The four studies of this thesis provide an overview of the epidemiology of physical activity in Canada. In the first study two methods of coding activities used in estimating leisure-time physical activity energy expenditure (LTPAEE), from a questionnaire including 21 specific activities, and up to three “other” activities were compared. The authors assessed whether the assignment of activity intensity for “other” activities has an effect on LTPAEE and the classification of respondents as physically active versus inactive. The results indicate that the population classification of activity level is not affected by the intensity code; however, individual level LTPAEE is under-estimated from light and vigorous activities and over-estimated from moderate activities using the current method. In study two the proportion of Canadians meeting Canada’s physical activity guidelines for moderate and vigorous activities was estimated. The prevalence of adults reporting no activity has not changed since 1994/95 and the prevalence of meeting the guidelines has increased by about 11%. Men, younger adults, those with higher income and lower body mass index (BMI) meet the guidelines more often than their peers. The epidemiology of walking among Canadians between 1994 and 2007 was assessed in the third study. Walking was the most popular activity, regardless of age, sex, BMI or income group; however, only 30% of walkers walked regularly. Women, older adults, those with lower BMI and lower household income walk regularly more often than their counterparts. Women, older adults and lower income Canadians tended to derive 100% of their total LTPAEE from walking. An evaluation of whether meeting the guidelines for physical activity was associated with lower odds of chronic conditions and reporting fair/poor health was undertaken in study four. After adjustment for covariates, the odds of type 2 diabetes, obesity and reporting fair/poor health were significantly higher among those not meeting the guidelines for both sexes and for high blood pressure among women. Together these findings provide an understanding of the limitations of estimating LTPAEE, provide estimates of the proportion of Canadians meeting the guidelines for physical activity and provide insight into the relationship between meeting the guidelines and chronic conditions. / Thesis (Ph.D, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2009-06-18 16:18:44.998

<p>The aim of this study was to develop guidelines for an HIV/AIDS support programme for teachers. In order to achieve this goal, Intervention Research: Design and Development model by Rothman and Thomas (1994) was adopted to guide the research process. Intervention research is a form of applied qualitative research utilized by researchers to design and develop interventions to ameliorate social problems. Intervention research: design and development model has six phases and unique operational steps to follow in each phase. The researcher adopted the first three phases to facilitate the design of the guidelines to assist with development of a programme to support teachers. Problem analysis and project planning is the first phase. In this phase, the aim was to understand the experiences of HIV/AIDS among teachers and in schools. Information was gathered from HIV/AIDS co-ordinators, principals, teachers living with HIV.</p>

In developing a set of guidelines for development in Chongqing this paper has first contextualized the city in terms of Chinese urban design history. This urban history is argued to have been shaped by three distinct eras of authoritarian rule: Imperial rule, from the 8th century B.C. to the 19th century; Maoist rule, from 1949-1978; and post-Mao communist rule, from 1978 to the present. It is further argued that the corresponding central authority in each of these eras has relied on a strategy of directing urban development as a means to propagate ideology. This characterization is then linked to many of the current problems with the direction of development in Chongqing. The urban environment of Chongqing is then analyzed from various scales and perspectives through history. From this analysis, a set of design guidelines is produced. These guidelines address educational structures, theoretical principles, governmental and legal instruments, and environmental strategies.

Cross infection is a global health problem. The cost for cross infection increases every year. Florence Nightingale focused her attention on preventing cross infections by using good hygiene and as a nurse that is one of your more important tasks. Nurses have guidelines for how hygiene should be implemented in practice. The aim of this study is to investigate factors that influence nurses´ compliance to guidelines regarding hygiene. A literature review was used to analyze scientific articles related to the topic. The result showed that education increases nurses´ compliance to follow guidelines. Furthermore compliance to hand hygiene was higher after contact with the patient then before. The result also showed that the nurses were more worried about attracting an infection from the patient then giving an infection to the patient. The studies revealed that nurses want more education about guidelines and the latest research on the subject. The authors think that nurses need more education about hygiene in order to understand the importance of following guidelines. Nurses also need time for both reading updated information infection control and implementing the hygiene guidelines more frequently in practice.

Procedures are standardized lists of instructions that designate the safe and accepted way of accomplishing a task. This study intended to develop and compare the usability of paper-based industrial operating procedures. Two procedures at a plant were redesigned with evidence-based guidelines and human factors input. 16 operators of varying experience were asked to read through and assess the new and old procedures. The new procedures were rated significantly or moderately better than their predecessors for efficiency, effectiveness, and subjective satisfaction. On average, inexperienced operators reported fewer inaccuracies, more confusion, and higher workload ratings than their experienced counterparts, regardless of procedure type or area. For satisfaction, experienced and inexperienced operators reported similar ratings across both procedure types and areas. Future studies should attempt to discern which particular change in the procedures contributed the most to increased usability, and whether operator experience significantly correlates with usability ratings.

Procedures are standardized lists of instructions that designate the safe and accepted way of accomplishing a task. This study intended to develop and compare the usability of paper-based industrial operating procedures. Two procedures at a plant were redesigned with evidence-based guidelines and human factors input. 16 operators of varying experience were asked to read through and assess the new and old procedures. The new procedures were rated significantly or moderately better than their predecessors for efficiency, effectiveness, and subjective satisfaction. On average, inexperienced operators reported fewer inaccuracies, more confusion, and higher workload ratings than their experienced counterparts, regardless of procedure type or area. For satisfaction, experienced and inexperienced operators reported similar ratings across both procedure types and areas. Future studies should attempt to discern which particular change in the procedures contributed the most to increased usability, and whether operator experience significantly correlates with usability ratings.

This study aims to establish the knowledge and learning needs of parents with toddlers in order to formulate guidelines for a pro-active parental support programme. The topic represents a response to the need for information and skills expressed by numerous parents in the researcher's private practice. Contemporary parents continue to be confronted by the significance of the responsibility of parenthood. They also continue to experience learning deficiencies regarding their role as parents in spite of living in an age of information and technology. Intervention research was undertaken. The principal findings of this investigation were the following: parents participating in this investigation expressed the need for guidance that take into account two specific factors, namely that the program should be based on a Christian perspective and that the guidance should take the specific developmental phase of the child into consideration - the toddler phase in this case. Themes were also identified that these parents would like to see included in such a programme. These were: discipline, developmental phase, moral values and character development, emotional needs of toddlers, parental involvement in children's play, the uniqueness of every child, conflict management and communication, parental style, children and marriage, and aspects in the adult's world with a negative impact upon parental status. These themes were used as guidelines to compile a prototype parental support programme. This program was subjected to a pilot study involving three separate groups of parents. Guidelines were continuously evaluated and adapted where necessary. A final global evaluation confirmed the suitability of the program for further development and testing. / Thesis (M.A. (MW))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

Thesis (M.A. (MW Forensic))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

In developing a set of guidelines for development in Chongqing this paper has first contextualized the city in terms of Chinese urban design history. This urban history is argued to have been shaped by three distinct eras of authoritarian rule: Imperial rule, from the 8th century B.C. to the 19th century; Maoist rule, from 1949-1978; and post-Mao communist rule, from 1978 to the present. It is further argued that the corresponding central authority in each of these eras has relied on a strategy of directing urban development as a means to propagate ideology. This characterization is then linked to many of the current problems with the direction of development in Chongqing. The urban environment of Chongqing is then analyzed from various scales and perspectives through history. From this analysis, a set of design guidelines is produced. These guidelines address educational structures, theoretical principles, governmental and legal instruments, and environmental strategies.

Thesis (M.A. (MW Forensic))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.