages 2–5 years). Exposure to a variety of healthy foods from the start, including during the prenatal period, early milk-feeding and the introduction to complementary foods and …

Links Between Physical Activity Levels And Parkinson’S Disease Medication Ingestion Time: A Case Study, Thea Fontenot

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Physiological Tremor In Handgun Aiming And Shooting Tasks, Kyle J. Kellran

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

When holding an outstretched limb or aiming at a target, humans produce small involuntary fluctuations that may hamper performance. Current strategies for minimizing the impact of tremulous oscillations predominantly include both extrinsic and intrinsic support. The aim of the current dissertation is to better understand the parameters of physiological tremor associated with handgun aiming with the end goal of improving shooting accuracy. Experiment 1 focused on handgun aiming and the influence of different arm posture adopted during aiming. Experiment 2 expanded upon the findings of experiment 1 by comparing tremor during finger pointing, handgun aiming, and handgun shooting. Experiment 3 …

Behavioral Determinants Of Exercise-Related Injury Prevention Program Participation, Emily M. Hartley

Health Services Research Dissertations

Lower extremity injuries are common among the physically active population. There are many negative consequences associated with these injuries which have led to a shift in clinical practice towards prevention. Exercise-related injury prevention programs (ERIPPs) were created to prevent musculoskeletal injuries that occur due to participation in physical activity. However, one of the major limitations to their effectiveness is the compliance of the users to complete the prescribed exercises. It is imperative to better understand the reasons why compliance is low to develop implementation strategies and improve compliance rates.

The overarching purpose of this dissertation was to gain a better …