Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2009. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 154 p. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 88-111).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 224-235). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Graduation date: 1997

The purpose of this study was to determine if a 5-month progressive-resistance exercise program would affect measures of activities of daily living (ADLs) and functional stability in elderly women. All subjects were ambulatory women, 80 to 93 years old, who lived in assisted-care facilities. Eight exercise and 7 control subjects completed the 5-month study. Exercise subjects participated 3 times weekly in progressive resistance of the lower extremities and upper extremities. ADLs were assessed by the Barthel Index, and functional stability was assessed by timed measures of rising from a chair, walking, and standing, feet together, with eyes open and eyes closed. All subjects were tested at 0, 10, and 20 weeks. Using repeated measures analysis of variance, significant differences were seen only in an overall Group effect (p<.0005). The Eyes Open stance (p=.02) and Walk (p=.01) measures contributed most to this effect. The lack of significance in other analyses may have resulted from low sample size, high variation of scores, initial group differences, or perhaps an ineffective treatment program. / Graduation date: 1997

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of long-term weighted vest exercise on hip bone mass, functional ability and static balance in elderly women. This was a within subject exercise intervention study and included a 6-month control period. Twenty-three subjects (age 85 �� 6) were recruited and observed for 6-months, then debar a 9-month exercise program. Due to attrition during the control period, five subjects were recruited to add to the exercise group. Training entailed three supervised exercise sessions per week for nine-months designed to overload the lower extremity neuromuscular system. Training stimulus was one of two sets of six to twelve repetitions using weighted vests for progressive resistance. Measurements for bone mineral density (BMD) were assessed using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (Hologic QDR-1000/W). Static balance measurements were made using the Biodex Stability System. Functional ability tests consisted of: leg strength and power (chair raises and sit to stand) and gait speed (tandem, wide and narrow gait and circular path) and was assessed monthly for six months. Comparisons were conducted using repeated measures analysis of variance. Significant improvements were observed for chair raises 13%, sit to stand 13%, tandem gait 30%, wide gait 22%, narrow gait 20% and circular path 20% following the exercise period. No significant changes were detected (p>0.05) for BMD at the femoral neck and trochanter, but BMD was maintained during the exercise period. Further, there was a trend for improved body composition in the exercise versus the control period. Static balance did not change following the observational or exercise period. In conclusion, a practical exercise program of lower extremity training using weighted vests for resistance improves functional ability in women over 75 years of age. Since improved may function transfer to improved postural stability, these results have important implications for design of exercise programs to reduce fall risk in the elderly. / Graduation date: 1997

Thesis (M.S.)--Springfield College, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (M.S.)--Springfield College, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 121-164).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xii, 159 p. : ill. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 78-94).

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2009. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 90-99). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Orientador: Tania Ruiz / Banca: Silvia Cristina Mangini Bocchi / Banca: Edilaine Michelin / Resumo: O cenário epidemiológico atual confirma a transição dos padrões de ocorrências de doenças nas últimas décadas, mudança denominada transição epidemiológica, caracterizada pela diminuição da ocorrência de doenças infectocontagiosas, e incremento das doenças crônicas não transmissíveis (DCNT). No Brasil, estas representam cerca de 72% de todas as mortes do país. A inatividade física juntamente com outros fatores comportamentais, como uso de tabaco e perfil alimentar são responsáveis por cerca de 80% da carga total das principais doenças crônicas. Com a abrangência do Sistema Único de Saúde e a implantação de programas de atividade física em unidades de atenção primária à saúde e a baixa adesão de idosos a estes programas o estudo tem como objetivo apreender das experiências dos idosos os condicionantes da adesão e da desistência dos mesmos ao programa de atividade física orientada na Estratégia de Saúde da Família. Pesquisa qualitativa, com a utilização de formulário e entrevista não diretiva, aplicados aos dois grupos de indivíduos: grupo adesão (GA) e grupo desistentes (GD), com a metodologia de análise por análise de conteúdo do tipo temática. Como resultados, ficou evidente que a adesão ou a desistência de idosos a programas de atividade física em unidades de atenção primária à saúde são provenientes de uma série de eventos multifatoriais, corroborando para adesão aspectos como sensação prazerosa com a realização do exercício, melhoria das condições de saúde, cumprimento de recomendações de profissionais da área de saúde e convívio social e para aspectos que estimulam a desistência o desgosto em realizar exercícios, piora da condição de saúde, cumprimento de contraindicação de profissionais de saúde, priorização de outras atividades do dia a dia, percepção negativa das condições de infraestrutura relacionadas ao programa de exercícios e diferença de ... / Abstract: The current epidemiological scenario confirms the transition patterns of occurrences of diseases in recent decades, a change called epidemiological transition, characterized by decreased occurrence of infectious-contagious diseases and higher chronic non-communicable diseases (NTCDs). In Brazil, they represent about 72% of all deaths in the country. Physical inactivity, together with other behavioral factors, such as the use of tobacco and dietary profile, are responsible for about 80% of the total burden of major chronic diseases. Considering that the Brazilian Centralized Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde) has encompassed and implemented physical activity programs in primary healthcare units, and considering the low adherence of elderly people to these programs, the purpose of this study is to capture from the experience of elderly people the factors that condition their adherence to and dropout from oriented physical activity in the Family Health Strategy. Qualitative research, using forms and non-conducive interview, administered to two groups of individuals: adherence group (AG) and dropout group (DG), with analysis methodology through analysis of thematic type of contents. The results show that elderly people's adherence to or dropout from physical activity programs in primary healthcare units originate from a series of multifactoria aspects as pleasant feeling to the realization exercise, improve health conditions, compliance with recommendations of professionals in health and social life and aspects that stimulate the dropout is sorrow in exercise tolerance, worsening health condition, compliance with contraindication for health professionals, prioritize other daily life activities, negative perception of the conditions of infrastructure related to exercise and fitness difference between program participants. Recommend actions to minimize the withdrawal of the elderly from physical exercise in primary care settings ... / Mestre