Browsing by Author "Butki, Brian, committee member"
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Item Embargo Association between youth involvement in home/community gardening and health behaviors(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Perrault, Ashley, author; Li, Kaigang, advisor; Butki, Brian, committee member; Braungart-Rieker, Julia, committee memberAmerican youth are developing risk factors for historically "adult diseases" at increasingly high rates. These risk factors, such as obesity, elevated blood lipid, blood pressure and insulin resistance, put children at a high risk for developing chronic disease early in life, including before reaching adulthood. School gardening programs are effective at improving dietary intake, physical activity levels and BMI of youth. Despite the success of such programs, there is a need for interventions that effectively target child behaviors while at home. Family-based home and/or community gardens may promote child health behaviors similar to those that occur in school-based gardening programs. A home and/or community garden has the added benefit of parental involvement, which has been shown to be essential for effective child health interventions. The current study examined the relationship between youth involvement in a home and/or community garden and various health behaviors. A convenience sample of 124 adults participated in a cross-sectional survey from June – October 2023. Participants answered questions about family and child involvement in a home/community garden, child health behaviors and parent health behaviors. Health behaviors assessed were physical activity minutes, sedentary behavior, frequency of fruit and vegetable intake and mental health symptoms. Independent sample t-tests indicated that gardening youth had lower sedentary time (t(112) = -1.95, p = 0.03), as well as higher frequency of fruit (t(110) = 2.14, p = 0.02) and vegetable intake (t(109) = 2.67, p = 0.004). Parent fruit intake had a positive linear association with child fruit intake (β = 0.51, p = <0.001), as did parent gardening belief (β = 4.04, p = 0.01). Mediation analysis indicated a positive association between path a (gardening status and parent fruit intake: β=3.06, 95% CI: 0.08, 6.03, p = 0.04) and path b (parent fruit intake and child fruit intake: β = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.30, 0.65, p = <0.001). Gardening status was no longer associated with child fruit intake after the inclusion of parent intake (c': β = 1.64, 95% CI: -1.06, 4.35, p = 0.23), suggesting that parental fruit intake fully mediated the relationship between gardening status and child fruit intake. Gardening status had a positive linear association with child vegetable intake (β = 3.4, p = 0.02), as did parent vegetable intake (β = 0.21, p = 0.004). These findings indicate that youth involvement in a family-based home and/or community garden may be associated with positive health outcomes, especially regarding dietary intake. Parental influence was also associated with positive youth health outcomes. Our findings suggest that home and/or community gardens may provide an effective technique for child health interventions.Item Open Access Development and evaluation of a psychoeducational internet intervention to increase men's help-seeking for body image and disordered eating/exercise concerns(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Shepherd, Caitlin B., author; Rickard, Kathryn, advisor; Davalos, Deana, committee member; Butki, Brian, committee member; Ross, Steve, committee memberStatistics reveal that body image and disordered eating/exercise concerns among men are widespread; however, few men actually seek help. Researchers need to identify factors that prevent men from using available services in order to inform interventions specifically designed for men who are at-risk. Studies have shown that higher Gender Role Conflict (GRC) is related to both increased body image and disordered eating/exercise concerns in men as well as decreased help-seeking as defined by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The help-seeking literature suggests that the most effective interventions for men are those that target these variables and are also non-traditional. The purpose of the current study was to develop an effective internet intervention to increase help-seeking in men for body image and disordered eating/exercise concerns. Two-hundred-ninety-six undergraduate men were assessed for GRC, body image and disordered eating/exercise attitudes and behaviors, and help-seeking factors at pretest. One week later, they were exposed to the independent variable (intervention or no intervention) and were assessed again posttest. Regression analyses and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) indicated that self-stigma of seeking help and attitudes toward seeking help are important predictors and mediators. ANCOVAs revealed statistically significant intervention effects for all help-seeking variables compared to the control group. These results suggest that educating men about body image concerns might be an effective way of increasing help-seeking.Item Open Access Dualisms in the Italian countryside(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Davis, Jamie, author; Yust, David, advisor; Sullivan, Patrice, advisor; Flippen, Paul, committee member; Butki, Brian, committee memberIn my paintings I explore the duality between referential and abstract forms. I believe human nature seeks to make clarity out of chaos. In my works, I provide direction for my viewers without giving all the information with the intention that they piece the imagery together. This body of work was influenced by what I saw of the Italian countryside in the spring of 2011: cypress trees, figures, archways, Renaissance iconography and hilltop cities, which were perfectly contrasted against the natural landscape. These forms serve as a springboard for the creation of highly abstract images. Through the use of impasto paint and linear drawings, I explore the connection between geometric and natural