Significance: Complementary and alternative therapies (CAM) are widely used however the efficacy of many CAM therapies for specific diseases has yet to be verified. Massage therapy, specifically back massage, used to assist in the management of elevated blood pressure is one such unverified therapy. A pilot study completed in 2002 resulted in significant changes in blood pressure using a repeated application of the 10 minute back massage. Research Aims: This study, evolving from a psychophysiology framework, aimed to determine the long term efficacy of a back massage treatment and possible dosage needed to effectively assist in the management of elevated blood pressure. Primary Research Hypotheses: After adjusting for covariates: A. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) would decrease significantly over time using a back massage treatment in subjects with pre-hypertension or controlled hypertension.B. There would be a significant difference in the SBP (and or DBP) changes over time using 10 applications of back massage versus five applications of back massage in the subjects with pre-hypertension and controlled hypertension.Methods: A priori power analysis determined the three groups by four time points (repeated measures) design required a sample of 45 participants. The sample of men and women, 18-75 years of age, were recruited from a university setting. Outcome Variables: Systolic Blood Pressure, Diastolic Blood Pressure Potential Covariates: Age, BMI, Medications, Years of Hypertension, Salivary cortisol, and State and Trait Personality Indicators (anger, anxiety, depression). Intervention: Group 1: Ten 10-minute back massages given three times a week for 3.5 weeks. Group 2: Five 10-minute back massages given three times a week for 1.5 weeks. Control (group 3): Ten 10-minute relaxation sessions using learned techniques for 3.5 weeks. Findings: For participants with elevated body mass index (>̲27.85) in the 10-massage group, systolic and diastolic blood pressure changed significantly over time. The dosage analysis did not clearly reveal the direction of the trends, therefore further exploration is warranted.

There are potentially negative health impacts of women's internalization of representations of women of color in mainstream on body esteem and weight. This study explores the relationships between mainstream hip hop, body satisfaction and body mass index (BMI) in Mexican descent college-age women. The study predicts that women who regularly listen to mainstream hip hop will be more likely to internalize the images of women. Internalization will predict body satisfaction and body satisfaction will predict BMI. Sixty-five participants completed a self-report survey with these measures. Regularly listening to mainstream hip hop was associated with higher hip hop internalization. Higher internalization was associated with less body satisfaction which, in turn, was associated with a higher BMI. Thus, women who regularly listen to mainstream hip hop and who internalize the images of women seem more critical of their body, which negatively affects their weight.

The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of computer consumption among boys in ninth grade, and to see if there were any differences with regards to physical activity, sleeping habits, breakfast habits and BMI. The study has cross sectional design with a comparative and a quantitative structure and is based on a former study called “Food & Health 2007”.  The respondents were represented by 181 boys in ninth grade, recruited from ten different schools in the county of Uppsala, who were answering questions about media consumption, breakfast habits, physical activity and sleeping habits. Daily computer consumption was reported up to one hour for 12 % of the respondents, one to three hours for 65 % and over three hours for 42 %. The boys who had a high physical activity level were less frequent in computer consumption while those who had a low physical activity level spent more time by the computer. The boys who were high computer consumers showed either a high or low level of physical activity, while the boys who were low computer consumers were presented mainly by boys with a high activity level. BMI increased in relation to increasing computer consumption and in relation to less prevalence of physical activity. The boys with high computer consumption had a higher BMI than the low consumers and involve a risk of decreased general health. Further studies are required to confirm the results and to find out the causes for the differences, and to give a foundation for further work against overweight, obesity and decreasing level of physical activity among children and adolescents.

