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The health benefits of physical activity are widely accepted. Emerging research also indicates that sedentary behaviors can carry negative health consequences regardless of physical activity level. This dissertation explored four projects that examined measurement properties of physical activity and sedentary behavior monitors. Project one identified the oxygen costs of four other care activities in seventeen adults. Pushing a wheelchair and pushing a stroller were identified as moderate-intensity activities. Minutes spent engaged in these activities contribute towards meeting the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines. Project two identified the oxygen costs of common cleaning activities in sixteen adults. Mopping a floor was identified as moderate-intensity physical activity, while cleaning a kitchen and cleaning a bathtub were identified as light-intensity physical activity. Minutes spent engaged in mopping a floor contributes towards meeting the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines. Project three evaluated the differences in number of minutes spent in activity levels when utilizing different epoch lengths in accelerometry. A shorter epoch length (1-second, 5-seconds) accumulated significantly more minutes of sedentary behaviors than a longer epoch length (60-seconds). The longer epoch length also identified significantly more time engaged in light-intensity activities than the shorter epoch lengths. Future research needs to account for epoch length selection when conducting physical activity and sedentary behavior assessment. Project four investigated the accuracy of four activity monitors in assessing activities that were either sedentary behaviors or light-intensity physical activities. The ActiGraph GT3X+ assessed the activities least accurately, while the SenseWear Armband and ActivPAL assessed activities equally accurately. The monitor used to assess physical activity and sedentary behaviors may influence the accuracy of the measurement of a construct.
ContributorsMeckes, Nathanael (Author) / Ainsworth, Barbara E (Thesis advisor) / Belyea, Michael (Committee member) / Buman, Matthew (Committee member) / Gaesser, Glenn (Committee member) / Wharton, Christopher (Christopher Mack), 1977- (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
The contemporary architectural pedagogy is far removed from its ancestry: the classical Beaux-Arts and polytechnic schools of the 19th century and the Bauhaus and Vkhutemas models of the modern period. Today, the "digital" has invaded the academy and shapes pedagogical practices, epistemologies, and ontologies within it, and this invasion is reflected in teaching practices, principles, and tools. Much of this digital integration goes unremarked and may not even be explicitly taught. In this qualitative research project, interviews with 18 leading architecture lecturers, professors, and deans from programs across the United States were conducted. These interviews focused on advanced practices of digital architecture, such as the use of digital tools, and how these practices are viewed. These interviews yielded a wealth of information about the uses (and abuses) of advanced digital technologies within the architectural academy, and the results were analyzed using the methods of phenomenology and grounded theory. Most schools use digital technologies to some extent, although this extent varies greatly. While some schools have abandoned hand-drawing and other hand-based craft almost entirely, others have retained traditional techniques and use digital technologies sparingly. Reasons for using digital design processes include industry pressure as well as the increased ability to solve problems and the speed with which they could be solved. Despite the prevalence of digital design, most programs did not teach related design software explicitly, if at all, instead requiring students (especially graduate students) to learn to use them outside the design studio. Some of the problems with digital design identified in the interviews include social problems such as alienation as well as issues like understanding scale and embodiment of skill.
ContributorsAlqabandy, Hamad (Author) / Brandt, Beverly (Thesis advisor) / Mesch, Claudia (Committee member) / Newton, David (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
In the middle of the 20th century, juried annuals of Native American painting in art museums were unique opportunities because of their select focus on two-dimensional art as opposed to "craft" objects and their inclusion of artists from across the United States. Their first fifteen years were critical for patronage and widespread acceptance of modern easel painting. Held at the Philbrook Art Center in Tulsa (1946-1979), the Denver Art Museum (1951-1954), and the Museum of New Mexico Art Gallery in Santa Fe (1956-1965), they were significant not only for the accolades and prestige they garnered for award winners, but also for setting standards of quality and style at the time. During the early years of the annuals, the art was changing, some moving away from conventional forms derived from the early art training of the 1920s and 30s in the Southwest and Oklahoma, and incorporating modern themes and styles acquired through expanded opportunities for travel and education. The competitions reinforced and reflected a variety of attitudes about contemporary art which ranged from preserving the authenticity of the traditional style to encouraging experimentation. Ultimately becoming sites of conflict, the museums that hosted annuals contested the directions in which artists were working. Exhibition catalogs, archived documents, and newspaper and magazine articles about the annuals provide details on the exhibits and the changes that occurred over time. The museums' guidelines and motivations, and the statistics on the award winners reveal attitudes toward the art. The institutions' reactions in the face of controversy and their adjustments to the annuals' guidelines impart the compromises each made as they adapted to new trends that occurred in Native American painting over a fifteen year period. This thesis compares the approaches of three museums to their juried annuals and establishes the existence of a variety of attitudes on contemporary Native American painting from 1946-1960. Through this collection of institutional views, the competitions maintained a patronage base for traditional style painting while providing opportunities for experimentation, paving the way for the great variety and artistic progress of Native American painting today.