forms.Item Open Access Evaluating the effects of humorous nutrition-based narratives on intention to consume fruits and vegetables(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Garratt, Kyle, author; Long, Marilee, advisor; Rouner, Donna, committee member; Butki, Brian, committee memberThis study tested the viability of humorous narratives as a means to promote fruits and vegetables to adolescents. The study assessed the effects of two types of humorous narratives on transportation, counter-arguing of the message, perceived severity of consequences for not consuming fruits and vegetables, and intention to consume fruits and vegetables. The participants were 67 students at a middle school in the western United States. Participants read either a related-humor narrative, which featured humor related to nutrition, an un-related-humor narrative, which featured humor un-related to nutrition, or a control narrative about a non-nutrition topic. The related and un-related messages did not differ significantly from each other for any of the dependent variables. Neither of the humorous messages differed significantly from the control messages for any of the dependent variables. Participants held favorable pre-exposure attitudes toward eating fruits and vegetables, which may have strongly influenced the high levels of intention to consume fruits and vegetables. The study also had low statistical power, which may have affected the ability to detect effects in the sample. This study suggests that humorous narratives do not offer an advantage in nutrition promotion over non-humorous messages for adolescents. The study discusses implications, future research, and limitations.Item Open Access Exercise goal acknowledgment and its effects on short-term exercise(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Heidrick, Charles, author; Graham, Daniel, advisor; Butki, Brian, committee member; Rickard, Kathryn, committee memberRegular physical activity has been shown to have substantial physical and mental benefits, ranging from protection against obesity to greater quality of life (Harvard School of Public Health, 2014; Faulkner & Taylor, 2005). Yet, a low percentage of people in the United States meet recommended levels of physical activity (Troiano et al., 2008). Goal setting has been shown to be an effective way to improve behavior (Locke & Latham, 1990; Latham & Budworth, 2006), but may be impacted by underexplored social factors. This study examined the role that another person, apart from the goal-setting exerciser, can have on physical activity goal pursuit. College students (n = 143) participated in a controlled experiment. A researcher demonstrated four exercises (push-ups, planks, jumping jacks, and single-leg balancing), after which participants set personal goals regarding their own imminent performance of these exercises. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: 1) private goals: participants set goals and did not share them with experimenter; 2) acknowledged goals: participants' goals were positively acknowledged by experimenter; 3) unacknowledged goals: participants gave their goals to an experimenter who did not provide acknowledgment. A significant effect of condition on performance and goal attainment was seen for planks and a significant effect of condition on goal attainment was seen for pushups. No significant effects were seen for jumping jacks or balancing. Results indicate positive effects of goal acknowledgment on subsequent goal attainment and exercise performance and also suggest negative effects of having goals that could be acknowledged go unacknowledged.Item Open Access Exploring former collegiate women athletes' experiences of emotional abuse in the coach-athlete relationship(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Colley, Madison L., author; Steger, Michael F., advisor; Fisher, Gwen, committee member; Tompkins, Sara, committee member; Butki, Brian, committee memberHistorically, sport has been regarded as inherently good and beneficial in a variety of individual and societal domains; however, more recent research has begun to challenge this idea by examining one pervasive, negative practice within sport, emotionally abusive coaching practices. Emotionally abusive coaching practices are associated with a host of negative psychological, emotional, physical, social, educational, and sporting outcomes, with some lasting years after the athlete has left the competitive sporting role. Much of the literature examining the emotional abuse of athletes has focused on elite child athletes in Canada and the United Kingdom, with little to no research conducted in the United States (US) or on elite adult athletes. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively examine women athletes' perceptions of emotional abuse from a coach who is a man, the impact of emotional abuse on mental well-being and athletic performance, and the potential implications of power on athletes' perspectives and ability to report the abuse within collegiate sport in the United States. This study also aimed to examine the post-traumatic growth experiences, or lack thereof, in the years following the participants' exits from collegiate sport. Due to the relatively new and exploratory nature of this study, a qualitative approach was taken with a symbolic interactionist approach to grounded theory. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 former collegiate women athletes with 1-5 years distance from the competitive sporting role. Data was analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding techniques with adherence to the constant comparative method to ensure theoretical saturation. An additional coder was employed to ensure inter-coder reliability in data analysis. Three themes were identified in alignment with the research questions; the first being the impact on athletes during and after their athletic careers, the second being the ways that athletes made sense of their experiences, and the third being the post-traumatic growth experiences reported. Findings demonstrated that emotionally abusive coaching practices are associated with a variety of negative short- and long-term outcomes for former collegiate women athletes in the United States. Moreover, the perceived power held by the coach impacted the ways that athletes made sense of their experiences. Finally, post-traumatic growth experiences were observed in all athletes studied. This study highlights the detrimental impact of emotionally abusive coaching practices on athletes and reinforces the need for athlete protection mechanisms in collegiate sport in the United States.Item Open Access Factors related to susceptibility to sport-related injury(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Oiness, Kacey, author; Suinn, Richard, advisor; Rickard, Kathryn, advisor; Butki, Brian, committee member; Davalos, Deana, committee memberThe study examined the role various factors play in an athlete's susceptibility to injury in sport. The study involved 244 participants from various sports and included athletes who participated at the high school level, the collegiate level, and the professional level. Participants completed questionnaires measuring number and severity of injuries, resiliency, competition anxiety, trait anger, social support, coping skills, and overtraining. Results showed that an athlete's history of injury (i.e. number of injuries) is significantly correlated with an athlete's severity of injuries. Additionally, various significant correlations were found between the factors examined and one's number of injuries and/or severity of injuries. The correlations found were between resiliency and number of injuries, anger and severity of injuries, coping skills and severity of injury, number of hours practiced and number of injuries, and rigorousness of practices and number of injuries. Additionally, the study examined possible interactions among the variables studied and found that social support serves as a moderator when looking at the relationship between total hours practiced and number of injuries. Results were also examined for males and females, contact and non-contact sports, and high school, collegiate, and profession athletes separately. While some differences emerged, overall there was not much variation between the various groups. Overall, the current study revealed that there are a number of physical, environmental, and psychological factors that impact an athlete's susceptibility to injury.Item Open Access Physical activity and mental health among undergraduate students(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2010) Elliot, Catherine, author; Anderson, Sharon, advisor; Kennedy, Catherine, advisor; Morgan, George, committee member; Butki, Brian, committee memberThis study was conducted to analyze possible influences of physical activity level, student group, and/or gender on seven mental health variables related to depression in undergraduate students. A campus health initiative. Healthy Campus 2010, set goals of increasing the number of students who are physically active three days per week to 55% and decreasing suicide attempts by 2010. Focusing on undergraduate students, the goal of this research was to replicate previous research efforts that linked physical activity levels with mental health related to depression. The national sample included a random selection of 2,146 students from the reference group of 61,758 college students enrolled as undergraduate students who completed the spring 2007 National College Health Assessment (NCHA). Colorado State University (CSU) participants served as a comparison group to the NCHA reference group. The analysis included seven 4 x 2 x 2 three-way ANOVAs to discover relationships between the seven mental health variables that related to depression (felt hopeless, felt overwhelmed, felt exhausted, felt very sad, felt depressed, considered attempting suicide, and attempted suicide) and the three independent variables, physical activity level (0 days, 1-2 days, 3-4 days, and 5-7 days), student group (NCHA reference group and CSU), and gender. There were relationships between the five variables that reflected mild mental health issues and physical activity levels, with small effect sizes. As the physical activity levels increased, students reported better mental health related to depression. There was one significant interaction between student group and physical activity level on the felt exhausted variable. There was a relationship between variables reflecting mild mental health and gender. Males reported better depression related mental health, with small to typical effect sizes {d = .20-.49). However, the contemplating suicide and attempting suicide variables were not significantly related to gender or physical activity levels. Overall, these data support current research by showing similarities between college students and other demographic groups. Physical activity and gender have shown correlations with mental health. These implications may influence college health services to use an integrated care system, merging mental health with medical services.Item Open Access Prevalence and correlates of active transportation in university students: a pilot study(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2010) Hoover, Aubrey Ann, author; Kennedy, Catherine, advisor; Gould, Susan Martin, committee member; Butki, Brian, committee memberActive transportation (AT) affords a practical opportunity to increase physical activity levels, particularly in university students whose environment is especially conducive to an active lifestyle. To promote AT as a viable means to improve activity levels in college students, this study's purpose was to observe existing rates of AT versus passive transportation (PT) between home and campus in Colorado State University students and to analyze any differences in the relationship between determinants of AT and transportation mode. Those determinants of the transportation decision-making process include the transportation environment, demographics and behavioral determinants. A total of 440 students completed a 14-item questionnaire including transportation