Leisure Studies Commons^™

Spiritual Outcomes Of A Faith-Based Camp Program For Children Of Incarcerated Parents, Raquel T. Ellis, Krystal Hays, Jeff Hamilton, Lemesis J. Reyes

Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Children of incarcerated parents are likely to experience a number of adverse outcomes including poverty, substance abuse, community violence, multiple caregivers, school failure, and justice system involvement (Hairston, 2007; Martin, 2017; Murphey & Cooper, 2015). The experience of having a parent incarcerated, and the negative outcomes associated with it, disproportionately expose these children to adverse childhood events (ACE’s) known to result in higher morbidity and mortality (Turney, 2018). However, spiritual resources, along with engagement with caring adults, can increase a child’s resilience and buffer the impact of these negative outcomes. This exploratory study describes Camp Agape California (CAC), a ...

My Journey To Create A Space For Young Adults To Grow In Community, Chelsea Simmeth

Creative Studies Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project focuses on the development of a safe space for young adults to come together, create community and engage in activities. There is a gap in college-age students’ ability to find community outside the university. This project focuses on creating a place where they would be able to meet new people, play sports, and board games, and do arts and crafts. The development of marketing strategies, event planning checklists, and locations for holding events are outlined for the Young Adults (YA)- UNITE (Upbeat, New, and Inviting Transformational Environment) program.

Asking For Forgiveness: Negotiating The Creation Of Memory Through Public Memorialization, Alyssa Castronuovo

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The practice of spatializing culture, or “examining space through theories of embodiment, discourse translocality, and effect,” localizes the global and separates hegemonic narratives of space from how it is actually utilized by the people who interact with it. Setha Low argues that this perspective is especially useful to the anthropologist committed to challenging the discipline’s historically eurocentric approach to studying culture. She writes that a spatial focus “[draws] on the strengths of studying people in situ, producing rich and nuanced sociospatial understandings.” This project began with an interest in theorists such as Edward Soja, Michel de Certeau, and Henri ...

Body Appreciation, Gender, Motivation, And Competitive Success In Competition Climbing, Marissa Frost

All Theses

The focus of this study was to examine the relation between the constructs of body appreciation, gender, motivation, and competitive success in competition climbers. To gather data for this study, a Qualtrics survey was created and distributed amongst the competition climbing community through USA Climbing’s Facebook page and member email list. Data was then collected from competition climbers between the ages of thirteen and sixty over 45 days in the winter of 2017. A total of 236 competition climbers participated in the survey and 202 of those responses were used in this study. Body appreciation in this study was ...

Queering The Outdoors: Lgbtq2sia+ Identity In Outdoor Recreation, Sandra Heath

All Dissertations

Objective. The purpose of this project was to learn about the lived experiences of outdoor professionals who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Two Spirited, Pansexual, Intersex, Asexual, Plus (LGBTQ2SIA+ or LGBTQ+). In this study, we are gifted with stories that delve into queer identity in the outdoors, with the understanding that not all LGBTQ+ individuals experience the outdoors in the same way. Specifically, this study considers these experiences across temporal dimension of childhood and adulthood, the defining event(s) of coming out, the role of community, and reflections on outdoor recreation professions. Methods. A critical narrative approach was ...

Using A Data-Driven Approach To Examine Facility Use Definitions In Campus Recreation, Sera Janson Zegre, Rodney P. Hughes, Andrew M. Darling, Craig R. Decker

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Existing research in campus recreation establishes a relationship between facility use and academic outcomes, but published studies define users differently. In response to inconsistent definitions of participants in campus recreation, this study uses a data-driven approach to compare facility use definitions. Authors illustrate the implications of choosing different participant definitions for relationships between campus recreation and two undergraduate academic outcomes, first-year retention and first-year cumulative grade point average (GPA). This study uses data from a three-year timeframe, linking sources of data on students’ recreation facility use, academic outcomes, and student records. Authors provide a summary of previous definitions, results from ...

Fishing Without A Scale, Kaleb Miller, Luke Lemaitre

Student Scholarship - College of Business

Our study looks at different species of fish and uses their cross-length and volume to find correlations in weight among the different fish. The different type of fish that we compare include perch, pike, parkki, whitefish, bream, roach, and smelt. The dependent variable that we are using is weight. Once we predict the weight of the individual fish, we will also compare that weight to other fish species. The result of the data are that there is linearity, where the adjusted R squared is between 0.94 and 0.97, depending on our model. Therefore, 94 to 97 percent of ...

