Objective: Over one-third of college students are overweight or obese and rates are rising. Whole body vibration (WBV) training could prevent weight gain but has not been tested in college students. Methods: Randomized controlled trial comparing thrice weekly WBV for 6 months to controls (CON) in undergraduate students. Feasibility included…

The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of "efitbuddy," a theory-based smartphone application, on young adults' BMI, physical activity, and motivation across a 4-week intervention. Participants were a convenience sample of 312 (mean age = 19.4 ± 2.3 years) college students. A quasi-experimental design with the control…

Rheumatic diseases are known to be associated with the development of metabolic syndrome, which increases mortality rates due to cardiovascular complications. Although a variety of self-management programs for rheumatic diseases have been developed, few have concentrated on metabolic syndrome. This study aimed to develop and verify a blended (a…

Obesity rates among children and young adults are considered one of the most consequential global public health challenges of the 21st century (Hurt et al., 2010; WHO, 2016). Obesity comorbidities include propensity of low self-esteem (Franklin et al, 2006). Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), a triangulation mixed-methods,…

Adults with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability often do not engage in healthy levels of physical activity despite its many benefits. We conducted a randomized control trial to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of the Step It Up program, which used supported self-management strategies, on daily step counts, health…

Being overweight or obese (overweight/obesity) or physically aggressive in childhood and adolescence can have lifelong consequences, hence are important public health problems. Identifying a relationship between these problems would assist in understanding their developmental origins. The present paper sought to review previous studies and use…

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between adolescents' adherence to the 5-2-1-0 goals and the number of completed Progressive Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) laps. Methods: Participants included 1792 students aged 10 to 16 years who were randomly selected across 9 data collection periods between 2012 and…

Background: Antiobesity campaigns blaming individual behaviors for obesity have sparked concern that an emphasis on individual behavior may lead to stigmatization of overweight or obese people. Past studies have shown that perpetuating stigma is not effective for influencing behavior. Purpose: This study examined whether stigmatizing or…

Background: Tobacco is a major cause of cardiovascular disease, and current treatments lack long-term efficacy. Promoting physical activity may be a viable population-level approach to improving cardiovascular health among smokers. Purpose: To characterize smokers engaging in any physical activity based on demographics, quitting behaviors, health…

Background: Given the dramatic increase in adolescent overweight and obesity, models are needed for implementing weight management treatment through readily accessible venues. We evaluated the acceptability and efficacy of a school-based intervention consisting of school nurse-delivered counseling and an afterschool exercise program in improving…

Currently, heart disease and diabetes dominate society as the leading cause of death for Americans. In this study, we examined the effectiveness of a lifestyle enhancement program on factors related to the development of heart disease. The Wabash Valley Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) is a community-based lifestyle change program with…

Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate and compare local to national averages in college-aged students' sleep disturbances, as well as further investigate key demographics (obesity classification, gender, race, year in college) among sleep issues. Methods: This study investigated 636 undergraduate students (333 males, 303 Females,…

Purpose: To examine the feasibility and impact of a health care provider’s (HCP) physical activity (PA) prescription on the PA of patients on preventive care visits. Methods: Consenting adult patients completed health and PA questionnaires and were sequentially assigned to intervention groups. HCPs prescribed PA using a written prescription only…

Objective: To explore gender differences regarding weight management behaviors of college drinkers. Participants: Nationally representative sample of college students from the fall 2008 American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment II ("N" = 26,062 students). Methods: Structural equation modeling was used…

This quantitative causal comparative study looked to see if there was a relationship between childhood obesity and student achievement. Because of the many conflicting results in the research available, it was not known if there was a relationship between childhood obesity and student achievement among inner-city middle school students in a school…