This study evaluated the effectiveness of HIV prevention groups for men-who-have-sex-with-men conducted in 4 Montana communities: Butte, Bozeman, Helena and Missoula. A convenience sample of participants (n=37) were recruited from MSM who voluntarily signed-up for participation in the evaluated groups. Comparison group participants (n=31) consisted of a convenience sample of MSM recruited by Montana Targeted Prevention (MTaP) workers during the course of their regular HIV/Hepatitis C outreach activities. Behavioral changes in unprotected anal intercourse and substance use and seven HIV-transmission-behavior influencing factors (sexual communication skills, attitudes towards condoms, HIV transmission knowledge, internalized homophobia, social isolation, self-esteem and depression) were assessed at baseline and again following 9 hours of intervention exposure. No significant changes in frequency of unprotected anal intercourse were observed, however participants reported that they more regularly wear a condom as a result of the intervention. Changes in frequency of unprotected anal intercourse may have been underestimated by the short 9-week evaluation period. Forty-eight percent (n=10) of participants engaging in binge drinking (5 or more drinks in one sitting) and 22% (n=4) of marijuana using participants reported a reduction in use. Intervention group participants indicated significant positive changes in measures of depression (p=.00) and self-esteem (p=.00). Participants identified factors related to community involvement and social support as being the primary factors facilitating MSM participation in HIV prevention groups. Group participation generated multiple positive intrapersonal and interpersonal outcomes that may facilitate short-term and long-term adoption and maintenance of positive health behavior changes. In the rural and geographically vast frontier state of Montana, HIV prevention groups may also play a critical role in the health and well being of Montanas MSM community by providing gay community infrastructure and positive social norms of sexual health that may serve to reduce the damaging effects of social stigma often experienced by rural MSM.

Introduction: Athletics are an integral part of American Indian (AI) life and culture. However, with participation there is a risk of receiving an injury. Sustaining an injury can be devastating to AI athletes that live on or near a reservation due to the rural location and disparities in health care. Objective: To determine Montanas AI high school athletes injury rates, severity of injury, the current level of medical supervision, and type of health care they seek/receive. Methods: The procedure for collecting data consisted of sending out surveys to head coaches at 11 high schools that met the inclusion criteria. Analysis: Numerical data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2007. Discussion: Injury rates were fairly low, with most injuries being minor. Medical supervision at practices/competitions was inadequate and the majority of injured athletes sought medical care from Indian Health Service. Access to specialty care was also found to be inadequate.

Introduction: Sports massage is commonly used to treat pain, soreness, and stiffness related to sports injury and training, as well as for injury prevention. Believed to increase blood flow, decrease swelling, reduce muscle tension, and increase a sense of well-being, massage is a widely used manual therapy across the world. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a twenty-minute sports massage on mood state, range of motion, sports performance, and perceived performance. Methods: This repeated measures study consisted of passive recovery and massage recovery trials. Baseline testing included the Profile of Mood States questionnaire, range of motion measurements of hip flexion and extension, knee flexion and extension, and ankle plantarflexion and dorsiflexion, as well as sports performance testing of vertical jump, and perceived performance rating on a scale from 1 to 10. A five minute, 100 watt, bike warm-up was completed before a 130-foot contact plyometric workout before the randomly assigned intervention. Subjects then returned at 24 and 48 hours post intervention for repeat testing of mood state, range of motion, sport performance, and perceived performance. Analysis: Descriptive statistics were calculated using Excel. All data was analyzed in SPSS using repeated measures analysis of variance with Bonferroni adjustments when necessary. Results: No significant results were found for mood state, sport performance, or range of motion (p > .05). Perceived performance was found to be significantly higher at the 24-hour time point in the massage group when compared to the passive recovery group (p = .007). Conclusions: Perceived performance after a massage intervention significantly differed from the passive recovery group. Mood state, range of motion, and sport performance provide no support for the use of sports massage, however, the psychological benefits of the perceived performance may be beneficial enough to warrant the use of the manual therapy.

