PHYSICAL FITNESS AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE KNOWLEDGE INFLUENCE ON SCHOOLCHILDREN PHYSICAL SELF – HELP FORMATION (SUMMARY) One of the most approachable means of the pedagogical effect while stimulating the physical training of the pupils at school is rendering of the integral theoretical knowledge. In this paper the analysis of the village and city pupil approach to the regulations of physical training, physical activity and values were made. The training experiment was made also and results were given while the pupils were fostered to get into training. The object of the thesis was to analyse the effect of the physical training and healthy manner of living on the fostering of the pupils’ physical self-command formation. In order to realise the object the following tasks were made: 1) to analyse the point of view of the pupils about the physical training and physical activity; 2) analyse the pupil approach to the healthy way of living; 3) analyse the place of self-command in the pupil’s value scale; 4) in this pedagogical experiment to estimate the impact of the physical training and healthy way of living onto the formation of the physical self-command among the pupils. The research was made among the pupils of kaunas Simonas Daukantas secondary school and Jurbarkas region secondary schools, between the seventh, nineth and eleventh forms (No of pupils –230). All the pupils were distributed according to the age, gender and living place. They were given a 29 points questionarry. In... [to full text]

The relationships between post-traumatic growth (PTG), benefit finding, happiness, pessimism and antiretroviral (ART) medication adherence were examined among 10 people living with HIV or AIDS who attended HIV support groups, and were currently prescribed ART medications. Analyses indicated that none of these psychosocial factors were significantly correlated with ART adherence, that the relationships continued to be non-significant after pessimism was partialled out of the analysis, and that participants who reported achieving optimal ART adherence did not significantly differ from participants who reported taking less than optimal ART adherence in regards to PTG, benefit finding, subjective happiness, or pessimism. The results suggest that interventions designed to change these psychosocial factors may not be effective means of improving ART adherence. / Department of Psychological Science

Since 1993, diet and fitness promoter Susan Powter has gained significant prominence with her passionate message of health and wellness. This study used fantasy theme analysis to examine Powter's view of reality and her ability to persuade her audience. The analysis revealed a coherent vision, "Stop the Insanity!," within which Powter and other dieters are viewed as heroes. Additionally, the diet and fitness industries are viewed as conspiring villains who starve dieters and exclude the unfit from exercise programs. Powter differentiates herself from these villains by promoting herself as an uneducated but sincere speaker who does not starve or exclude people. Rather, she can identify with dieters because she has experienced their pain and frustration. Because anything is better than the "starvation" and "exclusion" promoted by the diet and fitness experts, Powter's program cannot help but succeed in the eyes of those who share her vision of reality. / Department of Speech Communication

Our research posits a context-sensitive, adaptable, assistive services and technology system (CAAST) that takes advantage of the advancements in mobile computing to provide barrier-free access to environmental information and devices. To inform our research we explore the following topics: the deficiencies associated with current assistive technologies; the advances in wireless sensor node technology; the interference and accuracy problems associated with wireless location detection; the coordination problems associated with service discovery; the management and coordination problems associated with decentralized sensor nodes; the separation of information and activities from the human interface; the efficiency and abstraction problems associated with interface description languages; and the adaptation of information and activities to meet the needs of those with disabilities. As a result of our research into these areas we devise an assistive technology, CAAST, that intends to be a comprehensive approach to universal access to information and activities for those with disabilities. / Department of Computer Science

AD/HD is a prevalent medical diagnosis given to 3-7% of children in British Columbia. Since the diagnosis’ inception in 1902, children’s behaviour has been described in similar ways, but labels to define it have continuously changed, reflecting the diagnosis’ mutability and connection to shifting discourses of normativity. An analysis of moments in the text of 13 children’s self-help books illuminates that the process books refer to as correction is actually a disciplinary process exercised in children’s social relations, which guide them to act according to socially constructed notions of normative behaviour. I draw two conclusions from my research: (a) the correction of AD/HD-diagnosed children is a political process supported by a complex network of power relations and (b) diagnosed children’s lives are emmeshed in practices of disciplinary power that establish, and maintain, their state of being normalised.

Since the 1970s all of the available literature suggested that the UK, in common with Europe, North America and Scandinavia, had seen significant growth of single issue self-help/mutual aid groups related to health and social care issues. Yet in the UK there appeared to be no real body of academic interest nor any sustained national policy initiatives. The aim of the study was therefore to enhance an understanding of the relationship of these self-help/mutual aid groups to UK social policy. The study was constructed in two parts. Part One, a historical study critically appraised the way in which the state appeared to have viewed and responded to various manifestations of self help/mutual aid, both pre- and post- the welfare state. Part Two, a case-study of two UK grassroots self-help/mutual aid groups explored members' viewpoints, their reasons for joining, benefits derived and the impact they felt it has had on their lives and their relations with professionals and wider `political' forums. The result of the study suggests a fundamental reframing of the relationship between self-help/mutual aid and the state is required at both a conceptual and practical level by UK policy makers and academics. This would acknowledge: that contemporary self-help/mutual aid groups are part of the broader tradition of voluntary action in the third sector, self-help/mutual aid's unique contribution in terms of social relations, process and knowledge; its difference from philanthropy/formal voluntary sector and therefore distinct characteristics and relations with the-state; and contemporary health and social care groups' potential dual identity with communities of interest and geographic communities and their relationship to and distinction from the contemporary service user and carer movements. 116, findings have implications for policy related to participation (citizen and health), social capital and citizenship.

