Regardless of age, sex, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), education level, or geographic region, obesity rates have increased considerably and one key factor is the lack of daily physical activity (PA) for children. Therefore, it is necessary for schools to implement PA options outside of the regular physical education (PE) curriculum,…

In 2007 the Oregon Legislature passed a policy requiring students receive a minimum weekly amount of physical activity in school: 150 minutes for elementary and 225 minutes for middle school students. However, no implementation guidance for teachers or school districts were included in the policy. This pilot study examines the differences between…

Considering over one-third of the United States' population is now considered obese, childhood obesity has become a highlighted public health concern. Educators and health professionals have spent a significant amount of time examining how to approach the obesity epidemic, specifically childhood obesity, yet there is still no clear solution. An…

Worksite wellness programs continue to demonstrate a high return on investment by controlling and reducing employer shares of health care expenditures. Health risk assessments (HRA) are commonly used to establish priorities. This crosssectional study utilized an online HRA grounded by constructs from the Health Belief Model and the Theory of…

Physical activity is a preventative measure that can help decrease obesity trends. However, many individuals struggle to live a physically active lifestyle. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between Self-Determination Theory, adults' barriers to exercise, and those who have met and have not met the Center for Disease…

Adolescent consumption of screen media continues to increase. A variety of theoretical constructs hypothesize the impact of media content on health-related attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. This study uses a coding instrument based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Youth Risk Behavior Survey to analyze health behavior contained in…

Motivating people to engage in regular physical activity (PA) is a constant struggle for many health education professionals. The purchase of activity-tracking devices (Fitbit, Nike Fuel Band, etc…) has been a popular trend in recent years, presumably to assist users to increase their PA. However, limited research has examined consumer feedback…

The goals of the study were to identify the barriers and motivators for physical activity (PA) and to assess whether these factors vary by weight status. A self-administered survey was completed by 413 African American women. Each woman provided verbal informed consent and was weighed and measured by a research team member. The participants' mean…

Asian students attending American colleges and universities report relatively low levels of physical activity participation, which may hinder their ability to realize their full human potential (i.e., cognitively, physically, socially). This paper reviewed the possible reasons underlying their generally inactive lifestyle, addressed the importance…

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a 10-week active intervention program (AIP), which incorporates dietary education with exercise training, among 30 healthy Mexican American male children, aged 8-12 years, in Laredo, Texas. Participants were randomly divided into 3 groups: education (EDU), dietary education to participants and parents and…

Much attention has been given to the fact that Americans are becoming less active. This study was designed to examine the levels of exercise-specific self-efficacy and physical activity rates in a selected group of college students. Students were recruited as they entered a fitness facility. Participation consisted of completing a survey that…

Healthful eating and regular physical activity are vitally important for low-income adolescents who are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes (T2DM). To design a relevant, community-based intervention for these at risk adolescents, parent perceptions of barriers to healthful eating and physical activity should be assessed. Such barriers have been…

Previous studies have placed little emphasis on maintenance of healthy behaviors longer than six months. This study examined factors that contribute to maintenance of physical activity among faculty and staff in university settings. A 55-item survey on physical activity maintenance was used to assess attitudes towards exercise, exercise…

Sleep problems have become epidemic and traditional research has discovered many causes of poor sleep. The purpose of this study was to complement existing research by using a salutogenic or health origins framework to investigate the correlates of good sleep. The analysis for this study used the National College Health Assessment data that…

This article describes three studies that were designed to provide undergraduate students with opportunities for hands-on experience in research. Students were involved in all aspects of the studies--from the development of the research questions to the reporting of the results. The studies examined the effectiveness of signs and posters in…