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Introduction: Less than half of U.S. adults meet the aerobic physical activity guidelines to exercise at least 150 minutes a week. An individual's decision to be physically active is influenced by their perceptions of physical activity. To address perceptions, interventions need to be implemented where adults spend one third of

Introduction: Less than half of U.S. adults meet the aerobic physical activity guidelines to exercise at least 150 minutes a week. An individual's decision to be physically active is influenced by their perceptions of physical activity. To address perceptions, interventions need to be implemented where adults spend one third of their day; the workplace. A number of physical activity interventions have been conducted and few have been successful at improving physical activity; therefore, there is a need to explore novel approaches to improve physical activity in the worksite. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the impact of a seven-day gratitude intervention on perceptions of physical activity and happiness in the workplace. Methods: Full-time employees at two worksites participated in a seven-day online journaling study. Participants were randomized into the intervention (gratitude) or control group and were assessed for perceptions of physical activity and happiness at baseline, immediate post-test (day 7) and one-week follow-up (day 14). Results: Results of this study indicate that the seven-day gratitude intervention may not significantly improve perceptions of physical activity or increase happiness. Future research should consider assessing the individual's readiness for change at baseline, increasing the length of the intervention, testing participant level of gratitude at baseline and employing a larger sample size.
ContributorsRowedder, Lacey (Author) / Huberty, Jennifer (Thesis advisor) / Chisum, Jack (Committee member) / Lee, Chong (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
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This body of research sought to explore relationships between parenting practices, physical activity resources, and Hispanic children’s physical activity. Guided by the Family Ecological Model (FEM) and the Ecological Model of Physical Activity (EMPA) this study examined the influence of parents on children’s physical activity through an integrative review. A

This body of research sought to explore relationships between parenting practices, physical activity resources, and Hispanic children’s physical activity. Guided by the Family Ecological Model (FEM) and the Ecological Model of Physical Activity (EMPA) this study examined the influence of parents on children’s physical activity through an integrative review. A cross sectional study was conducted to investigate potential relationships between parental perception safety at school, gender, and children’s physical activity. A cross sectional study was also utilized to examine potential correlations between parenting practices, physical activity resources, and children’s physical activity. Parental role modeling of physical activity and parental support for physical activity emerged as parenting practices that have considerable potential to impact children’s physical activity. Gender differences among children’s physical activity were also a key finding of this study with boys participating in more physical activity than boys. While quality of physical activity resources did not have significant associations with parenting practices or children’s physical activity, more research is needed to determine how resources for physical activity may impact parenting practices, and children’s physical activity.
ContributorsHutchens, Amy (Author) / Lee, Rebecca E (Thesis advisor) / Todd, Michael (Committee member) / Lyles, Ann Marie (Committee member) / Holtzclaw, Barbara (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
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Description
College students experience a considerable amount of stress. Unmanaged stress is associated with poor academic performance, health risk behaviors (i.e., inadequate sleep and physical activity, alcohol consumption, poor dietary behaviors), and poor mental health. Coping with stress has become a priority among universities. The most tested stress-related programs to date

College students experience a considerable amount of stress. Unmanaged stress is associated with poor academic performance, health risk behaviors (i.e., inadequate sleep and physical activity, alcohol consumption, poor dietary behaviors), and poor mental health. Coping with stress has become a priority among universities. The most tested stress-related programs to date have been mindfulness-based and face-to-face. These programs demonstrated significant improvements in stress, mindfulness, and self-compassion among college students. However, they may be burdensome to students as studies report low attendance and low compliance due to class conflicts or not enough time. Few interventions have used more advanced technologies (i.e., mobile apps) as a mode of delivery. The purpose of this study is to report adherence to a consumer-based mindfulness meditation mobile application (i.e., Calm) and test its effects on stress, mindfulness, and self-compassion in college students. We will also explore what the relationship is between mindfulness and health behaviors.

College students were recruited using fliers on college campus and social media. Eligible participants were randomized to one of two groups: (1) Intervention - meditate using Calm, 10 min/day for eight weeks and (2) Control – no participation in mindfulness practices (received the Calm application after 12-weeks). Stress, mindfulness, and self-compassion and health behaviors (i.e., sleep disturbance, alcohol consumption, physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption) were measured using self-report. Outcomes were measured at baseline and week eight.

