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The orofacial area stands apart from other body systems in that it possesses a unique performance anatomy whereby oral musculature inserts directly into the underlying cutaneous skin, allowing for the generation of complex three-dimensional deformations of the orofacial system. This anatomical substrate provides for the tight temporal synchrony between self-generated cutaneous somatosensation and oromotor control during functional behaviors in this region and provides the necessary feedback needed to learn and maintain skilled orofacial behaviors. The Directions into Velocity of Articulators (DIVA) model highlights the importance of the bidirectional relationship between sensation and production in the orofacial region in children learning speech. This relationship has not been as well-established in the adult orofacial system. The purpose of this observational study was to begin assessing the perception-action relationship in healthy adults and to describe how this relationship may be altered as a function of healthy aging. This study was designed to determine the correspondence between orofacial cutaneous perception using vibrotactile detection thresholds (VDT) and low-level static and dynamic force control tasks in three representative age cohorts. Correlational relationships among measures of somatosensory capacity and low-level skilled orofacial force control were determined for 60 adults (19-84 years). Significant correlational relationships were identified using non-parametric Spearman’s correlations with an alpha at 0.1 between the 5 Hz test probe and several 0.5 N low-level force control assessments in the static and slow ramp-and-hold condition. These findings indicate that as vibrotactile detection thresholds increase (labial sensation decreases), ability to maintain a low-level force endpoint decreases. Group data was analyzed using non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis tests and identified significant differences between the 5 Hz test frequency probe and various 0.5 N skilled force assessments for group variables such as age, pure tone hearing assessments, sex, speech usage and smoking history. Future studies will begin the processing of modeling this complex multivariate relationship in healthy individuals before moving to a disordered population.

The care provided by informal caregivers is an important part of the support needed by older adults with chronic health concerns. As the demand for caregivers grows, so does an interest in helping caregivers be healthy in order to fulfill this role. As of yet, no research has explored what being healthy means to caregivers. I explore caregivers’ beliefs about being healthy and how their beliefs are consistent with or a challenge to the values present in the health promotion discourse targeting caregivers. I incorporate qualitative data from three sources: interviews with caregivers, interviews with people responsible for creating and updating health promotion brochures (producers), and a critical discourse analysis of health promotion brochures. I explore what being healthy means to caregivers, and I also explore what caregivers do to be healthy. The meaning of being healthy is often discussed by caregivers in terms consistent with the values of neoliberal ideology and individual responsibility. However, the means by which caregivers can be healthy are both consistent with and a challenge to these values. Policy makers interested in finding ways to help caregivers be healthy should take into account that the meaning of being healthy is non-static and multi-dimensional. In addition, the means by which caregivers are able to be healthy are composed of multiple layers. The ability to be healthy depends on each caregiver making healthy decisions and living a healthy lifestyle. However, each caregiver’s ability to make and execute these choices is predicated on their ability to access to a wide spectrum of services and support. Encouraging caregivers to access services and supports is a vital part of helping caregivers be healthy. / Graduate

A major demographic shift is projected to begin in 2011 due to the retirement of those born between 1946 and 1965, or the post-World War II baby boomer generation. Due to this trend, it is pertinent for Canadian communities to concentrate on creating ‘senior-friendly’ spaces, infrastructure and support services. One such initiative throughout British Columbia is the establishment of 18 designated Senior Community Parks (SCPs) across the province in 2008. This case-study research project, taking place in Oak Bay, British Columbia on the grounds of the Henderson Recreation Centre (HRC), examines park visitation levels, types of utilization and effectiveness of park accessibility, and infrastructure. A mixed methods approach was employed combining seven park observations, sixty-five quantitative questionnaires completed by patrons of the Henderson Recreation Centre, and 16 qualitative interviews with community-dwelling older adults between the ages of sixty-one and eighty and with six staff members of the HRC. Results indicate steady but low park visitation amounts as only 55 total people were seen during observations. Almost all persons were observed walking or jogging and only one person was seen using the equipment within the park. Quantitative data revealed under-utilization of the park and a wide discrepancy between the number persons aware of the SCP (90.8%) and those that visit more than once a month (38.5%). Qualitative interviews uncovered aspects of the park favored by participants (chip trail, park upkeep, exercise opportunities) and those that require improvement (exercise equipment, awareness). Two infrastructural shortcomings were identified; signage and equipment stations. Based on results, the ineffectiveness of the outdoor exercise equipment and awareness of the SCP need to be investigated further. / Graduate

