PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare relationships between dietary and physical activity (PA) behaviors and body composition and body fat distribution, as measured by percent body fat (BF%), waist-to-height ratio (WHt), waistto- hip ratio (WHp) and body mass index (BMI) in post-menopausal women (Post), with the same relationships in pre-menopausal women (Pre). METHODS: Ninety-two subjects (n = 48 Post; n = 44 Pre) were measured for height, weight, waist and hip circumferences and skinfold thicknesses. Dietary content was obtained from a Diet History Questionnaire (DHQ II); PA was estimated from responses to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). RESULTS: Multiple regression identified no modifiable predictor variables for Pre. Models for Post identified saturated fat grams (SFGs), PA, years postmenopause (YrsPost), and Alcohol (Alc) as predictors of WHt, WHp, BMI and BF%. CONCLUSIONS: PA, SFG and Alc are modifiable variables related to postmenopausal body composition and fat distribution. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The purpose of this study was to determine if surgically-induced menopause in younger women affects substrate utilization during submaximal exercise while controlling for other potential confounds. METHODS: Thirteen untrained female subjects (33-50 years old) were recruited: oophorectomized (Group O = 5) and premenopausal controls (Group C = 8). Two separate visits included: body composition and maximal treadmill exercise test; followed by substrate utilization via open-circuit spirometry during 45 minutes of treadmill walking at 50% VO2max. RESULTS: When controlling for multiple variables affecting whole-body substrate utilization (age, VO2max, physical activity, body composition, fasting glucose, menstrual phase and diet), there was no difference in substrate utilization between pre- and postmenopausal women as measured by respiratory exchange ratio (RER) (0.83 ± 0.04 v 0.84 ± 0.03, p=0.47). CONCLUSIONS: Menopausal status does not appear to have an effect on substrate utilization during submaximal exercise in younger women. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2006. / "May, 2006." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 207-217). Online version available on the World Wide Web.

The National Women's Health Information Center reports that domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to American women and that nearly one-third of American women have been physically assaulted by their significant other at some point in their lives. These women often experience depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and grief (Campbell et al., 1995). Literature supports the use of physical activity in promoting psychological well-being. The purpose of this study, then, was to evaluate the influence of physical activity on how survivors of domestic violence view themselves and their circumstances. The participants were seven women (18 to 54 years) who had been in abusive relationships, on average for eleven years, and who had recently left their partners. The participants were given access to an exercise facility and participated in one, two, three, or four interviews at one-month intervals. Interview questions covered abuse history, physical activity levels, self-view, emotional status, and how exercise may have influenced these factors. Qualitative analysis of 11 participants' responses revealed that exercise gave women the perception of healing, "getting out of trauma mode," of working towards a future self, "moving towards the vision of the type of person that I want to be," and freedom. Exercise improved their self-view by demonstrating to them that they were advancing beyond their abuse-controlled lives; that they were taking care of themselves. Women found exercise an effective means of "eliminating nervous energy" that resulted from being battered women, which in turn improved emotional status. Results are discussed in terms of the unique benefits derived from physical activity by these women, how exercise enhanced their recovery, and suggestions made by participants as to how the benefits of exercise could be fully realized. / Graduation date: 2004

Low physical activity levels and high serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) in both men and women. However, postmenopausal women who take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may have increased risk of CAD because of HRT-related increases in serum CRP. There are two manuscripts in this dissertation. The purpose of the first manuscript was to determine whether higher physical activity energy expenditure was associated with lower serum CRP, independent of oral HRT status and body fatness, in 133 postmenopausal women. Higher physical activity energy expenditures were significantly associated with lower serum CRP levels (r=-0.21, p=0.0l9), independent of oral HRT use, age, smoking behavior, alcohol consumption, aspirin use, and statin use. However, in the complete multivariate model, which included body fat, the association between higher physical activity and lower serum CRP levels was abolished. The purpose of the second study was to quantify the biological variability of insulin resistant CAD risk factors in a sample of 8 postmenopausal women. Risk factor outcomes, including serum total cholesterol, serum triglycerides (TG), serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), serum glucose, plasma insulin, serum CRP, waist and hip circumferences, abdominal sagittal diameter, body fat, systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure, and self-reported physical activity energy expenditure, were measured on two occasions, 7-12 days apart. High absolute biological variability values (by standard error of measurement) were observed for serum TG (32.0 mg/dl), serum CRP (5.6 mg/l), SBP (4.0 mmHg), and physical activity (9.4 kcal/kg/week). High relative biological variability (by within-subjects coefficient of variation ���27.3%) was also observed for serum TG, serum CRP, and physical activity. Bland-Altman plots identified individual outliers for serum TG, serum CRP, plasma insulin, and SBP. Together, the results suggest that the correlations between lower levels of serum CRP and higher levels of physical activity, though significant, may have been attenuated by the high biological variability of both serum CRP and physical activity. Thus, the importance of higher levels of physical activity, in decreasing serum CRP and the concomitant risk of heart disease, may be underestimated in the absence of serial measurement of serum CRP and physical activity. / Graduation date: 2002

