This study attempted to evaluate the effects of endurance training upon certain cardiovascular variables of a group of middle-aged men. Seventeen subjects were tested at the University of British Columbia before and after nine weeks of moderate training (average frequency of participation was two to three noon hour sessions per week). The subjects underwent a test procedure consisting of quiet sitting for fifteen minutes, brachial pulse wave tracings (sitting, standing, and post-exercise), a one-minute step test, and a six-minute ergometer ride. Finally, body weight was taken. Fourteen test variables were obtained from the results of this test procedure. These variables utilized by this study were: A. Heart Rate Measurements of 1. Quiet Sitting Heart Rate, 2. Step Test Two-Minute Total Recovery Heart Rate, 3. Cycling Steady-State Heart Rate, and 4. Cycling Two-Minute Total Recovery Heart Rate. B. Brachial Pulse Wave Measurements of 1. Sitting Area Under The Curve, 2. Sitting Systolic Amplitude, 3. Sitting Dicrotic Notch Amplitude, 4. Sitting Fatigue Ratio, 5. Sitting Obliquity Angle, 6. Sitting Diastolic Surge, 7. Sitting Rest To Work Ratio, 8. Standing Systolic Amplitude, and 9. Post-Exercise Systolic Amplitude. C. Body Weight in Pounds. The Null Hypothesis was proposed as a means of evaluating the significance of the mean difference between pre-training (Test 1) and post-training (Test 2) scores on each test item. The 5 per cent level of confidence (t = 1.746) was selected as the criterion for each variable. The results of this study indicate that the group showed no significant changes at the 5 per cent level of confidence in the quiet sitting heart rate, nor in any of the nine brachial pulse wave variables. Reductions significant at the 5 per cent level were observed in the step test two-minute total recovery heart rate, cycling steady-state heart, and cycling two-minute total recovery heart rate. Reductions in body weight were also observed to be significant at the 5 per cent level of confidence. The group appeared to improve their tolerance for sub-maximal exercise through moderate participation in the training programme. The significant heart rate reductions noted during and after work imply an increased work capacity. It appears that this moderate degree of training was not sufficient enough to significantly alter the refined cardiovascular variables (brachial pulse wave items). The coarse variables (recovery heart rate sums, steady-state heart rate, and body weight) were, however, significantly altered at the 5 per cent level of confidence. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

This thesis is a record of the tests of physical fitness which I have carried out during the last eight years on university and other college students and during the last four years on high school children. The early work has already been published; reprints of these papers are included as an appendix. The title, 'Physical Fitness of Young South Africans', has been selected to convey the best general impression of the subject matter but the scope of the thesis is in some respects narrower, and in others broader, than the title suggests. The investigation has been restricted to adolescents and young adults (aged 12- 27 years). The South Africans tested were at high schools or colleges in or near Cape Town and are representative of the main racial groups in the southern part of the Western Cape Province. I took the opportunity to compare their performance of the fitness tests with the performance of the same tests by children and young adults in the United States of America and in Great Britain.

Thesis (MPH)--University of Limpopo, 2011. / Background: Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for coronary heart diseases, with inactive and unfit people almost twice more likely to die from coronary heart disease than more active and fit people (DoH, 2004). According to the American Heart Association inactive people are twice as likely as active people to die from cardiovascular disease. Physical inactivity has been associated with chronic diseases and health risks such as coronary heart diseases and obesity. Physical inactivity is the most prevalent risk factor for CHD. Aim: To establish the level of physical activity and factors associated to physical activity among women residing in Imizamo Yethu informal settlement in Cape Town. Objectives: To determine the level of physical activity and inactivity among women residing in Imizamo Yethu informal settlement in Cape Town. To investigate the factors associated to physical activity among women residing in Imizamo Yethu informal settlement in Cape Town. Method: This study is a cross-sectional quantitative survey. The study was conducted in Imizamo Yethu informal settlement, Cape Town. This township consists of predominantly informal housing. Participants who took part in this study are black women of the age between 20-60 years old living in Imizamo Yethu Township, Cape Town. Sample size calculation: Using Epi Info version 3.2 (CDC, 2004), the sample size was calculated to be 323 at 80% power and a 95% confidence level, using the following assumptions based on lack of time for exercise being the most important factor associated with inactivity. The researcher has administered questionnaire with closed-ended questions to collect data. Descriptive statistics has been calculated for all factors, and the relative risk (RR), 95% confidence interval around the RR, and Chi-square p-values for each factor has been calculated using STATA version 10. Findings: A total of 323 women participated in the study. The age of the participants ranged between 20-60 years. About a half of the participants were aged between 20-30 years, while a quarter of them aged between 30-40 years. A half of the women were unemployed (50%), and almost a half was employed 46%. Of those participants who were employed, 23.5% were domestic workers. The majority of participants received education at secondary level (75%), primary level (16), tertiary education or higher (7%) and no formal education (2%). Among women who were interviewed, over half of the participants (n=323), (57,9%) reported that they have not participated in any kind of physical activity and only 42% reported participation in physical activity. In this study, the overall findings indicated that the participants had acceptable level of physical activity. However, of the women employed (n=156), 68.6% reported that the nature of their work made them to have some sort of physical activity. About three in four women had no or low physical activity participation (73.7 %), and they showed acceptable level of household physical activity (80.5%) which may be caused by active participation in daily chores like fetching water from the communal tap, washing clothes with hands etc. Attitude, age, total physical activity and support were correlated. The correlated variables have shown a significant positive relationship (r=.141) between social support and level of physical activity among women residing in Imizamo Yethu at P-value < =.05. Eight variables were analysed using Chi-square, only two variables were found with significantly relationship with level of physical activity, namely age (p = .03) and employment status (p=.01). The participants who were employed have higher proportion of acceptable level of physical activity (61.7%) than the unemployed group (44.4%). This has indicated that the employment status and nature of work influences women to have some sort of physical activity. Conclusion: The findings indicate that participants in this study had acceptable levels of physical activity. Although the study shows that about three in four women had no or low physical activity participation, the findings showed acceptable level of household physical activity which may be caused by active participation in daily chores like fetching water from the communal tap, washing clothes with hands etc.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of British Columbia, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of British Columbia, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 202-216). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-86).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--UCLA, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 264-280).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-86). Also available in print.