ContributorsPeters, Stephanie (Author) / Duncan, Kate (Thesis advisor) / Fahlman, Betsy (Thesis advisor) / Mesch, Claudia (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Two studies were conducted to test a model to predict healthy lifestyle behaviors, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI) in Taiwanese adolescents by assessing their physical activity and nutrition knowledge, healthy lifestyle beliefs, and perceived difficulty in performing healthy lifestyle behaviors. The study drew upon cognitive behavioral theory to develop this study. The pilot study aimed to test and evaluate psychometric properties of eight Chinese-version scales. The total sample for the pilot study included 186 participants from two middle schools in Taiwan. The mean age was 13.19 for boys and 13.79 for girls. Most scales including Beck Youth Inventory self-concept, Beck Youth Inventory depression, Beck Youth Inventory anxiety, healthy lifestyle beliefs, perceived difficulty, and healthy lifestyle behaviors scales Cronbach alpha were above .90. The Cronbach alpha for the nutrition knowledge and the activity knowledge scale were .86 and .70, respectively. For the primary study, descriptive statistics were used to describe sample characteristics, and path analysis was used to test a model predicting BMI in Taiwanese adolescents. The total sample included 453 participants from two middle schools in Taiwan. The mean age of sample was 13.42 years; 47.5% (n = 215) were males. The mean BMI was 21.83 for boys and 19.84 for girls. The BMI for both boys and girls was within normal range. For path analysis, the chi-square was 426.82 (df = 22, p < .01). The CFI of .62 and the RMSEA of .20 suggested that the model had less than an adequate fit (Hu & Bentler, 1999). For alternative model, dropping the variable of gender from the model, the results indicated that it in fact was an adequate fit to the data (chi-square (23, 453) =33.75, p> .05; CFI= .98; RMSEA= .03). As expected, the results suggested that adolescents who reported higher healthy lifestyle beliefs had more healthy lifestyle behaviors. Furthermore, adolescents who perceived more difficulty in performing healthy lifestyle behaviors engaged in fewer healthy lifestyle behaviors and less physical activity. The findings suggested that adolescents' higher healthy lifestyle beliefs were positively associated with their healthy lifestyle behaviors.
ContributorsChan, Shu-Min (Author) / Melnyk, Bernadette Mazurek (Thesis advisor) / Belyea, Michael (Thesis advisor) / Chen, Angela Chia-Chen (Committee member) / Dodgson, Joan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Enhancing motivation for physical activity to reduce fall risk among community dwelling older adults
Description
Unintentional falls among community dwelling older adults are a common, serious and potentially preventable public health problem. In the United States, the annual incidence of fall related injuries per 100,000 persons was 4,616 in 2001, rising to 5,252 in 2008. The annual incidence of fall related deaths per 100,000 persons was 29.3 in 2000, rising to 41.86 in 2006. Older adults are particularly vulnerable to falls as they age. Potential consequences include fractures, emergency room, hospital and nursing home admissions, dependence, confusion, immobilization, depression, and death. Significant modifiable fall risk factors include muscle weakness, gait problems, and balance problems. While researchers have demonstrated the positive effects of balance and leg-strengthening physical activities, the majority of older adults do not engage in them, and the rate of falls continues to increase. Older adults participate in regular physical activity and fitness activities less often than younger populations; disparities are greater among those who are poor and living in rural communities. While knowledge about causes, risk factors, and efficacious physical activity to prevent falls has grown exponentially in the last several decades, bridging the gap between research and practice continues to be a challenge. As a strategy to address the gap between research and practice, this feasibility study utilized a tested theory, the wellness motivation theory, to address motivation for behavioral change in combination with instruction for physical activities proven to reduce fall risk. The study sample included rural, community dwelling older adults at risk of falls. The study included an innovative mobile computer to measure physical activity behavior and to augment motivational content of the intervention. Specific aims of this feasibility study were to: (a) examine the acceptability, demand, and implementation of the wellness motivation intervention (WMI) as well as the technology augmenting the WMI; and (b) evaluate the efficacy of the WMI to influence awareness of social contextual resources, behavioral change processes, physical activity, and fall risk. The WMI delivered in combination with proven multicomponent balance and strength activities was feasible and effectively increased motivation for behavioral change (social support from friends, awareness of social contextual resources, behavioral change processes) and physical activity behavior, and decreased fall risk among rural, community-dwelling older adults at risk of falls in this study. This study is the first step in a program of research focusing on enhancing motivation for physical activity that reduces falls and frailty among older adults.
ContributorsMcMahon, Siobhan (Author) / Fleury, Julie (Thesis advisor) / Belyea, Michael (Committee member) / Shearer, Nelma (Committee member) / Wyman, Jean (Committee member) / Hekler, Eric (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
The purpose of this study is to first investigate the role of political socialization on young men and women and what motivates them to become politically active and make the ultimate decision to run for elected office. These effects include parental attitudes, exposure to political shows and news sources, participation in voluntary organizations, and overall community involvement. After understanding these direct and indirect effects of political socialization, I can attempt to explain the causes for the gender gap in political ambition \u2014 meaning that significantly more men are running for elected office compared to women.