Of the 109 students that enrolled in the study, 41 intervention and 47 control participants were included in analysis. Weekly meditation participation averaged 38 minutes with 54% of participants completing at least half (i.e., 30 minutes) of meditations. Significant changes between groups were found in stress, mindfulness, and self-compassion (all P<0.001) in favor of the intervention group. A significant negative association (p<.001) was found between total mindfulness and sleep disturbance.

An eight-week consumer-based mindfulness meditation mobile application (i.e., Calm) was effective in reducing stress, improving mindfulness and self-compassion among undergraduate college students. Mobile applications may be a feasible, effective, and less burdensome way to reduce stress in college students.
ContributorsGlissmann, Christine (Author) / Huberty, Jennifer (Thesis advisor) / Sebren, Ann (Committee member) / Larkey, Linda (Committee member) / Lee, Chong (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
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Description
Physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and sleep are often associated with cardiometabolic biomarkers commonly found in metabolic syndrome. These relationships are well studied, and yet there are still questions on how each activity may affect cardiometabolic biomarkers. The objective of this study was to examine data from the BeWell24 studies to

Physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and sleep are often associated with cardiometabolic biomarkers commonly found in metabolic syndrome. These relationships are well studied, and yet there are still questions on how each activity may affect cardiometabolic biomarkers. The objective of this study was to examine data from the BeWell24 studies to evaluate the relationship between objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behaviors and cardiometabolic biomarkers in middle age adults, while also determining if sleep quality and duration mediates this relationship. A group of inactive participants (N = 29, age = 52.1 ± 8.1 years, 38% female) with increased risk for cardiometabolic disease were recruited to participate in BeWell24, a trial testing the impact of a lifestyle-based, multicomponent smartphone application targeting sleep, sedentary, and more active behaviors. During baseline, interim (4 weeks), and posttest visits (8 weeks), biomarker measurements were collected for weight (kg), waist circumference (cm), glucose (mg/dl), insulin (uU/ml), lipids (mg/dl), diastolic and systolic blood pressures (mm Hg), and C reactive protein (mg/L). Participants wore validated wrist and thigh sensors for one week intervals at each time point to measure sedentary behavior, physical activity, and sleep outcomes. Long bouts of sitting time (>30 min) significantly affected triglycerides (beta = .15 (±.07), p<.03); however, no significant mediation effects for sleep quality or duration were present. No other direct effects were observed between physical activity measurements and cardiometabolic biomarkers. The findings of this study suggest that reductions in long bouts of sitting time may support reductions in triglycerides, yet these effects were not mediated by sleep-related improvements.
ContributorsLanich, Boyd (Author) / Buman, Matthew (Thesis advisor) / Ainsworth, Barbara (Committee member) / Huberty, Jennifer (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
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Description
Background: Although childhood engagement in physical activity has received growing attention, most children still do not meet the recommended daily 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity [MVPA]. Children of ethnic minorities are less likely to meet the guidelines. Interventions have been implemented in various settings to increase child

Background: Although childhood engagement in physical activity has received growing attention, most children still do not meet the recommended daily 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity [MVPA]. Children of ethnic minorities are less likely to meet the guidelines. Interventions have been implemented in various settings to increase child physical activity levels, yet these efforts have not yielded consistent results. The purpose of this study was to assess the preliminary effects of a community-based intervention on light physical activity and MVPA among 6-11 year old children. Methods: The present study was part of a larger study called Athletes for Life [AFL], a family-based, nutrition-education and physical activity intervention. The present study focused on physical activity data from the first completed cohort of participants (n=29). This study was a randomized control trial in which participating children were randomized into a control (n=14) or intervention (n=15) group. Participants wore accelerometers at two time points. Intervention strategies were incorporated to increase child habitual physical activity. Analyses of covariance were performed to test for post 12-week differences between both groups on the average minutes of light physical activity and MVPA minutes per day.

Results: The accelerometer data demonstrated no significant difference in light physical activity or MVPA mean minutes per day between the groups. Few children reported engaging in activities sufficient for meeting the physical activity guidelines outside the AFL program. Of the 119 total distributed child physical activity tracker sheets (7 per family), 55 were returned. Of the 55 returned physical activity tracker sheets, parents reported engaging in physical activity with their children only 7 times outside of the program over seven weeks.