We evaluated anthropometric and performance measures which best predict bone mineral density (BMD) in 54 adolescent girls (14.6��0.5y; 22.7��14.0 months past menarche). BMD for the whole body, femoral neck, greater trochanter, lumbar spine (L2-L4), and mid-femoral shaft was assessed using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) (Hologic QDR 1000/W). Whole body lean mass and fat mass were derived from the whole body scan. Knee extensor strength and leg power were assessed by isokinetic dynamometry and the Wingate Anaerobic Power Test, respectively. Using simple regression, lean mass was significantly correlated with BMD at all bone sites r=.45-.77; p<0.001), and was more highly correlated with BMD at all sites than was body weight. Maximum leg power was also associated with bone mass at all sites (r=.41-.67; p<0.001) while leg strength correlated significantly with all sites (r=.41-.53; p<0.001) except the lumbar spine. Stepwise regression analyses revealed that 59% of the variance in whole body BMD was predicted by lean mass alone. No other variables, including fat mass, height, months past menarche, leg power, or leg strength, contributed additionally to the regression model. Similarly, lean mass was the only predictor of lumbar spine and femoral shaft BMD (R��=.25, R��=.37, respectively), while femoral neck and trochanteric BMD were best predicted by leg power (R��=.38, R��=.36, respectively). In this group of adolescent girls, lean body mass and leg power independently predicted bone mineral density of the whole body, lumbar spine, femoral shaft, and hip, which may suggest an important role for muscle mass development during growth to maximize peak bone density. / 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