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The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a supervised exercise training program on physical activity (PA) patterns. A secondary objective of the study was to determine if accelerometers can predict variables associated with strength and running performance. A total of 79 adult, male, college students completed a 12 week exercise training program that consisted of pull-ups, sit-ups, push-ups, and running three hours per week. The subjects trained three days/week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) and conducted a performance test (PT) every Wednesday. Physical activity (average daily time spent in sedentary, light, moderate, and vigorous PA), performance strength and running variables (pull-ups, sit-ups, push-ups, and 1.5 mile run time), and body composition (BC) (weight (kg), percent body fat (PBF), fat free mass (FFM;kg), and fat mass (FM;kg)) were assessed before and after 12 weeks of the exercise training program. Results showed the 12 week exercise training program had no effect on the average daily time (min) spent in sedentary, light, moderate or vigorous activity. There were significant positive correlations between average daily time spent in vigorous PA and pull-ups (p<.05), sit-ups (p<.01), and push-ups (p<.01). There were significant negative correlations between average daily time spent in moderate (p<.05) and vigorous (p<.01) PA and 1.5 mile run times. Additionally, there were significant negative correlations between BC and weight, PBF, and FM and pull-ups, sit-ups, and push-ups (p<.01). Data showed a a significant positive relationship between weight, PBF, and FM and 1.5 mile run time (p<.01). As expected, strength and running performance significantly improved in every area (p<0 .001) with an average gain of four pull-ups, 31 sit-ups, 15 push-ups, and a mean decrease of 30 seconds on the 1.5 mile run. The structured exercise intervention significantly improved strength and running performance characteristics, which included pull-ups, sit-ups, push-ups and a 1.5 mile run time. The results from this study show that the 12 week exercise training program did not affect PA levels in the participants but PA (vigorous) and BC (weight, PBF, and FM) may be able to predict pull-ups, sit-ups, push-ups, and 1.5 mile run performance variables.

The purpose of this study was to identify barriers to participation in the Active 6 After-School Physical Activity (A6) program in Missoula, MT. Barriers were explored by identifying factors that influence participation in after-school programs. Those barriers identified in the literature were compared with current needs and existing resources of the target population. To evaluate the barriers to the A6 program, primary qualitative data was collected from two sets of three focus groups; one high socio-economic status (SES) and one low. The results of this assessment identified barriers to participation in the A6 program from both parents/guardians and kids. Barriers to participation among parents included a general lack of information about the program, a desire to include educational components about nutrition and social emotional health, and safety/supervision concerns. The kids identified barriers including a desire to have more new and interesting activities, and time conflicts with prior engagements. The high SES parents identified a general lack of information and other engagements as barriers while the low SES parents identified a desire to have educational components included in the program, as well as a lack of information about the program, and a lack of parent and sibling involvement/inclusion. In addition to barriers to participation in the A6 program, the participants also identified components of the program that they liked. The parent/guardian groups identified improvements including social and emotional benefits. This was true for both the high SES and the low SES groups. The kids mentioned positive aspects including enjoyment of the competitive sports as well as the non-competitive activities such as climbing and swimming. The data also pointed to an overarching barrier that was more inductive than deductive. That barrier was a general ambiguity to the program. When the parents were speaking to many of the barriers, it was apparent to the researchers that they were confused, misinformed, and generally left out. The Socio-Ecological model was used as a guide to identify specific recommendations for each of the five levels identified in the model. The findings from this study will be used by the Missoula, MT YMCA to help enhance and grow the A6 program.

The purpose of this study was to better understand U.S. intercollegiate tennis coaches perceptions of professional development and the factors that influence their participation in such endeavors. Based on discussions in the literature, a survey was created to quantify this populations attitudes toward various components of continuing education. The survey included several closed-ended questions as well as rating questions, on a 5-point Likert scale. 181 participants (Male= 136, Female= 45) responded to the survey, representing 93 intercollegiate tennis conferences in the United States. The major findings of this study were: (i) the majority of intercollegiate tennis coaches perceive continuing education to be important but vary in how frequently they participate in different outlets; (ii) increasing knowledge, relevance of the topics, and the convenience/location of the venue appear to be the most important considerations for pursuing professional development; (iii) on-court trainings, mentoring, and question-and-answer sessions were the most preferred delivery methods of continuing education; (iv) coaches with more background (i.e. certified) in formal coach education settings were more favorable to these programs; and (v) significant differences existed between sub-groups which provides evidence for contextually different coaching education programs. Ultimately, the results of this study and subsequent research could form the basis for quality coach education programs that are viewed as essential to the development of intercollegiate coaches.