ContributorsOsgood, Shannon Marie (Author) / Woodall, Gina (Thesis director) / Herrera, Richard (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Public Service and Community Solutions (Contributor) / School of Public Affairs (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
The Undoing Project is an ongoing educational feminist YouTube channel that serves as an introduction to feminism and feminist theory. The objective for this project is to present feminist theory and feminist ideology in an accessible and entertaining way. Through this project I sought to accomplish three goals: to challenge the negative image of feminism, bridge the gap between the language of academia and the public, and to acknowledge and unlearn ingrained prejudices. The videos focus on theory, history, legislation, current events, and pop culture. The initial project consists of ten videos addressing the feminist wave models, a brief history of the feminist movement, and discussions of concepts like hegemony, intersectionality, masculinity, femininity, and race.
ContributorsBuchholtz, Kaylee Marie (Author) / Brian, Jennifer (Thesis director) / Grzanka, Patrick (Committee member) / Brouwer, Dan (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Public Service and Community Solutions (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Previous research has found improvements in motor and cognitive measures following Assisted Cycle Therapy (AC) in adolescence with Down syndrome (DS). Our study investigated whether we would find improvements in older adults with DS on measures of leisure physical activity (GLTEQ) and sleep, which are early indicators of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in persons with Down syndrome. This study consisted of eight participants with Down syndrome between 31 and 51 years old that cycled for 30 minutes 3 x/week for eight weeks either at their voluntary cycling rate (VC) or approximately 35% faster with the help of a mechanical motor (AC). We predicted that, based on pilot data (Gomez, 2015), GLTEQ would either maintain or improve after AC, but would decrease after VC and would stay the same after NC. We predicted that the sleep score may improve after both VC or AC or it may improve more after VC than AC based on pilot data related to leisure activity. Our results were consistent with our prediction that GLTEQ will either maintain or improve after AC but will decrease after VC. Our results were not consistent with our prediction that sleep may improve after both VC or AC or it may improve more after VC than AC, possibly because we did not pre-screen for sleep disorders. Future research should focus on recruiting more participants and using both objective and subjective measures of sleep and physical activity to improve the efficacy of the study.
ContributorsParker, Lucas Maury (Author) / Ringenbach, Shannon (Thesis director) / Buman, Matthew (Committee member) / Holzapfel, Simon (Committee member) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / College of Public Service and Community Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
This project is a critical look at Chicano artist Vincent Valdez's 2002-2004 series Stations. The theoretical framework for this work is the concept of cultural citizenship, which refers to a variety of ways in which marginalized groups of people create, fight for, and retain space, identity, and rights within American society through acts of daily life. This research considers how the ten large-scale charcoal drawings that comprise Stations contribute to the construction and representation of distinct and unique Latino spaces and identities. Valdez establishes space in the sense of belonging and community engagement that his work allows. Within this context, thoughtful attention is paid to the cultural meaning of the artist's subject choices of boxing and religion. This research considers the significance of these subject choices and how the connections between the two create unique spaces of shared experience and consciousness for a viewer of the work. However, the parallels that Valdez draws between the Christ figure and his boxer also allow for a careful examination of the representations and contradictions of contemporary constructions of masculinity that are present in the series. Within this project, the work of Gloria Anzaldúa is critical in understanding and discussing the fluid nature of Chicano identity. This study also considers how in the tradition of Chicana writers, Valdez expresses and affirms identity through autobiographical methods. Further, the artist's use of charcoal to create these large scale drawings is considered for its narrative qualities. This study concludes that Valdez's series Stations is an act of cultural citizenship.
ContributorsStemm Patel, Shannon (Author) / Malagamba-Ansótegui, Amelia (Thesis advisor) / Mesch, Claudia (Committee member) / Sweeney, Gray (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2010
Description
The Indian princess began as an imposition, a Eurocentric conception based in preconceived notions of cultural structures and gendered power roles - a mixture of noble woman and provocative demure maiden - created by Anglo men to epitomize an idyllic image of otherness and womanhood. This analysis begins by exploring the history of the icon that was first conceived through sixteenth century explorer's tales of exotic queens then traces her progression through the romantic idealizations of the Indian woman Pocahontas. Research then explores how the character, comprised of a mixture of feathers, beads, and buckskin, was implemented into performance, and discusses how her flesh and blood enactment became critical to her survival. Drawing on the theories of contemporary critics, final examination turns to twentieth century perceptions of the Princess and reactions to her by contemporary Native artists whose manipulations of the character opens alternative dialogs about the stereotype to offer reconstructions of her historic discourse.
ContributorsHanawalt, Tammi Jo (Author) / Duncan, Kate (Thesis advisor) / Fahlman, Betsy (Committee member) / Malagamba-Ansótegui, Amelia (Committee member) / Mesch, Claudia (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011