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Chronic pain is a one of the most common causes of disability and sick leave. Psychological factors play a central role in the experience of pain and are important in the management of pain. However, for many people with chronic pain CBT is not available. There is a need to develop alternative ways to deliver treatments that reach more individuals with chronic pain. Internet-based treatments have been shown to be effective for several disorders and recent research suggests that internet-based CBT for chronic pain can be effective. The present thesis included four randomized controlled studies with the aim of evaluating whether guided internet-based treatments based on CBT can help individuals with chronic pain regarding psychological variables. Study I investigated the effects of an internet-based CBT intervention with telephone support for chronic back pain. The study showed reductions in some variables assessed.      Study II investigated the effects of an internet-based CBT intervention for chronic back pain without telephone support and with a live structured interview before inclusion. It was found that the treatment can reduce some of the distress associated with chronic pain. Study III investigated the effects of a guided internet-delivered CBT as a secondary intervention. Participants were patients who had previously completed multidisciplinary treatment at a pain management unit. Results showed that the internet-based treatment can be a feasible option for persons with residual problems after completed pain rehabilitation. Effects remained at six-month follow-up.    Study IV focused on the effect of a guided internet-delivered acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for persons with chronic pain. Results suggest that an internet-delivered ACT treatment can help persons with chronic pain. Effects remained at six-month follow-up. In conclusion, guided internet-based CBT can decrease distress associated with chronic pain.

Teen Triple P is a behavioural family intervention for parents of adolescents. It is a multi-level intervention package that allows the strength and format of the intervention to be tailored to the needs of the family. Teen Triple P is available in three modalities: individual; group; and self-directed programs. This research investigated whether a self-directed program, Self-directed Teen Triple P, which consists of a parent workbook and video is sufficient to reduce risk factors known to be associated with the development of serious emotional and behavioural problems in adolescents and enhance protective factors. The present research sought to: a) determine the impact of a self-directed behavioural family intervention program on parents’ perceptions of their adolescent’s behaviour; b) assess the efficacy and consumer acceptance of a self-directed parenting intervention; c) identify clinical implications arising from this research to assist practitioners in the appropriate use of self-directed behavioural family intervention programs; and d) examine the psychometric properties of treatment outcome measures for use with adolescents and their parents. A central tenet of this research is the principal of sufficiency that is, examining the ability of a behavioural family intervention to produce desirable outcomes for adolescents and their parents under lowest intervention and cost conditions. Fifty-one Queensland families with children in Year 7 or 8, aged 11-14 years, were recruited from the community by means of flyers distributed to schools, newspaper and radio advertisements. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: (1) Standard self-directed Teen Triple P, a 10 module workbook program supplemented by a video; (2) Enhanced Self-directed Teen Triple P, the same program as Standard self-directed Teen Triple P, but included 10, 15-minute weekly telephone consultations with a Triple P therapist to assist in tailoring the program to meet the individual family’s needs; or (3) Waitlist control, a comparison group who initially only completed the measures, but later went on to do a replication of the standard intervention. The program was implemented with average recruitment (61%), and moderate attrition rate (23.5%). At post-intervention, using parent report measures of adolescent behaviour and parenting practices, parents in the enhanced condition reported significantly fewer adolescent behaviour problems and less use of dysfunctional parenting strategies than parents in the waitlist condition. Parents in the standard condition reported improvements in some areas but not as large or wide-spread as the enhanced group. Improvements were maintained at 3-month follow-up. There was no significant difference among conditions at post-intervention or follow-up on parents’ self-report measures of depression, anxiety, stress or relationship quality. The psychometric properties of measures of adolescent functioning, parenting style, relationship satisfaction and parental adjustment previously reported on different samples were confirmed. An underlying factor structure for the Parent Problem Checklist was identified and implications for its use discussed. Modifications to the scoring of the Consumer Satisfaction Questionnaire are discussed in the light of its factor structure. This research provides important information regarding the efficacy of a self-directed behavioural family intervention as an early intervention for families of early adolescents experiencing some problematic behaviour. It also provides some clinical implications of using self-directed interventions with families.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on March 6, 2008) Includes bibliographical references.