Objective. To compare the effect of two exercise interventions on body composition, energy expenditure (EE), body-esteem, and self-worth in obese 7-11 yr old African American girls. Methods. Ten girls met for lifestyle counseling once a week for 10 weeks as an informal exercise (IEX) group. The sessions stressed behavior modification and goal setting. At the same time, a formal exercise (FEX) group (n = 12) participated in a supervised, monitored, aerobic exercise program. The interventions differed in frequency, intensity, duration, and scheduling of physical activities. Body composition was measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, EE by a 7-day recall, body-esteem by the Body-Esteem Scale for Children, and self worth by the Self-Perceived Profile for Children. Results. Both groups increased in fat-free mass (p $<$.05); however, the FEX group declined slightly in fat mass while the IEX group increased slightly. The net results were a significant decrease of 1.4% fat in the FEX group (p $<$.05) while the decrease of 0.4% in the IEX group was not significant. Increases in physical activity EE during intervention were similar in both groups with only the FEX group improving aerobic fitness. However, at one-month follow-up the FEX group decreased EE to levels below pretest (p $<$.05). The results suggest the IEX group better maintained increased EE than the FEX group. The correlation between body-esteem and self worth was r = 0.51 (p $<$.05) and there was no evidence of an intervention effect on these variables. Conclusion. These results suggest the usefulness of exercise interventions to improve body composition, fitness level, and energy expenditure in obese pre-pubescent African American girls with the maintenance of increased physical activity better for those engaging in lifestyle counseling. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 55-09, Section: B, page: 4160. / Major Professor: Robert J. Moffatt. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1994.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_77280 |
| Contributors | Cucuzzo, Nicholas Carvajal., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 216 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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