Conclusion: The combined intervention strategies implemented throughout the 12-week study did not appear to be effective at increasing habitual mean minutes per day spent engaging in light and MVPA among children beyond the directed program. Methodological limitations and low adherence to intervention strategies may partially explain these findings. Further research is needed to test successful strategies within community programs to increase habitual light physical activity and MVPA among 6-11 year old children.
ContributorsQuezada, Blanca (Author) / Crespo, Noe (Thesis advisor) / Huberty, Jennifer (Committee member) / Vega-Lopez, Sonia (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
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Background: Unmanaged stress is a major contributing factor to the development of disease in both men and women. Middle-aged adults (40-64) have some of the highest stress of all age groups and the use of meditation may provide relief for conditions such as stress. A smartphone application (app) may hel

Background: Unmanaged stress is a major contributing factor to the development of disease in both men and women. Middle-aged adults (40-64) have some of the highest stress of all age groups and the use of meditation may provide relief for conditions such as stress. A smartphone application (app) may help limit the magnitude of the perceived challenges of meditation. The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of a consumer-based meditation app (i.e., Calm) to reduce stress in middle-aged adults who self-report elevated stress. The preliminary effects of Calm on stress and health outcomes related to stress were explored as well as the preliminary effects of Calm on mindfulness and coping behaviors for stress were explored.

Methods: Adults were recruited to a 4-week app-based health and well-being study. Participants were randomized into either a mindfulness meditation (i.e. Calm) group or a health education (POD) control group. Participants were asked to participate at least 10 minutes per day. Assessments were conducted for stress, anxiety, depression, mindfulness, physical activity, eating habits, and coping behaviors at pre- and post-intervention and voluntary phone interviews were held post-intervention. App usage data were collected subjectively through weekly participation logs and through objective app usage data provided by Calm.

Results: Eighty-three participants were enrolled into the study and 60 completed the intervention and were analyzed. Feasibility and demand benchmarks were met with 96% of participants satisfied with the intervention and 93% found it enjoyable, appropriate, and useful. There was a 70% adherence (minutes/week) to the meditation intervention. Recruitment of men into the intervention group was 38.1% and retention of men was 81.3%. Significant changes were not observed in stress, anxiety, depression, or mindfulness, physical activity, eating habits, and coping behaviors.

Conclusion: The findings of this study support the feasibility of a 4-week, mobile app-based mindfulness meditation intervention (i.e. Calm) in middle-aged adults. These finding do not demonstrate preliminary efficacy of Calm to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression or improvement of mindfulness, physical activity, eating habits, or coping behaviors among middle-aged adults who report elevated stress. These results can be applied for improved design of future studies.
ContributorsLaird, Breanne Michelle (Author) / Huberty, Jennifer (Thesis advisor) / O'Rourke, Holly (Committee member) / Larkey, Linda (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
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This body of research sought to explore relationships between cognitive function and physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB), and sleep, independently and in conjunction, in mid-life to older adults with no known cognitive impairment. Aging is associated with cognitive decline, and lifestyle behaviors such as PA, SB, and sleep, may

This body of research sought to explore relationships between cognitive function and physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB), and sleep, independently and in conjunction, in mid-life to older adults with no known cognitive impairment. Aging is associated with cognitive decline, and lifestyle behaviors such as PA, SB, and sleep, may mitigate this decline. First, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effect of aerobic PA interventions on memory and executive function in sedentary adults. Second, a longitudinal study was conducted to examine the association between SB and odds of incident cognitive impairment, and SB and cognitive decline in older adults. Last, a cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the joint associations between different levels of sleep with levels of PA, and sleep with levels of sedentary time on memory and executive function. This body of research provided evidence to support the association between aerobic PA and improved cognitive function, SB and incident cognitive impairment and cognitive function declines, and the joint association of sleep and different levels of PA and ST on cognitive function by hypertension status.
ContributorsHoffmann, Nicole M (Author) / Lee, Rebecca E (Thesis advisor) / Petrov, Megan E (Thesis advisor) / Marek, Karen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
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Description
Through three investigations, this dissertation examined properties of the family and early care and education center (ECEC) environments related to preschool-aged children’s cardiovascular fitness (CVF) and gross locomotor skills (GLS). Investigation one used a systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesize the effectiveness of school-based interventions at improving CVF, in preschool-aged

Through three investigations, this dissertation examined properties of the family and early care and education center (ECEC) environments related to preschool-aged children’s cardiovascular fitness (CVF) and gross locomotor skills (GLS). Investigation one used a systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesize the effectiveness of school-based interventions at improving CVF, in preschool-aged children. For investigations two and three product- and process-based measures of GLS were collected from children in ECECs (n=16), using the progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run (PACER; n=144) and the CHAMPS motor skill protocol (CMSP; n=91), respectively. Investigation two and three examined family factors and ECEC factors for associations with measures of GLS, respectively.