An Importance-Performance Analysis Of Local And Destination Visitors To Monocacy National Battlefield, Mckenzie Mosher, Colin Mccormack, Caleb Scruggs, Chris Zajchowski, Jessica Fefer

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The purpose of this study was to understand the evolving visitor experience at Monocacy National Battlefield (MONO) in Fredrick, Maryland and, specifically, the way this National Park Service site serves both its’ destination and local visitors. Using an Importance-Performance Analysis, segmented by visitors’ county of residence, we demonstrate key differences in the visitor experience across visitor type. Following survey design with MONO managers and approval from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, onsite sampling occurred over 21 visitor contact days, stratified by day of the week and time of day, in summer and fall of 2021. 469 visitors ...

Socio-Cultural And Economic Impacts Of Religious Festivals On Sustainable Local Community Livelihoods In Kerala: The Case Of Palakkad, Dr. Bindu V T Nair, Aiswarya Babu N

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Festivals depict the heritage, culture, and traditions of a particular region. They create a state of exhilaration and enthusiasm. Kerala is a state in southwest India with its own distinct culture and traditions. The state is also known for its religious pluralism. This study attempts to understand the perceived impact of religious festivals on the local community livelihoods in Palakkad, a district in central Kerala. Twelve temples in which religious festivals are held annually, with attendance in the range of thousands, were selected. The selected temples are famous for hosting specific religious festivals which attract a large number of visitors ...

The Effect Of Task And Environment Constraints On Aquatic Locomotor Behavior: Qualitative Data Analysis, Ernani Xavier Filho, Edison J. Manoel

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Many constraints (environmental, organismic, and task) act on all patterns of motor coordination, although their effects on swimming is less well understood. To this end, we carried out the current study with fifty-six participants, ages ranging from six to twelve years. The experimental tasks were created from the original task in which changes in task speed and environmental context were manipulated. Four aspects in the results were notable: a) a main trend was one of performance with the same developmental status among the tasks; b) when behaviour changed, this occurred due to environmental constraints, leading to more rudimentary patterns of ...

Employment With The Northwest Territories Aquatics Program: A Significant Life Event?, Sebastien Denize, Audrey R. Giles

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

For over 60 years, the Northwest Territories Aquatics Program (NWTAP) has employed university students from southern Canada with little to no exposure to northern Canada to run seasonal swimming pools and waterfronts in isolated northern communities. In this article, we examine the impact that working for this program had on nine former employees’ lives and whether or not working for the NWTAP could be categorized as a significant life experience. We used thematic analysis of the data from retrospective semi-structured interviews and open-ended questionnaires and identified four themes: (1) employment by the NWTAP enhanced the employees’ self-confidence, independence, and self-efficacy ...

Ability Of Lifeguards To Detect Submerged Manikins In Public Swimming Pool Environments, Élie Vignac, Pascal Lebihain, Brice Guignard, Natacha Heutte, Loic Le Minor, Bastien Soulé

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

To prevent drownings in public swimming pools (PSP), French legislation requires constant surveillance by state-certified lifeguards. While previous research showed that surveillance was not always effective, this article focuses on efficiency of surveillance when it is effective. We evaluated the ability of 4 volunteer professional lifeguards to detect a submerged manikin under controlled conditions. One hundred and eight (108) tests were carried out in 2 PSP. Four variables were controlled (i.e., distance, depth, surveillance station, attendance). Our results showed that rapid drowning detection was not exclusively linked to the individual detection capabilities of a lifeguard, but rather it emerged ...

Content, Construct, And Criterion Validity, Reliability, And Objectivity For Aquatic Readiness Assessment For Brazilian Children, Nadia C. Valentini, Keila R G Pereira, Glauber C. Nobre

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

The Aquatic Readiness Assessment (ARA) is an assessment instrument for measuring children's aquatic readiness. The objective of the study was to translate the English version into Portuguese and to investigate the content, construct, and criterion validity as well as the reliability and rater objectivity of the ARA for Brazilian children. Twenty-three professionals and 464 children, newborn to 13 years-old participated in the study. We found strong content (94% to 100% of judges’ agreement) and criterion validity, internal consistency (α from .96 to .97), and inter-rater objectivity (ICC from .81 to .98), and test-retest reliability (ICC from .94 to .98 ...

Effective Lifeguard Scanning: A Review, Stephen J. Langendorfer Ph.D., Francesco (Frank) A. Pia Ph.D., Angela K. Beale-Tawfeeq Ph.D.

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

The purpose of this scientific review was to address the question of what evidence-based visual surveillance/scanning skills exist in the peer-reviewed scholarly literature. It is well known that lifeguards spend a majority of their on-duty time surveying bathers and swimmers in the water. Lifeguards need to quickly distinguish among swimmers in distress and drowning persons from other bathers in order to rapidly come to their aid to prevent drowning. To be able to accomplish this task, Signal Detection Theory reveals that lifeguards need specific and extensive training in identifying the behavioral patterns associated with drowning persons and swimmers in ...