patterns, demographics and behavioral characteristics. Subjects were assigned a primary mode of transport as a ratio of transport mode for the majority of days of the week related to the number of days on campus. Those with a ratio of exactly .5 (n=31) could not be assigned a primary mode and were, therefore, excluded, leaving 409 subjects. Chi square analysis of the relationship between primary mode of transport and demographic and behavioral characteristics was performed to determine any significant differences. Results revealed that 56.2% of students surveyed primarily used AT and 43.8% used PT. Differences in transportation mode were associated with distance from residence to campus, academic year, self-efficacy and perceived barriers. The majority of students living on campus and within a mile used AT, whereas those living within 1-3 miles or greater than three miles from campus used PT. Freshmen used AT almost exclusively (87.2%), while the majority of sophomores used PT, being the only group to really utilize public transport. Public transport was included with PT due to an unusually short walk time to the bus of three minutes or less. Juniors and seniors did not differ from the overall trend in their use of AT versus PT. Poor perceptions of fitness ability and weight status were associated with greater use of PT. Those selecting PT as their primary mode reported a greater number of barriers to AT; lack of enjoyment and already exercising enough were greater barriers to those using PT than those using AT. Consequently, to promote AT for physical activity in CSU students, efforts should be directed toward those living within 1-3 miles of campus and to freshmen and sophomores as they transition off campus. Additionally, behavioral interventions to improve self-efficacy in those with a poor perception of their fitness level and/or weight status and to minimize the perception of barriers – particularly those associated with PT – would constitute a valid approach.Item Open Access Revisiting motives for college student alcohol consumption(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Davis, Samuel R., author; Prince, Mark A., advisor; Conner, Bradley T., committee member; Butki, Brian, committee memberCollege students consume alcohol more frequently than the general population. Further, exercise participation is frequently positively associated with alcohol use among college students. While exercise has been consistently demonstrated to be protective in several domains, findings from the alcohol use literature suggest there may be exercise-specific reasons for alcohol use. Our aim was to develop and add a subscale proposed to be measuring the desire to drink to simulate the natural high achieved through exercise to the existing Drinking motives Questionnaire (DMQ). We hypothesized that exercisers drink to simulate more than low exerciser and non-exercisers. This study surveyed college students (N = 1,040) assessing several facets of alcohol use, including the DMQ and 10 proposed simulation motive items. Factor analysis was used to discern the number of latent constructs in the model. Invariance testing was used to assess differences in the simulation factor across no exercise per week (non-exerciser group), below 150 minutes (low exerciser group), and at least 150 minutes (exerciser group). Results indicated a four-factor model best fit the data. The four factors that emerged were enhancement, coping, and social motives, in addition to the added simulation motive. Invariance testing suggested configural invariance, indicating the structure of the simulation construct is the same across exercise groups. Further invariance testing and post-hoc analyses revealed metric and scalar noninvariance indicating differences in levels of endorsement of the simulation motive items. Findings provide preliminary evidence that college students drink for exercise-specific reasons and that the endorsement of these reasons varies across exercise. A new exercise-specific alcohol use motive could help inform more targeted intervention and prevention efforts.Item Open Access Risk and resilience: the role of physical activity and related factors in adult psychological functioning after exposure to childhood maltreatment(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Nolen, Julian P., author; Rosén, Lee A., advisor; Butki, Brian, committee member; Davalos, Deana, committee member; Rickard, Kathryn, committee memberAcross decades of research, exposure to severe childhood maltreatment has repeatedly been identified as one of the most potentially-damaging life events suffered by a considerable number of children worldwide. Yet while many of those exposed to such events experience chronic and debilitating symptoms of their early traumas, others actually demonstrate notable resilience to these experiences – often transitioning into adulthood with remarkably few scars to mark their early trials. As a result of this phenomenon, recent research has increasingly focused on identifying the traits facilitating such resilience amongst those who have it, as well as those factors contributing to increased risk amongst those who do not. In the present study, participant gender, engagement in physical activity, and the intensity of such activity were evaluated as potential factors influencing adult psychological functioning in college students exposed to childhood abuse and neglect. In particular, the focus of this investigation was on how these factors might interact in moderating the relationship between childhood maltreatment and later psychological health. Among a sample of 584 undergraduate college students, the results of these multiple regression analyses indicated that engagement in hard (e.g., aerobic) physical activity uniquely moderated the relationship between childhood abuse and psychological functioning among both male and female participants. Among women, increases in physical activity were associated with greater sensitivity to the negative influence of childhood abuse. In contrast, male participants actually demonstrated greater resilience to such