Browsing by Subject "physical activity"
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Item A Parent-Focused Intervention to Increase Parent Health Literacy and Healthy Lifestyle Choices for Young Children and Families.(2012-07-16) Fleary, SashaHealth literacy affects caregivers' ability to engage in preventive health care behaviors for themselves and their children. Studies suggest that health literacy among low income families needs improvement, and this possibly contributes to disparities in preventive health care rates. Additionally, parents and caregivers may not be able to provide or seek preventive health care for their children because of lack of knowledge and skills to do so effectively. This study designed and piloted an intervention that delivered to parents of young children, 1) health literacy information in an experiential manner, and 2) practical skills to engage their families in healthy lifestyle choices, with the decisions for healthy lifestyle choices being based on the health knowledge provided in the intervention. Specifically, the intervention focused on diet/nutrition, physical activity, sleep hygiene, parenting skills, and mental wellness. The intervention was successful at improving diet/nutrition knowledge at least one month post-intervention and more immediate changes were found for participants' overall beliefs about diet/nutrition, children's vegetable consumption, and parents' fruits and vegetable consumption. Immediate improvements were also found for factual knowledge about physical activity, sleep, and the relationship between mental health and stress. Additionally, the intervention was successful at improving general knowledge and beliefs about sleep, knowledge about the relationship between sleep and health, and knowledge about common childhood sleep problems at least one month post-intervention. The intervention also reduced participants' bedtime interactions with children that are indicative of sleep problems at least one month post-intervention. Future research should conceptualize the intervention as a multiple health behavior intervention and reflect this in the evaluation.Item Acculturative Stress, Social Support, and Physical Activity among International Students in the United States(2010-07-14) Kim, Bo SooThe purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which acculturative stress is associated with physical activity levels of international students, the influence of types and sources of social support on their physical activity levels, and the degree to which social support affects the relationship between their physical activity levels and acculturative stress. 215 Korean international students from Bryan-College Station, Texas, were recruited for this study. The results revealed that only the stressor of English language difficulty, one of acculturative stress, negatively influenced physical activity levels. Social support was positively associated with physical activity levels. Finally, in the role of social support between acculturative stress and physical activity levels, the support of Korean friends and American friends positively affected vigorous physical activity level. These results suggest that social support for international students is likely to be one of most important factors for their physical activity levels. Since the convenient sample of Korean international students may not be representative of international students in the United States, further study needs representative samples in order to establish the generality of international students studying in the United States. Moreover, future research is necessary to examine various sources and types of social support which influence physical activity of international students.Item At-Risk Boys' Self-Efficacy in A Summer Sports Camp(2014-12-09) Su, XiaoxiaResearch has documented that summer sports camps can provide opportunities for social and physical benefits for at-risk boys who are often from low-income families and vulnerable to academic failure. However, whether these boys can reap such benefits is largely determined by their self-efficacy, including social self-efficacy and physical activity self-efficacy. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine at-risk boys? social self-efficacy and physical activity self-efficacy in a summer sports camp setting. Specifically, this study addressed the following research questions: (1) Can at-risk boys differentiate between social self-efficacy and physical activity self-efficacy? (2) What level of social self-efficacy and physical activity self-efficacy do at-risk boys in this sample display? (3) What is the relationship between social self-efficacy and physical activity self-efficacy? (4) Do at-risk boys? mean scores of social self-efficacy and physical activity self-efficacy change over the course of the summer sports camp? (5) What are the predictive powers of social self-efficacy and physical activity self-efficacy on behaviors, effort, and intention for future physical activity participation, and (6) What factors do at-risk boys perceive contributing to their social self-efficacy and physical activity self-efficacy? The results of this study indicated that social self-efficacy and physical activity self-efficacy were clearly distinguishable, but they were also positively related. Both of them significantly predicted prosocial behaviors, with social self-efficacy having stronger predictive power. Physical activity self-efficacy was a better predictor of effort and intention than social self-efficacy. Boys with higher levels of social self-efficacy or physical activity self-efficacy were more likely to display prosocial behaviors. Besides the sources proposed by Bandura?s self-efficacy theory, such