The primary objective of this thesis was to investigate body image at both the behavioural and neural levels. We describe three studies aimed at: (1) developing a novel digital methodology with which to assess perceptual aspects of body image during adolescence; (2) investigating perceptual accuracy and sensitivity to changes in the size/shape of body images among healthy adolescents; and (3) identifying the neural mechanisms of body perception using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). A novel library of digital images of adolescent bodies was created and used to characterize natural covariations in body size and shape using principal components analysis. Identified principal components were used to morph body images in a realistic manner to generate larger or smaller bodies. These morphed body-image stimuli were then used in a behavioural investigation of self body-image perception among adolescents. Male and female adolescents overestimated the size of their bodies. When compared with males, females overestimated their body size to a greater extent and showed greater sensitivity in detecting changes in body size. Overestimation of body size and detection sensitivity increased with subject age. Detection sensitivity decreased as a function of subjects' body mass index (BMI). In order to identify the underlying neural mechanisms of these effects, functional block-design and fMR-adaptation experiments were completed in healthy young adults. During both experiments, females, and not males, showed greater fMR signal in the right versus left hemisphere in the extrastriate body area (EBA) and fusiform body area (FBA). During the block-design experiment, females also demonstrated greater right EBA response compared with males. Observer BMI modulated the EBA hemispheric effect in both experiments. A significant recovery from adaptation was found in EBA and FBA with body-image morphing, indicating that both regions were sensitive to body-size changes. Ultimately, we demonstrated the successful use of a novel body-morphing method for the assessment of body image, established that sex, age, and BMI modulate accuracy of self body-size estimation and detection of changes in body size, and described evidence of EBA and FBA as the likely neural substrates of these behavioural effects.

INTRODUCTION: National obesity rates are leading to higher rates of Type 2 Diabetes, increasing the number of people at risk of invasive infections with Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (iMRSA) upon onset of ESRD and hemodialysis. However, an association between adiposity and risk of iMRSA has not been researched. AIM: The purpose of this study is to describe the epidemiological characteristics of an iMRSA cohort in the Atlanta metro area between 2005-2008; to examine BMI-related health outcomes within the cohort; and to compare proportions of BMI categories in this cohort to BRFSS data. METHODS: Surveillance data collected by the CDC EIP program on iMRSA in Atlanta, Georgia was used. BMI was calculated for each eligible case. Statistical analysis was carried out in SPSS. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was performed on select variables. A p-value of < 0.05 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to determine significance. BRFSS BMI data for Georgia was compared to the study population. RESULTS: Overweight and obese cases were more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes by regression analysis. Cases with diabetes were at greater odds of having undergone dialysis within the previous year (univariate OR=2.3, p=0.000; multivariate OR=2.5, p=0.000). The proportion of iMRSA patients with diabetes is much greater (42.8%) than in the general population of the United States (7.8-10.7%). DISCUSSION: The results indicate that there may be a higher risk for iMRSA in overweight and obese individuals, particularly if other adiposity-related health problems are present.