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Tufts University, 2003. / Adviser: Jayanthi Mistry. Submitted to the Dept. of Child Development. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 178-202). Access restricted to members of the Tufts University community. Also available via the World Wide Web;

Diss. (sammanfattning) Lund : Univ. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Making healthy eating choices as a college student can be challenging and the transition from adolescence to adulthood can be associated with an increased likelihood of obesity. Studies have shown that college students have poor eating habits and frequent consumption of fast food meals. Studies have reported menu labeling to be effective in influencing college students' purchasing decisions. During the fall 2009 semester, the Saluki Select Healthy Eating Program was implemented in the Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) Student Center to aid college students and the public in general to make healthier menu choices. The purpose of this research study was to compare and analyze marketing techniques for promoting and selling these healthy menu options at the SIUC Student Center. Results showed that signage and suggestive selling increased awareness of Saluki Select foods. Signage and suggestive selling, however, were not found statistically significant for increasing sales of Saluki Select foods. These findings are important in the planning and implementation of marketing strategies on healthy food options in university dining centers, foodservice operations, and restaurants. This study can add to the current research on menu labeling by indicating that social marketing does, in fact, increase awareness of healthier food items.

Os videogames, uma das mais fortes correntes da indústria do entretenimento, têm também influenciado a área da Educação Física através de novos artefatos digitais que possibilitam a interação corporal. O jogo de videogame Wii Fit, objeto desta pesquisa, é um dos jogos que tem como principal objetivo incentivar a prática de atividades físicas moderadas e promoção da saúde de maneira lúdica. Esta dissertação apresenta uma análise sobre como os usuários do jogo de videogame Wii Fit acionam sobre si mesmos, põem em circulação e compartilham os preceitos de vida saudável veiculados pelo jogo. O trabalho apresenta uma revisão de literatura sobre os videogames, mostrando como seus mecanismos de interação evoluíram até chegarmos ao estado atual, no qual os jogadores podem interagir com os jogos a partir de movimentos corporais amplos. Os referenciais teóricos sobre estilo de vida saudável também são apresentados, com o objetivo de melhor compreender de que modo o jogo Wii Fit se enquadra nestes preceitos. A pesquisa realizada se baseou na netnografia para analisar o jogo Wii Fit como um artefato cultural e avaliar como a sua utilização está influenciando a vida dos usuários frente às propostas de estilo de vida saudável. Três comunidades virtuais dentro da rede social Facebook foram pesquisadas, buscando relatos sobre as percepções dos usuários quanto à influência do jogo em suas práticas de atividade física e manutenção de hábitos salutares. As análises realizadas sobre estes relatos são aqui apresentadas, mostrando que o jogo Wii Fit não apenas promove a prática de atividades físicas regulares, mas também permite conscientizar seus usuários quanto à melhoria da qualidade de vida. A partir da realização desta pesquisa foi possível observar que o jogo de videogame Wii Fit se tornou um marco na evolução dos videogames e nas relações humano/máquina, firmando-se como uma sucursal em potencial do estilo de vida saudável. / Video games, one of the most powerful sectors to the entertainment industry, has also been influencing the area of Physical Education through new digital artifacts which enable body interaction. Wii Fit, subject of this research, is one of these games, having as its main goal to motivate users to practice physical activities and to promote health in a fun way. This dissertation presents an analysis on how the users of Wii Fit actionate on themselves, socialize and share the precepts of healthy life proposed by the game. This work presents a literature review about videogames, showing how their interaction mechanisms evolved to the point where we are nowadays, where players can interact with the games through their body movements. The theoretical background on healthy lifestyle is also presented, with the goal of better understanding how Wii Fit may be related to these concepts. The research carried out was based on a virtual ethnographic study to analyse the Wii Fit game as a cultural artifact and evaluate how its use has influenced its users’ lives, according to the proposals of healthy lifestyle. Three virtual communities in the social network Facebook were researched, looking for testimonies about the users’ perceptions about the games’ influence in their physical activity practice and healthy habits maintenance. The analyses made about these testimonies are presented here, showing that the game Wii Fit does not only promote the regular practice of physical activities, as it makes its users aware of their quality of life improvement. From this research it was observed that the Wii Fit game has become a landmark in the evolution of video games and in human/machine interaction, establishing itself as a potential branch of the healthy lifestyle.