as mastery experience, vicarious experience, social persuasion, and emotional and physiological reactions, boys also identified some unique sources contributing to their social self-efficacy and physical activity self-efficacy. This study provides an initial effort using self-efficacy theory to understand at-risk boys? behaviors, effort, and intention for future physical activity participation in a summer sports camp setting. Given the finding that social self-efficacy and physical activity self-efficacy were related to their behaviors, effort, and intention, it is critical to enhance at-risk boys? social self-efficacy and physical activity self-efficacy in summer sports camps.Item Correspondence of directly and indirectly measured built environment attributes and physical activity adoption among African American and Hispanic or Latina Women(2010-06-11) McAlexander, Kristen; Lee, Rebecca E.; Layne, Charles S.; O'Connor, Daniel P.; Rifai, HanadiEthnic minority women report poorer health outcomes and attitudes and are more vulnerable to overweight and/or obesity compared to Caucasian women. Epidemiological studies and ecologic models of health behavior suggest that built environmental factors are associated with health behaviors, like physical activity (PA), that can help to prevent obesity and its many comorbidities. Despite growth and development in this field of research, many questions remain about the relationship between the built environment and perceptions about the built environment, and whether accurate perceptions are important for PA adoption. The objectives of the study were (1) to measure the concordance of directly measured and indirectly measured neighborhood attributes and (2) to determine the correlates of the concordance between directly and indirectly measured built environment attributes among separate samples of African American and Hispanic or Latina women (3) to determine whether there is an association between concordance and PA adoption among African American and Hispanic or Latina women. Community dwelling African American and Hispanic or Latina women participating in an ongoing HIP study self-reported their environmental perceptions at baseline (T1). In order to assess longitudinal PA levels and explore ethnic differences of neighborhood perceptions, we compared objectively measured neighborhood attributes with self-reported neighborhood attributes for African American and Hispanic or Latina women. Participants’ (N=409) average BMI was classified as obese (M BMI=34.5 kg/m2, SD=7.9) and the mean body fat percentage was 42.8% (SD=7.1). BMI, body fat percentage, PA and ethnicity were not significantly associated with any built environment attribute, and no multinomial regression model significantly predicted indirectly measured built environment attributes. Repeated measures analyses suggested no significant relationships between any built environment attribute concordance value and PA adoption for total self-reported or objectively measured PA. Self-reported PA significantly increased over time (F(1,184)=7.82, p=.006), and this increase did not vary by ethnicity or any built environment attribute concordance value. Being less familiar with certain built environment attributes may not be associated with PA adoption. In an effort to promote PA, community leaders and investigators must consider the complex associations between built environment attribute concordance and PA adoption, particularly among the vulnerable population of minority women.Item Design for the Frail Old: Environmental and Perceptual Influences on Corridor Walking Behaviors of Assisted Living Residents(2010-10-12) Lu, ZhipengRegular walking has several physical and psychological benefits for frail older people. However, many residents in long-term care facilities are too sedentary to achieve these benefits. Indoor walking appears to be a feasible way to promote active living among these residents and yet, there is little research that has been done in this regard. The researcher conducted two studies in Central Texas to explore how corridor design features influenced indoor walking behaviors among assisted living residents. In the first study, the researcher carried out six focus groups with 50 assisted living residents, discussing how they perceived the indoor corridor as "walkable." Residents reported that a walkable corridor should be safe, comfortable, and having beautiful/interesting things to see. In the second study, the researcher further examined the relationship between the built environment and walking behaviors among 326 residents from 18 facilities in a major city of Texas. The results indicated that 'perceived looped corridor' and 'number of stories' were significantly associated with residents' frequencies of indoor recreational walking. In addition, the availability and quality of sitting space around mailbox areas influenced the number of "walking to mailbox" trips. This research provides empirical evidence to develop activity-friendly facility design guidelines, and to create environmental interventions to facilitate active lifestyles among long-term care residents.Item Dietary, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Behaviors and Their Relationship to Weight Gain in a College Age Population(2012-10-19) Lee, Faegen DillonWeight gain affects all living beings and excessive weight gain can lead to obesity and comorbidities linked to obesity. In order to better understand how the college student population gains weight and increase in BMI, data collected under the Council of Environment and Dietary Activity (CEDA) at Texas A&M University was examined and analyzed in order to understand how physical activity, sedentary behavior, and dietary activity affect weight gain or