abuse at higher levels of activity.Item Open Access Seeking or risk: mental health symptoms and associated behaviors in college student-athletes(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Davis, Samuel R., author; Prince, Mark A., advisor; Conner, Bradley T., committee member; Butki, Brian, committee member; Swaim, Randall, committee memberCollege mental health symptomatology is highly prevalent on college campuses across the nation. College student-athletes experience mental health issues at similar rates to their non-athlete peers. However, most colleges and universities do not have formal plans to address their student-athletes' mental health concerns. Considering the heterogeneity in experiences with mental health issues like anxiety and depression, applying person-centered analyses may help discern unidentified subgroups of student-athletes at greater risk of negative outcomes. The present study used latent class analysis to discern unidentified subgroups of student-athletes mental health symptoms and determine whether subgroups were associated with varying rates of help-seeking behaviors, health risk behaviors, and performance-related outcomes. Results indicated that a five-class model best fit the data, and that this model did not fit equally well for a comparative sample of non-student-athletes. Patterns of symptom endorsement within these classes ranged from high endorsement of all symptoms within the past month, to recent endorsement of feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, to no current or past-year mental health symptoms. Subsequent auxiliary testing identified classes of mental health symptoms associated with higher likelihood of engagement in health-risk behaviors and issues that could affect athletic performance. This study represented the first effort to discern latent subgroups of student-athletes characterized by varying experiences with mental health symptoms. Findings from the present study can help identify at-risk student-athletes in need of mental health support to attenuate symptom distress and mitigate negative consequences associated with these concerns. Further, athletic departments can use these findings to integrate simple mental health screening tools already circulating at schools across the nation to better support their student-athletes' mental health concerns. Potential application of these screening tools and treatment planning options are discussed.Item Open Access The effect of an intensive, outdoor camp on behavioral regulation and praxis in children(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Tull, Emily B., author; Lane, Shelly J., advisor; Bundy, Anita C., committee member; Burke, Hannah K., committee member; Butki, Brian, committee memberBackground: Behavioral regulation and praxis skills are both crucial to childhood participation and performance in occupation. Behavioral regulation is the ability to employ executive functions in order to regulate, monitor, and adapt behavior to interact within the environment. Praxis is the ability to recognize object and environment affordance, develop an idea for action, plan the action, and then perform it. It is reflected by successful interactions with people and things in the environment. Purpose: This study examined the impact of a 5-day outdoor camp with integrated occupational therapy supports on behavioral regulation and praxis in 36 children with sensory processing, praxis, and behavioral challenges. Methods: Pre-test/post-test retrospective cohort design. Data were drawn from two parent-report questionnaires completed 3 months pre and 3 months post camp: the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-2 (BRIEF-2) and the Sensory Processing Measure (SPM). Findings: Linear mixed modelling revealed an association between behavioral regulation and praxis throughout the 6-month timespan. Paired samples t-tests showed significant change in praxis, and positive non-significant change in behavioral regulation. Implications: Practitioners should consider contexts and factors contributing to children's praxis and behavioral regulation skills, as well as the interface between the two characteristics. The use of outdoor camps should be considered in occupational therapy intervention for enhancing children's praxis, as well as participation and performance in occupations.Item Open Access The role of physical activity in resilience to psychological trauma(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Nolen, Julian P., author; Rosén, Lee A., advisor; Butki, Brian, committee member; Davalos, Deana, committee member; Rickard, Kathryn, committee memberExisting research indicates that exposure to psychological trauma can negatively impact individual mental health among a broad variety of domains. Additionally, although many victims are resilient to the psychological consequences of such trauma, those who do suffer from trauma-related pathology are often resistant to benefits associated with existing treatment. Because of its well-established associations with general mental health and positive impacts on many of the domains damaged by psychological trauma, exercise was examined as a possible moderator of the relationship between trauma exposure and adult mental health. Among a sample of 587 undergraduate college students, the results of multiple regression analysis indicated that psychological flourishing was moderated by the interaction between physical exercise and number of traumatic events, as well as by physical exercise and childhood maltreatment. In both models, the overall positive association between exercise and flourishing was gradually attenuated at higher levels of trauma. In the traumatic events model, greater trauma exposure predicted higher flourishing scores at low levels of exercise, but lower flourishing scores at high levels of exercise. In contrast, childhood maltreatment was consistently associated with lower flourishing scores, regardless of exercise participation. These results have a number of implications for future research and intervention, which are explored in the discussion section.