Chik, Tsz Kwan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 71-86). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / TABLE OF CONTENTS / ABSTRACT --- p.i / ABSTRACT (Chinese version) --- p.iii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iv / LIST OF TABLES --- p.viii / Chapter I --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Background of Study --- p.1 / Purpose and Significance --- p.3 / Delimitations --- p.3 / Limitations --- p.3 / Operational Definitions --- p.3 / Health-related physical fitness --- p.3 / Cardiorespiratory fitness --- p.4 / Body composition --- p.4 / Muscular strength --- p.4 / Muscular endurance --- p.4 / Flexibility --- p.4 / Self-reported questionnaire --- p.4 / Hypotheses --- p.4 / Chapter II --- REVIEW OF LITERATURE --- p.6 / Physical Fitness: Definition and its Association with Health and Mortality --- p.8 / Brief review on physical fitness and health --- p.10 / Physical Fitness Evaluation Programs --- p.12 / Existing Laboratory and Field Tests for Health-related Physical Fitness --- p.18 / Laboratory methods --- p.18 / Field tests --- p.21 / Problems associated with laboratory and field tests --- p.25 / Non-exercise prediction models --- p.28 / Self-reported Questionnaire --- p.30 / Perceived Physical Fitness Scale --- p.30 / NASA/JSC Physical Activity Scale (PA-R) --- p.30 / Multidimensional Physical Self-Concept --- p.31 / Validity and reliability of the self-reported fitness questionnaires --- p.31 / Merits and limitations of self-reported questionnaires --- p.33 / Setting of a Questionnaire --- p.35 / Summary --- p.35 / Chapter III --- METHODOLOGY --- p.37 / Development of questionnaire --- p.37 / Item construction --- p.37 / Content validity --- p.38 / Pilot test --- p.38 / Validity and reliability --- p.39 / Criterion measures --- p.40 / Statistical analysis --- p.43 / Descriptive statistics --- p.43 / Reliability --- p.43 / Criterion-related validity --- p.44 / Chapter IV --- RESULTS --- p.45 / Descriptive Statistics --- p.45 / Criterion-related validity --- p.48 / Reliability --- p.49 / Test-retest reliability --- p.49 / Internal consistency --- p.50 / Questionnaire revision --- p.51 / Chapter V --- DISCUSSION --- p.57 / Reliability --- p.57 / Test-retest reliability --- p.57 / Internal consistency --- p.60 / Validity --- p.62 / Limitations --- p.68 / Recommendations for further study --- p.69 / Conclusions --- p.69 / REFERENCES --- p.71 / APPENDIX / Chapter A --- Self-reported Physical Fitness Questionnaire for content validity --- p.87 / Chapter B --- Self-reported Physical Fitness Questionnaire for criterion validity (Chinese version) --- p.108 / Chapter C --- Self-reported Physical Fitness Questionnaire for criterion validity (English version) --- p.113 / Chapter D --- Health History Questionnaire --- p.119 / Chapter E --- PAR-Q --- p.121 / Chapter F --- Informed consent --- p.123 / Chapter G --- "Revised Self-reported Physical Fitness, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency (women)" --- p.124 / Chapter H --- "Revised Self-reported Physical Fitness, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency (men)" --- p.126

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1994. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 136-144). Also available via the Internet.