weight loss. The college population was divided into BMI categories, gender, and where they lived on campus at Texas A&M University. The data shows that physical activity was associated with loss of weight and BMI in females. Sedentary behavior was associated with weight gain in males but also weight loss in females. Meat consumption was associated with weight gain in males. Fish consumption was associated with weight loss in females. Pastries consumption was associated with weight gain in females. Physical activity appeared to have a stronger effect on weight than dietary behavior even though both can interact to affect weight for females. Speed of service and location have a significant effect on where students would eat. In conclusion, physical activity and sedentary activity have an effect on weight and BMI. Diet can also have an effect on weight and BMI. More specifically, sugar snacks affect weight in females and meat affects weight and BMI in males. However, physical activity appears to have a larger on weight and BMI than diet. Location also affects where a student will eat.Item Integrating Walking for Transportation and Physical Activity for Sedentary Office Workers in Texas(2010-10-12) Wieters, Kathleen M.The workplace is considered a strategic location for health promotion. According to the Texas Workforce Commission, office workers represent up to 40% of the workforce in Texas and the general nature of the type of work is sedentary. Additional study is needed on how the built environment near the worksite area impacts walking behaviors and to determine interventions effective in increasing walking as part of daily routines among office workers. The two aims of this dissertation were: 1) investigate the differences that urban and suburban settings may have on walking behavior (walk trips, walk duration, total step count) of office workers in Texas and 2) to examine the impact of a simple intervention in increasing walking within the respective land use settings. This study utilized on-line survey and travel diary, pedometer, and Geographic Information System to capture the study variables, which included personal, social and cultural, organizational, and built environmental factors. Results showed that urban office workers walk, on average, 600 steps more per day than the suburban office workers. Office workers in both land use settings on average have not met the recommended level of walking steps per day of 10,000 steps per day (Urban Mean=4,932 steps per day, Suburban Mean=4,347 steps per day). Post-intervention step count averaged 5,734 steps per day for urban office workers in contrast to 4,257 steps per day for suburban office workers. This translated to a 16% increase and 2% decrease in walking steps for urban and suburban office workers, respectively. The built environment in terms of land use setting, urban versus suburban, and availability of land use destinations showed associations with walking behavior for office workers. Destinations positively associated with the number of walking trips, including access to bookstores and coffee shops. Access to convenience stores and food establishments for suburban office workers were more relevant for walking duration. Significant destinations for the urban office workers' walking duration per week included the number of banks and food establishments within one fourth mile from their office building. The results for the second aim, testing the tailored information intervention, were informative, though not significant. The intervention did not yield a significant change in walking step count, but provided insight on opportunities for future studies.Item School-Community Relations, Social Capital and Children's Walking to School Behaviors(2012-02-14) Kim, Hyung JinIn spite of increasing interests in the relationship between neighborhood environments and children's walking-to-school behaviors, few studies have examined the dynamic nature of school-community relationships from physical and social perspectives. Questions such as how centrally the school is located within the larger community, and how connected or accessible the school is to the surrounding communities, will have significant implications for children?s walking to school and physical activity behaviors and also for the community's social capital. The primary aims of this study are: (a) to assess the association between school-community relations and social capital among parents of school children; (b) to assess the relationship between school-community relations and walking-to-school behaviors among school children; and (c) to examine the mediating effects of social capital on the relationship of (b). This cross-sectional study focuses on children and parents from 19 elementary schools in the Austin Independent School District (AISD) in Austin, Texas, utilizing the parental Safe Routes to School (SRTS) survey and conducting a follow-up Parental Social Capital survey to gather additional in-depth data on social capital. Also objective measurements are performed to assess school-community relations and physical environments using the spatial centrality index and Geographical Information System (GIS) network analysis at/around schools and surrounding communities. Data analyses are conducted based at the school/community-level and the individual-level (large full data and small sub-group data) separately by using ANOVAs, bivariate statistical analysis and multivariate statistical models. Overall findings of this study show that: (a) neighborhood schools have more students walking to school and a higher centrality of the school than non-neighborhood schools; (b) differences in social capital between neighborhood schools and non-neighborhood schools are not significant or