Browsing by Author "Kennedy, Cathy, committee member"
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Item Open Access Development and evaluation of a lifestyle physical activity intervention for obese sedentary women(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2001) Byfield, Cynthia Louise, author; Jennifer Anderson, advisor; Sampson, David A, committee member; Hill, James O., committee member; Kennedy, Cathy, committee memberPhysical inactivity has been established as an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in both lean and obese individuals. Increasing physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in obese individuals attenuates the comorbidities associated with obesity and the reduction in risk is comparable to that of smoking cessation. Despite the benefits of physical activity, prevalence of physical inactivity is high , particularly among obese women. Recent evidence indicates that lifestyle physical activity programs that are based on behavior change theory are an effective alternative to traditional exercise programs in promoting the adoption of physical activity in sedentary individuals. The primary aim of this study was two-fold : 1) Develop a 24-week, theory-based lifestyle physical activity intervention for obese sedentary women; 2) Evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention by assessing changes in physical activity and CRF after 24 weeks of intervention and 24 weeks of follow-up. Secondary aims were to examine the effect of the Lifestyle intervention on dietary practices, CVD risk factors, and psychological measures of behavior change. Fifty-eight obese sedentary women were randomized into the Lifestyle intervention developed for this study (n=29) or a "Usual Care" intervention (n=29). After 24 weeks, significant improvements in physical activity, CRF, Body Mass Index (BMI), diastolic blood pressure, self-efficacy, and eight of the 10 processes of change occurred among Lifestyle participants. No changes in these variables were observed among Usual Care participants. Attrition was significantly lower among Lifestyle participants than among Usual Care participants. After 48 weeks, levels of physical activity , CRF, and self-efficacy were significantly higher than baseline among Lifestyle participants but not among Usual Care participants. LDL-cholesterol levels were significantly lower in Lifestyle participants at 48 weeks but systolic blood pressure was significantly higher. BMI was significantly higher at 48 weeks than at baseline among Usual Care participants but not among Lifestyle participants. The Lifestyle intervention developed for this study was effective in producing significant improvements in physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, LDL-cholesterol, and self-efficacy among obese sedentary women.Item Open Access Efficacy of the transtheoretical model in improving exercise and dietary habits in enlisted Air Force personnel(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2001) Veverka, Donald Victor, author; Jennifer Anderson, advisor; Auld, Garry, committee member; Coulter, Gary, committee member; Kennedy, Cathy, committee member; Chapman, Philip, committee memberAs a means of maintaining a fit and ready force, the United States military establishment has always incorporated fitness and weight standards for its personnel. According to data obtained by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Surgeon General's Office, most personnel pass their fitness tests. However, one particular segment, men between 30 to 44 years of age, have lower scores and appear to have more difficulty passing. Although the USAF has existing nutrition and exercise programs to assist efforts towards greater physical fitness levels and improved dietary habits, these programs may only be suited for individuals that are motivated to improve these behaviors. According to the literature, there are individuals that may need to improve dietary and physical activity behaviors but are not motivated to do so. A more effective approach, according to previous behavior change studies, is to implement a strategy, which uses stage-matched interventions based on the Transtheoretical model (TTM). In short, devise programs that correctly identify an individual's motivation for engaging in a health behavior (stage of readiness to improve) and then match the appropriate intervention for the individual. Using male enlisted Air Force personnel between the ages of 30-44 as the target population, focus groups were used to obtain qualitative information on diet and exercise habits to improve fitness scores. Results revealed that participants needed assistance in obtaining information concerning both diet and exercise in order to successfully define and implement a program which would lead to increased fitness . Further, participants selected various methods by which to receive this information. Specifically, to help increase their physical activity, participants needed further education on cycle ergometry, goal-setting, and ways to avoid injury during exercise. In order for test subjects to develop healthy eating habits, the group was provided information on how to sort out media misinformation, prepare healthy foods quickly, understand food labels and determine safety and efficacy of popular dietary supplements. Handout literature, web sites and seminar/discussion formats were the most effective ways for test subjects to receive information. Using the qualitative focus group data from the aforementioned target population, an intervention program based on the TTM was developed and provided via the worldwide web. Use of interactive technology such as computers and the Internet are strongly advocated by health promotion professionals as an effective means of reaching large numbers of at risk populations with specifically tailored information. There was no evidence that treatment group exposure to the web site program was effective in increasing fitness scores. The data suggest that the physical activity-tailored information content was not effective in encouraging greater exercise intensity which positively impacted fitness levels. However, the dietary-tailored information appears to have encouraged the adoption of more positive nutritional practices, as manifested by the beneficial effects seen in certain secondary outcomes. Stage progression was evident as more treatment subjects than controls advanced to higher stages of positive dietary and exercise behaviors. More treatment group subjects reported improved dietary behaviors than reported increases in exercise behaviors. Treatment subjects did not report any relapse in physical activity as opposed to control subjects who reported a high level of regression towards sedentary physical behaviors.Item Open Access The effectiveness of an Internet-based nutrition and fitness education program for senior military officers(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2004) Sigrist, Lori D., author; Jennifer Anderson, advisor; DeVoe, Dale, committee member; Kennedy, Cathy, committee member; Auld, Garry, committee memberA six-month Internet-based nutrition and fitness education program, entitled Taking Command of Your Health, to improve diet and fitness behaviors and physiological measures in a group of senior military officers enrolled in the Distance Education course at the U.S. Army War College. The intervention was based on the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) for behavior change and was delivered via the Internet. A needs assessment survey assessed senior military officers' health concerns, educational preferences for nutrition and health topics, eating habits, and motivators and barriers for eating healthfully and exercising regularly. Survey results determined the content of the intervention. Participants were randomly assigned to either a control group that did not have access to the website intervention or to the treatment group that had access to the program. The program was designed in a monthly newsletter format which combined nutrition and fitness information. Staging algorithm surveys determined stage of change for diet and exercise for participants each month. Participants were provided with stage-matched education based on the diet algorithm and all participants received identical fitness information regardless of stage for exercise. To evaluate the program, treatment participants completed exit surveys at the end of the intervention. Results of the study indicate that an intervention based on the TTM did not result in statistically significant improvement in behavioral and physiological measures between treatment and control groups. The program was effective in significantly progressing treatment participants through the stages for diet behavior, but not for exercise behavior. Unfortunately, dietary behavior change was not maintained as participants regressed to earlier stages after the intervention. In the exit survey, participants reported that they liked receiving health information over the Internet and they would recommend a similar program to others in the military. Future research on the implementation of a theory-based intervention should focus on an individual's cognitive and behavioral processes that determine one's success and failure with behavior change, factors that determine participation and regular usage of a website program, and the impact of program duration and content on other military populations.