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Increasing individual's physical activity in our country is a primary health promotion and disease prevention concern. Yet, much of the population remains sedentary and thus, at increased risk for several diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease and hyperlipidemia. Unfortunately, programs promoting physical activity have had limited success in increasing activity and even less success in maintaining a program over time. The "Exercise for Everyone" program was designed to assess the effectiveness of behavior change strategies developed for maintenance on physical activity using individuals recruited through a community setting. Any type of moderate physical activity (e.g., vacuuming, gardening, walking, swimming etc.) was considered appropriate and encouraged. The researcher used the following behavior change strategies: telephone prompting, and self-control strategies: self-monitoring, participant set goals, self-reinforcement, self feedback and problem-solving strategies. In this study, frequency of contact was varied from no contact, to once per every week, to once per every third week over 16 weeks and faded in the last four weeks. All participants were asked to self-monitor their physical activity, and all participants received either an information only class or a self-control strategies class. Survival analysis using five months of data points and using the criteria of first week of activity missed equaled "death" indicated an effect of greater adherence for individuals participating in a strategies class versus an information only class (46% vs. 14%), but not for the effect of frequency of contact (no contact, 33%; low contact, 31 %; high contact, 30% ) over all 18 weeks of the program. The results suggest the efficacy of a low cost class promoting self-control strategies for behavior change for adherence to an activity program and potentially for other health related behaviors. / Ph. D.

The need for a new technique for assessing the physical ability of severely disabled persons became evident through experience with some of the existing techniques. A technique was developed which attempts to overcome some of the difficulties found with the other techniques. One of the distinguishing properties of this technique is that it is norm independent. This means it does not reference a normal scale of performance, thus it does not compare the performance of a disabled person to a standard established by able-bodied persons. Additional properties possessed by this technique also set it apart from the others: it is limited to a test of manipulation ability; it generates a profile of ability; it incurs only a minimal expense; it requires only a minimal amount of time; and there is no required training course for the administrator. / M.S.

Thirty-nine overweight college women were assigned to one of three weight reduction groups: diet control (DC), DC + low intensity exercise (LX), DC + moderate intensity exercise (MX). All women were tested for VO₂peak and percent fat. The DC included a previously designed nutrition education and behavior modification program held one time per week which prescribed a caloric intake based on body weight to result in a 1000 kcal•day⁻¹ dietary deficit. Exercise groups were asked to also attend three exercise sessions each week. In addition to a warm up and cool down, LX exercised at a heart rate corresponding to 40% of VO₂peak for 35 minutes per session while MX exercised at 70% of VO₂peak for 20 minutes. Exercise durations were chosen to match LX and MX for total exercise caloric expenditure. Heart rates were self-monitored every 10 min and sporadically verified by the exercise leader. At the end of the 8 week program, there was an overall drop out for the three groups of 34%, with the DC group having the highest attrition (50%) relative to LX ( 40%) and MX (20%) groups. VO₂peak did not change significantly after the 8 week program in any group, perhaps as a function of the modest exercise stimulus and/or a sharp reduction in attendance noted in the final 2 weeks. However, an improvement in cardiorespiratory efficiency was indicated by the significant reduction of heart rate at submaximal workload III (MX = -12, LX = -10, DC = -6 bts·min⁻¹ ). A significant mean decrease of 2.93 ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹ in VO₂ at the same submaximal workload was noted. All groups lost a significant amount of body weight over the eight weeks. The trend in average body weight loss (DC=4.0, MX=3.6, LX=3.3 kg) was opposite to that of % fat loss (LX = 5.1, MX = 3.9, DC= 2.2%). These differences were not significant but show a tendency for exercise coupled with diet control to enhance fat but not total body weight loss. Thus, the treatment which enhanced fat loss and most strongly enhanced attendance was a moderate intensity exercise added to diet control. / Master of Science