Investigation one revealed a moderate-to-large effect size for school-based interventions (n=10) increasing CVF (g=0.75; 95%CI [0.40-1.11]). Multi-level interventions (g=.79 [0.34-1.25]) were more effective than interventions focused on the individual (g=0.67 [0.12-1.22]). In investigations two and three children (78.3% Hispanic; mean ± SD age 53.2±4.5 months) completed a mean ± SD 3.7±2.3 PACER laps and 19.0±5.5 CSMP criteria. Individual and family factors associated with PACER laps included child sex (B=-0.96, p=0.03) and age (B=0.17, p<0.01), parents’ promotion of inactivity (B=0.66, p=0.08) and screen time (B=0.65, p=0.05), and parents’ concern for child’s safety during physical activity (B=-0.36, p=0.09). Child age (B=0.47, p<0.01) and parent employment (B=2.29, p=0.07) were associated with CMSP criteria. At the ECEC level, policy environment quality (B=-0.17; p=0.01) was significantly associated with number of PACER laps completed. Outdoor play environment quality (B=0.18; p=0.03), outdoor play equipment total (B=0.32; p<0.01) and screen time environment quality (B=0.60; p=0.02) were significantly associated with CMSP criteria. Researchers, ECEC teachers and policy makers should promote positive environmental changes to preschool-aged children’s family and ECEC environments, as these environments have the potential to improve CVF and GLS more than programs focused on the child alone.
ContributorsSzeszulski, Jacob (Author) / Lee, Rebecca E (Thesis advisor) / Buman, Matthew P (Committee member) / Hooker, Steven P (Committee member) / Vega-Lopez, Sonia (Committee member) / Shaibi, Gabriel Q (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
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Description
Myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) patients suffer from fatigue and a reduced overall quality of life, both of which are not resolved with current pharmacologic therapy. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 12-week online-streamed yoga intervention on fatigue and QoL in MPN patients as compared to

Myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) patients suffer from fatigue and a reduced overall quality of life, both of which are not resolved with current pharmacologic therapy. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 12-week online-streamed yoga intervention on fatigue and QoL in MPN patients as compared to a wait-list control group as well as to determine the feasibility of remotely collecting blood and saliva samples in a national sample. MPN patients were asked to complete 60 min/week of online yoga for 12 weeks. MPN fatigue and QoL were assessed online with single-item questions taken from the MPN SAF (fatigue and QoL) and NIH PROMIS (QoL) at baseline, week 7, and week 12. The practicality of the blood and saliva measures were defined as >70% completion rate at both baseline and week 12. Fidelity of the intervention (i.e., weekly yoga participation) was assessed via both self-report (i.e., daily log) and objective measurement (i.e., Clicky). Of the 62 MPN patients that enrolled in the study, 48 completed the intervention with 27 participating in the yoga group and 21 participating in the wait-list control group. Weekly yoga participation averaged ~41 min/week as measured objectively, whereas self-report yoga participation averaged ~56 min/week. The blood draw was determined to be practical with a 92.6% completion rate at baseline and a 70.4% completion rate at week 12. There were no significant differences from baseline to week 12 in MPN SAF fatigue (ES=0.18; p=0.724) or MPN SAF QoL (ES=-0.53; p=0.19), however, NIH PROMIS QoL was significantly improved from baseline to week 12 (ES=0.7; p=0.031) when compared to the control group. This study builds upon the findings from a prior feasibility study in demonstrating the feasibility of online yoga as well as its preliminary effects of improving total symptom burden, fatigue, pain, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance in MPN patients. Given the effects of yoga demonstrated both in the feasibility study and the current pilot study, a future randomized controlled trial with a larger sample size is warranted in order to further investigate the effectiveness of online yoga for MPN patient symptom burden and QoL.
ContributorsEckert, Ryan (Author) / Huberty, Jennifer (Thesis advisor) / Mesa, Ruben (Committee member) / Gowin, Krisstina (Committee member) / Dueck, Amylou (Committee member) / Kosiorek, Heidi (Committee member) / Larkey, Linda (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017