Darbo objektas – Lietuvos sporto universiteto Socialinės pedagogikos studijų krypties studentų KMI ir fizinis aktyvumas. Darbo tikslas – ištirti Lietuvos sporto universiteto Socialinės pedagogikos studijų krypties studentų fizinį aktyvumą, KMI ir sąsajas tarp jų. Uždaviniai: 1. Nustatyti ir įvertinti Lietuvos sporto universiteto Socialinės pedagogikos studijų krypties studentų kūno masės indeksą; 2. Ištirti Lietuvos sporto universiteto Socialinės pedagogikos studijų krypties studentų fizinio aktyvumo lygį; 3. Nustatyti ir įvertinti Lietuvos sporto universiteto Socialinės pedagogikos studijų krypties studentų fizinio aktyvumo bei kūno masės indekso sąsajas. Hipotezė: socialinės pedagogikos studentų fizinis aktyvumas yra per mažas, KMI nėra normalus (18,5 arba daugiau, arba mažiau kaip 25,0). Rezultatai: 1. Didesnės daugumos (80 proc.) apklaustų Lietuvos sporto universiteto Socialinės pedagogikos studijų krypties studentų kūno masės indeksas yra normalus. Vos keletas respondentų (3 proc.) turi per mažą kūno masės indeksą, o likusieji turėjo antsvorio. 2. Lietuvos sporto universiteto Socialinės pedagogikos studijų krypties studentų fizinis aktyvumas nėra aukštas. Daugiau negu pusė (60 proc.) neužsiėminėjo aukšto intensyvumo fiziniu aktyvumu, o kurie užsiėminėjo tai darė 1-2 dienas per savaitę (16,7 proc.) ar 3-4 dienas per savaitę (21,7 proc.). Vidutinio intensyvumo fiziniu aktyvumu neužsiėminėjo trečdalis respondentų (33,3 proc.). Taip pat beveik trečdalis (30 proc.)... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The object: Lithuanian Sports University Social Pedagogy students’ BMI and physical fitness. The aim: to investigate Lithuanian Sports University Social Pedagogy students’ physical fitness, BMI and interconnections between them. The Objectives: 1. To calculate and evaluate BMI (Body Mass Index) of Lithuanian Sports University Social pedagogues. 2. To investigate the level of their physical fitness. 3. To establish and evaluate connections between Social Pedagogy students’ physical fitness and their BMI. Hypothesis: the physical activity of social pedagogues is inadequate, BMI is not normal (18.5 or less, or more than 25.0). The Results: 1. The majority of Lithuanian Sports University Social pedagogues (80%) had an optimal BMI, 3% of them had low BMI and the rest had overweight. 2. The level of physical fitness of the aforementioned students was not very high. More than a half (60%) did not exercise. Those who did took physical activity 1-2 days a week (16.7 %) or 3-4 days a week (21.7 %). The average level of physical fitness was not peculiar for 33.3% of respondents. Moreover, almost three quarters of them (30%) had an average physical activity 1-2 days a week, and 26.7% exercised 3-4 days a week. However, the majority of students (80%) said they go somewhere by foot 5-7 days per week. 3. The physical fitness interrelates with BMI. It turned out that those students who had an average or a high level of physical activity distinguished them with an optimal BMI. On the contrary... [to full text]

Traditional indicators of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk may not be appropriate for Asian Indians. We designed a cross-sectional study of body fat distribution, apoB/apoA1 ratio and adipokines of Northern Indians compared to Caucasians to determine if there is a different relationship between these parameters. Indian (men: n = 54; women n = 28) and Caucasian (men: n= 32; women, n = 51) subjects were recruited who were between the ages of 20 and 60 years. Subjects were excluded if they had a history of CVD or were taking lipid lowering medications. Body fat percentage (BF%) was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Indian subjects had a substantially higher waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) ratio than Caucasian subjects (men: 0.93 +/- 0.01 vs. 0.86 +/- 0.01, p &lt; 0.001; women: 0.88 +/- 0.01 vs. 0.76 +/- 0.01, p &lt; 0.0001). Interestingly, while WHR correlated strongly with BF% in Caucasians (men: r = 0.63 p = 0.0002; women: r = 0.74, p &lt; 0.0001, respectively) there was no correlation in Indians (men: r = 0.22, ns; women: r = 0.23, ns). The regression lines for WHR vs. BF% of Indians compared to Caucasians was significantly different (men p = 0.02, women p = 0.002). A similar pattern of correlation was seen with WHR and BMI. In addition, Indian men and women had a higher apoB/A1 ratio than Caucasians: the most powerful lipoprotein measure of CVD risk (men: 0.84+/-0.04 vs. 0.66+/-0.04, p=0.001; women: 0.70+/-0.04 vs. 0.56+/-0.03, p = 0.003, respectively). Leptin levels were higher and adiponectin levels in lower in the Indian men and women. Hypothetically, these alterations in body composition, apoB/apoA1 and adipokines could be due to alterations in adipocyte number.