Lifeguard Performance Skills: A Systematic Review, Paulo Santiago, Filipe Maia, Sandra Santiago, Daniel Duarte, Pedro Teques

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Drowning is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and lifeguards’ action can be regarded as a significant contribution to change that reality. In this regard, the purpose of this systematic review was to identify factors associated with lifeguards’ performance. After extensive research on PsycArticles, PsicBooks, PsycInfo, SportDiscus, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus and SportDiscus databases, containing the keywords “lifeguard” AND “performance”, “lifeguard” AND “skills” and “lifeguard” AND “drowning”, we obtained 429 research articles. After eliminating duplicates, excluding those that had no relevance to the study, and screening against set criteria, a total of five articles were fully reviewed ...

Correlation Between Social Media Use And Eating Disorder Symptoms: A Literature Review, Makenna Rose Burger

Kinesiology and Public Health

Importance: Social media is a pervasive influence in modern society presenting many potential public health implications.

Objective: The purpose of this literature review is to synthesize current research regarding social media and eating disorders.

Methods: Primary research was gathered from Google Scholar and OneSearch database resulting in 7 articles. Articles were examined for common themes.

Results: Common themes found in the resulting research is the prevalence of ‘thinspiration’, gamified content, and overlap of eating disorders with other mental illnesses. Several articles found a significant correlation between social media use and the severity of eating disorder symptoms.

Conclusion: This correlation incites ...

Effects Of A Demand-Valve Scuba Regulator On Cardiorespiratory Response During Submaximal Exercise Under Normobaric Conditions: A Preliminary Investigation, Christopher R. Kovacs Ph.D., Camille Dhom B.S.

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

SCUBA diving fatalities are often related to cardiac events triggered by stress linked to equipment. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of a SCUBA regulator on cardiorespiratory exercise at a submaximal workload. Ten participants (mean = 21.5 yrs; s.d. = 1.16) completed two submaximal exercise tests at 1 ATA; one while breathing normally and a second while breathing directly from a demand valve SCUBA regulator. Total time to test completion (TOT), heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and arterial oxygen levels were all assessed. No significant differences between conditions were ...

“It’S Up To Us:” Factors Influencing The Perspectives And Practices Of Instructors Working In An Out-Of-School Swimming Program For Underserved Children And Youth, Daniela M. Susnara, Matthew Curtner-Smith

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

The purposes of this study were (a) to describe the perspectives and practices of instructors working in an out-of-school swimming program (OSSP) for underserved children and youth and (b) to examine the factors which shaped these perspectives and practices. The theoretical framework employed was occupational socialization. Two female instructors participated in the study. Five qualitative techniques were used to collect data and standard interpretive techniques were employed to analyze them. Key findings were that the instructors were highly skilled and had well-developed sets of beliefs about teaching swimming and working with disadvantaged children and youth. These perspectives and practices were ...

Examining Youth Conceptualizations Of Water Safety Behaviors Among Participants In A Learn-To-Swim Program, Austin R. Anderson, Kristina R. Anderson, William D. Ramos, Angela K. Beale-Tawfeeq

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Drowning represents a leading cause of unintentional deaths among children. Concomitantly, while formal swim instruction often incorporates water safety practices, the efficacy of these messages remains largely unexplored. This qualitative-based study sought to evaluate how youth apply learned water safety concepts when posed with a hypothetical aquatic scenario. Semi-structured interviews, augmented by use of a visual illustration prompt, were conducted with 29 participants of a youth Learn-to-Swim (LTS) program. Interviews assessed participants’ expressed water safety behaviors and were coded based on emergent themes. Findings indicated that most participants were able to identify a “struggling” swimmer in the dramatized illustration. When ...

Eyes Save Lives Water Safety Program For Parents And Caregivers: Program Design And Pilot Evaluation From Southern California, Rachel Love-Smith, William A. Koon, Lauren Tabios, Scott M. Bartell

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Despite expert consensus and evidence-based preventative strategies against drowning, limited formal study exists on translating recommendations into practical and effective interventions. This paper describes the design of an education-based drowning prevention intervention and reports results from a pilot evaluation of the program’s effect on self-reported water-safe behaviors, attitudes, self-efficacy, and knowledge. Parents and caregivers attending children’s swim lessons in July and August 2018 participated in a brief water-safety education program. A pre-post-test design evaluated "Theory of Planned Behavior" indicators to assess for changes. We found significant increases in scores related to water safety knowledge, attitudes on maintaining arms ...