According to the National Organization for Women (NOW), 232,960 American women were raped or sexually assaulted in 2006, equating to more than 600 women daily (2012). American women furthermore experience about 4.8 million intimate partner-related physical assaults and rapes each year (NOW, 2012). Violence toward women is also evident on American college and university campuses. The U.S. National Institute of Justice (NIJ), for example, states that 35 of every 1,000 female students are victims of rapeeither completed or attemptedin a given nine-month academic year (National Institute of Justice, 2005). With more than 600 women being raped daily, the pervasiveness of partner-related offenses, and the frequency of sexual violence occurring on American college campuses, the time is past due for American society to seriously confront, at all levels of discourse and implementation, the emotional, social, and spiritual devastation of sexual assault. This project aims to address American sexual assault and offers a potential solution. It is an extensive literature review regarding the prevalence of sexual assault, its different types, and its influential cultural factors in the United States. In addition, this review explores available preventative strategies and investigates, specifically, the current status of womens self-defense programs en route to promoting womens self-defense as a viable approach to minimizing Americas sexual assault culture.

The purpose of this study was to gather information about how Hepatitis C (HCV) affects Montanans. Montana specific information was collected about HCV transmission; factors influencing transmission; physical, social and psychological effects of having HCV and undergoing treatment; barriers to prevention and treatment; current available resources to those infected with HCV and ways to improve prevention and treatment. Secondary data consisted of a comprehensive literature review to describe the above factors and epidemiological information. Primary data was collected through key informant interviews and summary reports completed by people living with HCV. The findings suggest that HCV is primarily transmitted through the use of contaminated needles to inject drugs in Montana; Montana Law prohibits needle exchange programs. Although the literature and key informants confirmed that poverty is an environmental factor that contributes to the spread of HCV, HCV positive participants did not concur; therefore, the relationship between poverty and the spread of HCV remains undefined. Other environmental factors that were found to significantly contribute to the spread of HCV in Montana are the lack of access to clean needles, lack of public education and awareness and the prison and jail systems. The physical, social and psychological effects of not only having HCV, but being treated for HCV, were found to be tremendous. Treatment costs, lack of knowledge, difficulty of treatment, lack of access to treatment, the slow progression of the infection, having to be clean and sober before starting treatment and the stigma and lack of knowledge among physicians were all found to be large barriers to seeking treatment. Barriers to prevention included the lack of education and funding, stigma, and having few prevention options. Increasing media, awareness, and education were highlighted as the best ways to improve prevention. In order to improve treatment, it is necessary to not only decrease the cost, but also make it more available throughout the state of Montana. The findings from this study will be used by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services to increase awareness of how HCV impacts Montana residents.

The afterschool environment has arisen as one of the main settings for physical activity programs that aim to prevent childhood obesity and increase physical activity (Beets et al., 2009). The YMCA Active 6 program in was created in 2010 in reaction to the obesity and physical activity trends in Montanas youth. The program aims to increase physical activity in sixth grade participants and to educate them on different components that contribute to a healthy lifestyle. The purpose of the study was to assess the Active 6 programs impact on sixth grade students in Missoula, MT. by increasing physical activity, decreasing sedentary behavior, increasing perceived self-efficacy, and improving health perceptions and knowledge. The study also determined if there was a relationship between rate of participation and program impact. In addition, the study assessed the program impact between specific groups, gender (male, female) and SES (low, high). The study also aimed to understand the parents perceptions of the program. Matching pre-and post- surveys were given to all participating sixth graders. Qualitative data was collected from conducting phone interviews with parents of sixth graders who were registered but not participating in the program, and parents of students who regularly participate in the program. Results showed that sixth grade participants had a significant increase in health perceptions and knowledge, daily minutes of physical activity, and physical activity self-efficacy from pre-to post assessment. In addition, the results showed that the program did not have a significant impact on gender (male, female) nor socioeconomic status (low, high). The study revealed that participation rate was not a significant predictor of program impact. The qualitative interview data results revealed that transportation was the biggest barrier to participation in the Active 6 program. The parents of students who were registered but not participating communicated an adequate understanding of the program. Parents of students who regularly participated felt the program impacted their child by increasing their activity level, improving their mood, and teaching them new skills. The findings from this study will be used by the Missoula, YMCA to develop, improve, & refine the Active 6 program strategies.