Childhood health is a strong determinant of adult health, including overweight and obesity. Rural children and adults experience a greater obesity prevalence compared to children and adults living in more urban places. The goal of Generating Rural Options for Weight-Healthy Kids & Communities (GROW HKC) is to prevent childhood obesity...
Family influence in the home environment has been linked to children’s nutrition and physical activity behaviors. However few tools exist to identify family level behaviors and families’ readiness to change those behaviors, particularly for populations at high risk for obesity such as Hispanics. This study summarizes the relationships of similar...
There is a known relationship between total physical activity (PA) and weight status in children; however, there is a paucity of data examining the prospective relationship between school day PA and obesity among rural elementary school children. A large number of cross-sectional studies have demonstrated that higher levels of PA...
In the United States, falls are the leading cause of unintentional death with one of every three people 65 years and older falling each year. Falls account for approximately 95% of hip fractures among older adults and falls to the side predominate hip fracture related falls in this population. However,...
Sustaining an older adult's ability to live independently is a very important
goal of geriatrics and gerontology. The extent to which an individual can live
independently depends on his or her ability to perform Instrumental Activities of Daily
Living. Impairments in the physical domains of muscle strength, flexibility,
endurance, and...
The prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents continues to rise
and is considered a major public health problem. The aim of this investigation was to
evaluate the contributions of sport participation, and calcium intake (controlling for mean
energy intake, sex, and maturation status) on the development of...
Firefighting is a very hazardous profession. Firefighters experience an injury rate that is three times higher than other physically demanding professions and the death rate in the fire service is also much higher compared to typical. Throughout the literature, data suggest the physical nature of firefighting contributes to the high...
Purpose: This study examines the relationship between food insecurity (FI) risk and families’ readiness to change obesity-preventing behaviors within rural home-environments.
Methods: Families (n=144) were recruited through six elementary schools (K-5/6) in low-income, rural, Oregon communities. Families completed surveys including a FI risk screener and the Family Stage of Change...
Purpose: This study examines the relationship between community-based fitness class participation and risk for falls in adults aged 55 or older. Our aim was to compare scores on fall risk factors between community-based Better Bones & Balance® (BBB) participants and active peers who engage in other (non-BBB) community-based fitness classes....
Classroom-based physical activity (CBPA) breaks are a common and cost-effective physical activity (PA) promotion strategy at elementary schools. Nevertheless, there is limited research examining how teacher-level factors such as value for PA and perceived support to deliver CBPA breaks influence teacher implementation of CBPA breaks. In addition, to date no...