Current social services provided in Canada for low-income women are primarily 'crisis management' in nature as they almost exclusively provide safe housing, adequate nutrition or employment training, and many are under severe financial pressure due to a shifting public policy. As a result, services offered for single mothers living below the poverty line rarely deal with health promotion in terms of physical activity, even though it has been demonstrated that socioeconomic status is a key determinant of health (Frankish, Milligan & Reid, 1996). Although there are many positive mental and physical health benefits associated with regular physical activity (King 1991), its organizational context remains problematic for those who live in poverty and are unable or unwilling to conform to dominant expectations inherent with the consumption of modern forms of physical activity. A moral reasoning tone pervades prescriptions for maintaining and improving health, and those unable to achieve and maintain good health are considered individually responsible, thus obscuring organizational and structural factors that limit involvement. The purpose of this case study of the YWCA was to examine the provision and consumption of health and wellness services for low-income single mothers. Research questions were posed in four areas: i) what meanings do low-income single mothers and YWCA service providers associate with the provision of health and wellness services; ii) how are health and wellness services located within the political, social and economic context of the YWCA; iii) are there points of disjuncture between the provision and consumption of health and wellness services for low-income single mothers; and iv) if points of disjuncture are uncovered, what are the possibilities for emancipatory change in service provision? Several bodies of literature were reviewed to inform the study: social construction of poverty, ideologies of health and physical activity, feminist organization theory, and feminist action research (FAR). FAR is a research process that merges participatory action research with critical feminist theory. Key principles of feminist action research include: 1) gender as a central piece to emerging explanatory frameworks (Maguire, 1987); 2) collaboration and negotiation at all stages of the research process between the researcher, the service providers and the research participants (Green et al., 1995); 3) empowerment through giving control of the research process and decision making to the research participant, while deconstructing the power structures associated with social class (Fals-Borda, 1991; Fawcett, 1991); and 4) social/organizational action and emancipatory change enabled through the democratic production of knowledge (Green et al., 1995). The research methodology involved an examination of: 1) The meanings and experiences of eleven low-income single mothers participating in the FOCUS Pre-employment Training Program which has a wellness component. The data collection strategies included focus groups; a validation meeting the original participants; observations during group meetings and program sessions; and informal discussions. 2) The meanings and experiences of five service providers who were either facilitators of FOCUS or occupied managment positions in the YWCA. The data collection strategies included one-on-one semi-focused interviews; observations of program meetings, group and informal discussions; and a final meeting to discuss potential change. 3) Relevant documents, including brochures, pamphlets, reports and promotional flyers to obtain background and contextual information about the YWCA. The data was analyzed using inductive analysis and the qualitative software program, Q.S.R. NUD.IST. The overall finding was that neither the service providers nor the single mothers viewed wellness as a priority. At the organizational level, the explanation for this finding was that physical activity opportunities were not valued by the funders, whereas employment training was their primary concern. The YWCA's upscale health and wellness services, which offered another opportunity for single mothers to participate, catered on a fee-for-service basis to middle and upper income women and men and pursued a market-driven ideology towards service provision, thus making low-income single mothers' involvement less likely. The social, economic and political context in which FOCUS was situated had a profound influence on the nature of service delivery, and funding constraints were a source of stress for the service providers and infringed on the nature and scope of the services offered for the single mothers. Themes related to points of disjuncture included the service providers' attitudes towards the provision of health and wellness services. Some providers believed that within the confines of the organizational structure and the FOCUS program guidelines, the physical activity opportunities offered to the women were sufficient. Conversely, other providers believed that the organization could take a more active and critical role in determining routes for change and establishing stronger connections between health and wellness activities and the other components of the FOCUS program. All of the service providers alluded to the importance of the women's input and the "organic growth" of the program, however the program's strict curriculum and scarce evaluations resulted in a non-collaborative approach to service delivery. From the single mothers' persepctives, stereotypes of the lazy and unmotivated "welfare single mother" inhited their involvement in community life, including organized forms of physical activity (Fraser & Gordon, 1994; Lord, 1994; Belle, 1990). The women reported experiences with discrimination, a cycle of poverty, complications with social assistance, social stigmas, and childcare responsibilities as their major constraints. Three main reasons for the women's lack of participation were their low sense of entitlement towards physical activity, their ambivalence towards their bodies, and little access to wellness facilities. However, involvement in health and wellness activities was a low-priority for the FOCUS participants, though some of the single mothers mentioned the desirability of incorporating more regular activity sessions into the FOCUS curriculum. Other tensions arose between the realities and ideals of feminist organizing. Distinctions based on class, ethnicity and age separated the upper managerial service providers, the on-site facilitators, and the women accessing the program, perpetuating an elitist, non-collaborative and hierarchical organizationial structure. Based on the single mothers and the service providers' suggestions, four major recommendations for change were provided. First, the participants should be central to and fully collaborative in the organizational processes of the YWCA. Second, if the women involved in the program value physical activity, they should determine ways in which it can become a part of their daily reality. Third, for those involved with the planning and implementation of the FOCUS program, the role of the funders vis a vis the needs of the participants should be determined, and a consistent and 'women-centered' approach to service delivery established. Finally, the YWCA's approach to wellness service delivery should be evaluated and re-conceptualized so that it fulfills and is congruent with the YWCA mission statement. What remained unexplored by the service providers was the potential for the women to redefine hegemonic notions of physical activity (Birrell & Richter, 1987) and to be involved in a meaningful and self-expressive form of activity (Hargreaves, 1990). By listening to the various perspectives and situating experiences within the organizational, political, economic and social contexts, this study provided the beginnings of a critial understanding of the tensions involved in women organizing for women to promote physical activity.

The purpose of this investigation was to study the relationship between perceived barriers and participation or non-participation by undergraduate females in recreational programming at Ball State University. For the purposes of this study, anything that reinforces a decision not to participate in a program or activity was considered a barrier. Participants were selected from various college units on campus. They were also grouped based upon on campus or off campus residency and whether they were participants or non-participants in programs sponsored by the Office of Recreation Programs at Ball State University. Each participant (n=160) completed two written surveys: survey one: the Leisure Diagnostic Battery (LDB) and survey two: the Perceived Barriers Survey. Data were analyzed using multiple t-tests and associations were revealed at the .05 level on each of the three scales of the LDB (Barriers to Leisure Experience Scale, Depth of Leisure Involvement Scale and the Perceived Leisure Competence Scale). Many perceived personality traits influenced whether a female student participated in campus recreational programming. Survey two also presented associations at the .05 level for the following specific perceived barriers: discomfort; lack of motivation; fatigue; feelings about one's body; other people; pain; lack of time available; inconvenient hours; body image; school responsibilities and a lack of knowledge about what programs were available. Each of these barriers represents a call to action for recreation professionals. Several program strategies were suggested to minimize or eliminate these barriers, and to recruit and retain more female students in campus recreational programming. / Fisher Institute for Wellness