<p>The increasing prevalence of obesity in both developed and developing countries and its associated health risks have brought the issue of obesity prevention and management a public health debate. Health care professionals have been identified to have a role to play in directing the future of obesity management. However, among the numerous barriers for effective management of obesity is lack of knowledge of causes of obesity and negative attitudes towards obese patients by health care professionals. With limited or no studies available for the physiotherapy setting, the aim of the study was to determine the knowledge and attitudes of students of Physiotherapy at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa towards obese individual. A descriptive quantitative research design using a cross-sectional survey was used. One hundred and seventy five (175) students of Physiotherapy took part in the study using a convenience sampling technique. Data was collected by means of a structured, self-administered questionnaire adopted from the Obesity Risk Knowledge-10 scale, Beliefs About Obese Person scale and the Fat Phobia Scale. A response rate of 77.3% was obtained. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to describe the relationship and association between variables. Alpha level was set at 0.05. The mean age of the sample was 21.54 (SD = 4.903). Females constituted 73.5% and males 26.5% of the sample. The results showed that majority of the students of Physiotherapy (85%) reported having received no formal education regarding obesity.</p>

Prostate cancer is a large and increasing medical problem both in Sweden and in the rest of the developed world, with about 300.000 new cases diagnosed world wide annually. Despite the high incidence of this disease, little is known about the aetiology of prostate cancer. The aim of this study was to try to understand more about the natural history and to find possible a etiological risk factors for this tumour. In a population based study of prostate cancer cases in northern Sweden it was found that the large increase in prostate cancer during the last two decades was mainly caused by well (Gl) and moderately (G2) differentiated tumours. However, the incidence of poorly differentiated (G3) tumours remained unchanged. The introduction of new diagnostic methods is the most plausible explanation for the increase of these low grade tumours. The relative survival in prostate cancer was found to be independent of patient age at diagnosis, indicating that tumour proliferation and the aggressiveness of this disease is equal in all ages. However, due to the increasing occurrence of concurrent diseases with growing age the number of lost years caused by prostate cancer decreases dramatically in older age groups. The overall cause specific mortality for prostate cancer was found to be around 50%. In accordance with most other cancer tumours, the annual mortality rate decreased with longer survival also for prostate cancer patients. In a study from the Swedish Twin Register it was found that the proband concordance rates for prostate cancer were 4,5 time greater among monozygotic compared to dizygotic twins. In a large nation-wide cohort study of men who had a father with prostate cancer, the overall standardised incidence ratio (SIR) was 1.70 for prostate cancer. Younger age at diagnosis among the fathers were associated with an increased risk among sons. This cohort study and the twin study indicates that both inherited and familial factors are of importance in a subgroup of prostate cancer patients. In a prospective case-control study, both a high body mass index (BMI) and a high food intake were found to be independent risk factors for prostate cancer. Both BMI and a high food intake might be indicators of a high fat diet, which so far is the most consistent exogenous risk factor for prostate cancer. The use of tobacco or alcoholic beverages were not associated with prostate cancer risk. / <p>Härtill 5 uppsatser</p> / digitalisering@umu

Available research has shown a relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and health behaviors. However, the link between EI and eating behaviors has not been well explained. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the correlations among EI, eating behaviors, as measured by the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), and body mass index (BMI) in college students. One hundred and eighty four students (118 (64%) female, 66 (36%) male, average BMI = 23.8kg/m2) were recruited to complete an online survey. The survey consisted of basic demographic questions, academic information with grade point average (GPA), ACT and SAT scores, a 19-item Self-Rated EI Scale, and 18-item Consumer EI Scale (CEIS) and the 33-item DEBQ. BMI was computed using self-report data. Results showed that the overall SREIS and the understanding emotions subscale were positively correlated with BMI. Both the SREIS and CEIS managing emotions subscales were correlated with eating behavior. GPA was correlated with BMI and both EI measures. Gender differences were found for both EI measures. In conclusion, the results indicate that certain aspects of EI may be related to eating behavior. To resolve the current obesity epidemic, emotional intelligence should be addressed in developing effective interventions.