Depression is a mental health diagnosis that affects many children and adolescents each year. While traditional methods of treatment include therapy and medication, physical activity could also be used as an additional tool to help combat depressive symptoms. A total of 51 articles were found to address the possible benefits of physical activity…

Research studies have suggested that students who participate in daily physical activity and who are more physically fit may have improved academic achievement scores. However, pressures on school districts to improve students' academic achievement in core course areas such as math, science, and English have put less emphasis on courses such as…

The goals of Healthy Campus 2020 are to improve health across college campuses for students. One of the focuses is to increase physical exercise and avoid weight gain and risks for obesity. During this time of transition, many college students do not partake in regular exercise and females are at lower levels of exercise participation compared to…

College students report sub-optimal perceived wellbeing including fatigue and low energy. The health behaviors of sleep, particularly sleep quality (SQ), sedentary behavior (SED), and physical activity (PA), including both aerobic and resistance training (RT) activity are interrelated and linked to wellbeing. These associations may differ for male…

The benefits of physical activity to individual physical and mental health, as well as wider society, are well established. Yet, the physical activity participation levels of many remain insufficient, and considerable disparities (inequities) exist. Physical activity inequities tend to mirror those in associated health outcomes. Thus, identifying…

This three-paper format dissertation explores three topics relevant to participating in a short-term model Sports Education Camp for youth with vision impairments. The three papers are independent studies, yet build upon each other by first measuring physical performance in certain skills, then exploring their levels of self-perception, body mass…

Researchers have studied the primary determinants of physical activity in an effort to enhance health promotion initiatives nationwide. These physical activity determinants have been observed to differ among various segments of the population, suggesting a further examination of physical activity barriers among differing populations. Little…

The effect of physical activity (PA) and consequent influence on cognition within adult seniors has been widely published. However, there is a paucity of causal research relating PA and cognition to schoolchildren within an authentic setting. Also, little is known about the required intensity and dosage of PA to effect executive function (EF)…

The pressure educators, schools, and school districts face with meeting Adequate Yearly Progress on state assessments as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act has made some schools and school district reduce class offerings and time for subjects not considered core subjects. In addition, the rising obesity rates in students have prompted…

The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of time spent in outdoor play (i.e., on weekday and weekend days) on daily (i.e., average step count) and aerobic step count (i.e., average moderate to vigorous physical activity [MVPA] during the weekdays and weekend days) in fifth grade Costa Rican children. It was hypothesized that: (a)…

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of university housing construction type on psychosocial development of first-year students. Data were collected at a large, four-year, public, research university in the Southeast using the Student Development Task and Lifestyle Assessment. The population considered for this study consisted of…

Physical inactivity remains one of the primary cofactors that contribute to overweight and obesity, leading to an increased risk of premature morbidity and mortality. Current data suggest that sedentary behavior begins during adolescence and is maintained through college for most students. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of…

The most recent Surgeon General's report underscores the need for increased levels of regular physical activity in the general population, and in women and minorities in particular. Variations in participation patterns in particular sports and physical activities may provide insight into the reasons for differing activity levels in women and…