Background: Over half of all firefighter deaths are due to heart attacks. Physical activity (PA) is a protective factor against cardiovascular disease, but most firefighters do not meet recommended PA levels. Volunteer firefighters (VFFs), particularly in rural areas, may have unique reasons for not meeting recommendations. Purpose: To examine…

Despite a growing focus on constraints to leisure participation among African Americans, a gap in the research remains when it comes to understanding the lived experiences of African American women and their outdoor recreation participation. This study explored African American women's constraints to leisure participation in outdoor recreation…

Men are underrepresented in weight loss programs and little is currently known about the weight loss strategies men prefer. This study describes the weight loss strategies used by men during a men-only weight loss program. At baseline, 3 months, and 6 months, participants reported how frequently they used 45 weight loss strategies including…

Despite the ethnicity of an individual college student, a majority of college students do not partake in the recommended amount of exercise according to the American College Health Association (2013). Therefore, both the obesity and overweight rates with college students were reported as 29% in 2000 and 32.5% in 2009 (ACHA, 2010). The purpose of…

The Early College High School Initiative (ECHSI) was introduced in 2002. Since 2002, limited data, especially student physical activity data, have been published pertaining to the ECHSI. The purpose of this study was to examine the aerobic capacities of early college students and compare them to state and national averages. Early college students…

North Carolina community college faculty teaching courses in early childhood education at 54 of 58 community colleges were surveyed to determine the extent to which they included content knowledge on child health, nutrition, physical activity, and obesity, and adult wellness, in the courses they taught, and to identify faculty member…

To supplement the present weekly allotment of 30 minutes of physical education, a school district in southeastern North Carolina identified recess time as part of the state mandated (HSP-S-000) 150 minutes of physical activity (PA) per week and have purchased fitness equipment (recess packs) for the children to use. Twelve participants were…

A survey of 2,439 high school students (the 1993 Youth Risk Behavior Survey) in North Carolina found that students present a mixed picture of healthy and risky physical, nutritional, and weight management practices. The survey examined perception of body weight; weight control by gender; method of weight control; consumption of fruit or fruit…

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) Middle School Questionnaire, produced by the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was administered for the first time in North Carolina in 1995. The survey monitored high-priority health-risk behaviors, including: (1) weapons and violence; (2) suicide-related behaviors; (3) vehicle safety; (4)…

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) documents dimensions of quality in undergraduate education and provides information and assistance to colleges, universities, and other organizations to improve student learning. Its primary activity is annually surveying college students to assess the extent to which they engage in educational…