In 1993, it was estimated that poor diet and physical inactivity lead to 300,000 deaths a year in the United States (52). In 1996, the first report on Physical Activity and Health by the Surgeon General was published (80). The major recommendation revealed by the Surgeon General Report was that every U.S. adult should accumulate a moderate amount of physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. Strong efforts to communicate the importance of physical activity to the United States population have been somewhat successful. However, trends still fall far short from the goal set forth by Healthy People 2010. Nearly 1 in 4 adults reported no leisure-time physical activity in 2004 (45). The goal is for 20% of the U.S. population to report no leisure-time physical inactivity by the year 2010 (79).It is evident that a large amount of physical activity data and statistics exist. However, physical activity has been traditionally assessed using self-report methods (67). In 1999, the Cooper Institute hosted a conference titled Measurement of Physical Activity. This conference brought leaders in physical activity assessment together with measurement specialists to discuss issues and future direction in physical activity assessment. It was a consensus among researchers that assessing physical activity is a challenging task confounded by various purposes for assessment, populations, and assessment methods. In addition, they found a strong need for the development of assessment devices with sound psychometric properties (89). Self-report instruments have been identified to have numerous reliability and validity limitations.The purpose of this study was to objectively measure the physical activity (pedometer counted steps per day) of adults in East Central Indiana and to assess how these results relate to demographic characteristics and general health indices. Pedometer-measured physical activity (steps) was recorded over a 7 day period and was compared to physical activity data from the IPAQ and to national data obtained via surveys. All subjects also completed a demographic survey.The percentage of subjects who were sedentary was 14.0% which is less than national data demonstrates. Mean steps/day were significantly associated with age, certain income levels, and marital status. An increase in age resulted in a decrease in the mean steps/day. Mean steps/day were also significantly less in the $25,000-$39,999 income level than the >$80,000 group. Those who were either single, divorced, or widowed completed significantly more steps/day than married subjects. Males participated in significantly more vigorous MET•min/week than females. Age was significantly negatively correlated with vigorous MET•min/week, and walking MET•min/week. BMI and income level were negatively correlated with walking MET•min/week. Non-married subjects participated in significantly more vigorous MET•min/week than non-married subjects. The IPAQ classifications were found to agree with the physical activity data from the pedometer measured data. However the relationship (Spearman correlation = 0.325) was relatively weak. / School of Physical Education, Sport, and Exercise Science

The focus of this study was to determine if there were patterns or trends in physical activity levels of adults in Indiana for even numbered years between 1986 - 1996. The research was a secondary analysis of data collected by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System over a ten year period for 12,682 respondents. Questions and hypotheses were examined for demographical variables of age, gender, race, marital status, income, and educational level compared to respondents being classified into one of four physical activity classifications: inactive, irregular, regular, or regular and vigorous.The data were analyzed using mean, multiple regression, and chi-square. Overall patterns and trends showed an increase since 1992 in the percentage of adults in Indiana being classified as sedentary and not meeting national guidelines for recommended levels of physical activity. There were significant differences (p=.000) between all of the demographical variables and physical activity classifications. / School of Physical Education

The purpose of the study was to examine the status of and perceived barriers to physical activity of Ball State University students. Using a cross-sectional survey design, participants (N = 858) completed a self-report, 27-item questionnaire. Data were analyzed using univariate and bivariate analyses.The results indicated that the participants of this study have exceeded the Healthy People 2010 physical activity objectives for leisure-time physical activity and vigorous physical activity as well as the Health Campus 2010 objective for moderate and vigorous physical activity combined. Commonly reported barriers to physical activity were other priorities, lack of time, too tired, the weather, and other barriers. Being male, living in university housing, being an athlete, and being enrolled in a health-related academic major were all positively associated with participants' vigorous physical activity. Being female, living in university housing, commuting to Muncie, and being a full-time student were all positively associated with participants' increased barriers to physical activity. / Department of Physiology and Health Science

This study examined the BMI, dietary habits, body perception, physical activity patterns, and nutrition knowledge and opinions of 599 fourth grade public school students in Wells County, Indiana, in 2003-04 and 2005-06. Participants completed the School Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) survey and had their height and weight measured. Almost half (49.9%) of the participants were at risk for or were overweight. More than one-quarter (29.1 %; n=91) normal weight students perceived they did not weigh enough. At risk for overweight children were more likely to participate in exercise that did not raise their heart rate than normal weight children. Normal weight children participated in more cardiovascular-raising activity than overweight children did. Students engaged in significantly more cardiovascular exercise in 2005-06 than in 2003-04. Students "usually" spent 3.4 ± 2.0 hours per day in screen time. Interventions that encourage healthy eating and physical activity would benefit students in this community. / Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

The purpose of this study was to assess the change in anthropometric measures, physical activity levels, food choices, and stage of change for seven health behaviors in adults who participated in fitness classes sponsored by Operation Wellness, a Robert Wood Johnson Local Initiatives Funding Partner grant, in Wells County, IN. Over the grant’s four years, 961 individuals 19 years of age and older enrolled in at least one semester-long Wellness University fitness class and completed both a pre-assessment and at least one post-assessment between the fall of 2003 and the summer of 2007. At baseline, 40.9 percent (n=286) of respondents reported engaging in either no exercise (n=35; 12.2%) or exercised only one to two days per week (n=82; 28.7%). After one semester, 81.4 percent met the goal of exercising aerobically for 30 minutes or more at least three times per week. Paired analysis indicated participants lost an average of three pounds (173.2±47.1 lbs. vs. 170.7±45.5 lbs.; t=2.02; p=0.045), lowered their systolic (125.9±15.9 mmHg vs. 121.5±16.6 mmHg (t=2.30; p=0.026) and diastolic 78.0±9.9 mmHg vs. 75.6±10.2 (t=1.80; p=0.05) blood pressure, and had a significant shift in their readiness to change in six of the seven health-related behaviors after only one semester. / Department of Family and Consumer Sciences