are only marginally significantly; (c) two social capital variables, "volunteerism" and "social cohesion" are correlated with children's walking-to-school behaviors but no significant mediating effect is found for social capital in the association between school-community relations and children's walking-to-school behaviors; and (d) "volunteerism" is shown to be positively correlated with "perceived centrality" but negatively associated with all objective centrality measures. The other social capital variable of "social cohesion" has a positive correlation with one of the objective centrality measures, "closeness centrality." Findings of this study may contribute to research exploring the dynamics of school-community relations with socio-spatial perspectives, and also bring attention to the policy makers for school siting in the large community context and evidence-based knowledge promoting healthy community design.Item Strong Body, Strong Mind: The Effects of Implementing Physical Activity within a Mathematics Course for Deployed Sailors(2012-12-06) Edwards, Joshua 1976-Test anxiety can act as a major inhibitor for students to perform to their ability. Students can find that what life decisions they are going to be afforded is going to be determined by a series of multiple choice mathematics questions. There must be a way to deal with their test anxiety so that the true nature of their knowledge is displayed, and in the process promote learning. Meditative breathing, stretching, and physical activity have been shown to reduce stress. Furthermore, physical activity has also shown an effect on behavioral and cognitive states. This study investigates if these activities can be used in the classroom to promote learning and achievement within a mathematics course. In order to find students who share a minimum level of physical fitness and operate under some of the most stressful conditions possible, the participants were chosen from mathematics courses taught to sailors while on deployment. Two same class ships were chosen to be a part of the study. Each ship had courses split into exercise groups and a control group. Students were given a pre-test followed by eight weeks of instruction and then a post-test, interview data was collected after the course. During the instruction, weekly reviews were set so control groups were rewarded with points for correct answers and exercise groups were tasked with physical activity for incorrect answers. Study A found that post test scores were not significantly different between the exercise and control group. However, the exercise group did attend more tutoring events than their counterparts. Interview data did indicate students in the exercise group felt a greater sense of engagement, fun, and camaraderie. Based upon variations in mathematic exposure between the two groups another study was planned to find participant groups that were closer reflections of each other. Study B was conducted with a more reflective representation of student math background. The results found that the exercise group scored higher in post-test and tutoring events than the control group. Interview data also showed consistent results with Study A, where the exercise group reported a greater sense of engagement, fun and camaraderie.Item The Influence of the Built Environment on Poor Hispanic Youth(2011-02-22) Zhou, LeiMany studies have examined the relationship between youth physical activity and their built environment. However, most of them used subjective measurement tools to measure built environment because of their low cost and convenience. The application of geographic information system (GIS) in this study greatly supported the research in this field because it can provide more detailed objectively measured data of built environment. Three hundred and thirty-eight Hispanic low-income youth enrolled in a local San Antonio Youth Center program participated in the study. The first study examined the association between youth's household income, and the availability and accessibility of recreational and utilitarian facilities. Results indicated that youth from low income families had longer distances to and less available number of recreational and utilitarian facilities within their neighborhoods. The second study focused on nutrition environmental features, such as, availability and accessibility of fast food outlets and supermarkets. Findings suggested that the average distance to supermarkets was almost two times that of fast food restaurants. These results indicated that participants need to walk more to access a supermarket compared to the closest fast food restaurant. On the whole, supermarkets were less accessible compared to fast food restaurants for the participants in the study area. The third study provided some important supplements to the first two studies by examining both features related to physical activity and dietary behavior with youth's BMI. Results indicated that the available number (availability) of physical activity- and food-related facilities contributed significantly to youth BMI. Lower BMI was related to more available utilitarian (e.g., shopping malls), recreational facilities (e.g., parks) and some food stores (e.g., supermarkets). This study indicated that youth's individual features (e.g., age and SES) had some associations with their health conditions (e.g., BMI) and built environments (e.g., accessibility and availability of facilities and food outlets). These results may provide some evidence to improve the understanding of the relationship between individual, environmental, and social characteristics, which may be useful to promote children and adolescent health behaviors (e.g., physical activity and eating behavior) in public health.