Objective: Measure the association between School Health Index (SHI) scores and student health outcomes related to physical activity (PA) and nutrition. Design: Cross-sectional design utilized to collect SHI scores and administer questionnaires regarding nutrition and PA behaviors, knowledge and the home environment in 5 counties of southwest Virginia. Participants: Staff, administrators and students (grades 4, 7, 10; n = 1094) in 27 schools in 5 school divisions. Main Outcome Measures: SHI scores were obtained from school surveys while LWP score, student BMI percentile and fitness (mile run, PACER) measures were obtained from school data. The School Physical Activity and Nutrition questionnaire was used to measure student nutrition, PA behaviors and knowledge, and the home food environment was measured through a validated questionnaire. Analysis: Two-sided Pearson's correlation (p<0.05) measuring associations between SHI score and student health outcomes of BMI percentile, one mile/PACER, nutrition and PA behaviors and health knowledge and beliefs. Results: SHI was negatively correlated with BMI percentile for 4th grade students (-0.472, p<0.001) and positively correlated with BMI percentile for 8th grade students (0.679, p<0.001). SHI was positively correlated with 4th grade mile run (0.412, p<0.001), 8th grade mile run (0.218, p<0.001) and 4thgrade PACER (0.414, p<0.001). Conclusion: Behavioral influences are multifactorial and factors outside the school environment may affect the correlations between these variables. Application: Data concerning the influence of the school health environment can be used towards making evidence-based changes to school health programs. / Master of Science

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Thesis (MScSportSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of a series of physical fitness tests for athletes with disabilities competing in sitting throwing events in athletics. All athletes competing in sitting throwing events during the South African National Championships April, 2001, were asked to take part in the research study. A total of 74 athletes in the classes F33, F34, F52, F53, F54, F55, F56, F57 and F58 took part in the research study. All the athletes completed the tests selected for their specific class. Their tests results and their performance in the events at the South African National Championships were correlated to determine the validity of the physical fitness tests. Results of the study revealed the following: ol' Certain physical fitness components are more important than others for achieving good results in the sitting throwing events. ol' Upper body power is the best predictor of performance in all the events and classes. ol' Technique is as important a factor in good performance as is fitness. ol' South African athletes' technique needs improvement. It can be concluded from this study that physical fitness, in particular upper body strength and power, plays a major role in performance of athletes with disabilities competing in sitting throwing events. Many of the athletes are currently top performers rely more on their physical fitness than on good technique to achieve success. If these athletes can combine physical fitness with good technique, much better performances will achieved and the world will need to take even more note of South Africa's athletes with disabilities. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie was om die geldigheid, van spesifieke fiksheidstoetse vir atlete met gestremdhede wat deelneem aan sittende velditems in atletiek, te bepaal. Al die atlete wat deelgeneem het aan sittende velditems tydens die Suid-Afrikaanse Atletiek Kampioenskappe vir persone met gestremdhede, is uitgenooi om deel te neem aan die navorsingsstudie. Altesaam 74 atlete van die klasse F33, F34, F52, F53, F54, F55, F56, F57 en F58 het deelgeneem aan die spesifieke fiksheidtoetsprotokol wat vir elke klas opgestel was. 'n Pearson korrelasie is getref tussen die toetsresultate en die prestasie van elke atleet in die verskillende items tydens die Suid- Afrikaanse kampioenskappe, om sodoende die geldigheid van elke fiksheidstoets te bepaal. Die volgende bevindinge is gemaak: ./ Seker fiksheidskomponente (in sittende velditems) is meer belangrik as ander vir deelnemers met gestremdhede . ./ Prestasie in sittende velditems van al die klassifikasie groepe kan die beste bepaal word deur plofkrag in die boonste ledemate . ./ Korrekte tegniek is net so belangrik vir prestasie as fisieke vermoë . ./ Suid-Afrikaanse atlete se tegniek kan beslis verbeter. 'n Gevolgtrekking kan gemaak word dat krag en plofkrag van die boonste ledemate, van atlete met gestremdhede wat deelneem aan sittende velditems, 'n belangrike fisieke komponent is vir prestasie. Baie atlete wat tans toppresteerders is, presteer nie noodwendig omdat hulle die beste tegniek het nie, maar weens hulle fisieke vermoëns. Indien daaarin geslaag word om die tegniek en fisieke vermoëns van sittende veldatlete te verbeter, sal nog meer Suid-Afrikaanse atlete internasionaal presteer.