Scant research on food advertising and purchase decisions has examined the moderating role of social constructs such as power. In this research, I investigate how consumers’ sense of power influences the persuasiveness of message assertiveness in food advertising. The agentic–communal framework of sense of power and findings suggests that high-power individuals are more likely to adopt and be receptive to strong, competent information and communication strategies than low-power individuals in interpersonal communication. In this research, I propose a new theoretical framework that predicts how message recipients’ sense of power enables or weakens the persuasiveness of the assertive message such as, “You must buy [the name of the advertised food].” More specifically, I looked at the likelihood of purchasing ‘vice’ versus ‘virtue' foods after viewing the ad. I argue that for high-power individuals, an assertive tone in the food ads would increase the purchase of a vice food and decrease the purchase intent of a virtue food. However, for low-power individuals, an assertive tone in the food ads would decrease the purchase of a vice food but increase the purchase intent of a virtue food. Low power is less congruent with assertive messages but more congruent with non-assertive messages. Across three studies, I provide empirical support for the predictions and the congruence mechanism. The results show that high-power consumers process assertive messages more fluently than non-assertive messages. Low-power consumers process assertive messages less fluently than non-assertive messages. Processing fluency increases the relative focus on tastiness in food evaluation, but process dis-fluency increases the relative focus on healthiness in food evaluation. The findings of this research have important implications for developing effective marketing communications and promoting healthy eating.

Os videogames, uma das mais fortes correntes da indústria do entretenimento, têm também influenciado a área da Educação Física através de novos artefatos digitais que possibilitam a interação corporal. O jogo de videogame Wii Fit, objeto desta pesquisa, é um dos jogos que tem como principal objetivo incentivar a prática de atividades físicas moderadas e promoção da saúde de maneira lúdica. Esta dissertação apresenta uma análise sobre como os usuários do jogo de videogame Wii Fit acionam sobre si mesmos, põem em circulação e compartilham os preceitos de vida saudável veiculados pelo jogo. O trabalho apresenta uma revisão de literatura sobre os videogames, mostrando como seus mecanismos de interação evoluíram até chegarmos ao estado atual, no qual os jogadores podem interagir com os jogos a partir de movimentos corporais amplos. Os referenciais teóricos sobre estilo de vida saudável também são apresentados, com o objetivo de melhor compreender de que modo o jogo Wii Fit se enquadra nestes preceitos. A pesquisa realizada se baseou na netnografia para analisar o jogo Wii Fit como um artefato cultural e avaliar como a sua utilização está influenciando a vida dos usuários frente às propostas de estilo de vida saudável. Três comunidades virtuais dentro da rede social Facebook foram pesquisadas, buscando relatos sobre as percepções dos usuários quanto à influência do jogo em suas práticas de atividade física e manutenção de hábitos salutares. As análises realizadas sobre estes relatos são aqui apresentadas, mostrando que o jogo Wii Fit não apenas promove a prática de atividades físicas regulares, mas também permite conscientizar seus usuários quanto à melhoria da qualidade de vida. A partir da realização desta pesquisa foi possível observar que o jogo de videogame Wii Fit se tornou um marco na evolução dos videogames e nas relações humano/máquina, firmando-se como uma sucursal em potencial do estilo de vida saudável. / Video games, one of the most powerful sectors to the entertainment industry, has also been influencing the area of Physical Education through new digital artifacts which enable body interaction. Wii Fit, subject of this research, is one of these games, having as its main goal to motivate users to practice physical activities and to promote health in a fun way. This dissertation presents an analysis on how the users of Wii Fit actionate on themselves, socialize and share the precepts of healthy life proposed by the game. This work presents a literature review about videogames, showing how their interaction mechanisms evolved to the point where we are nowadays, where players can interact with the games through their body movements. The theoretical background on healthy lifestyle is also presented, with the goal of better understanding how Wii Fit may be related to these concepts. The research carried out was based on a virtual ethnographic study to analyse the Wii Fit game as a cultural artifact and evaluate how its use has influenced its users’ lives, according to the proposals of healthy lifestyle. Three virtual communities in the social network Facebook were researched, looking for testimonies about the users’ perceptions about the games’ influence in their physical activity practice and healthy habits maintenance. The analyses made about these testimonies are presented here, showing that the game Wii Fit does not only promote the regular practice of physical activities, as it makes its users aware of their quality of life improvement. From this research it was observed that the Wii Fit game has become a landmark in the evolution of video games and in human/machine interaction, establishing itself as a potential branch of the healthy lifestyle.