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The translation of health research is a process of transforming scientific discoveries arising from laboratory, clinical, or population studies into clinical or populationbased applications to improve health by reducing disease incidence, morbidity, and mortality. Initiated by the National Institutes for Health Roadmap Initiative and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, translation of research has become a priority for federally funded research programs and centers. In kinesiology, the translation of health research can be accomplished through organized, focused research agendas designed to understand causes and solutions to health challenges from the level of the laboratory bench to the park bench. Multiuniversity research consortiums may facilitate translation of health research in kinesiology, similar to those seen in the medical sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical inactivity is increasingly recognized as a public health problem due to the increased risks for chronic diseases and disabling physical conditions that limit movement and mobility in adults. During the past 15 years, public health activities have focused on understanding factors that influence physical activity behaviors and in identifying ways to minimize physical inactivity. Efforts have focused on conducting physical activity surveillance systems, evaluating policies related to active lifestyles, and sponsoring research studies to understand how coordinated multidisciplinary approaches can reduce physical inactivity in communities. Population demographics associated with an aging society provide opportunities for federal and local agencies and organizations to identify effective ways for adults to remain physically active on a regular basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purposes of this article are to: (a) describe the rationale and development of the Youth Compendium of Physical Activities (Youth Compendium); and (b) discuss the utility of the Youth Compendium for audiences in research, education, community, health care, public health, and the private sector.Methods: The Youth Compendium provides a list of 196 physical activities (PA) categorized by activity types, specific activities, and metabolic costs (youth metabolic equivalents of task [METy]) as measured by indirect calorimetry. The utility of the Youth Compendium was assessed by describing ways in which it can be used by a variety of audiences.Results: Researchers can use METy values to estimate PA levels and determine changes in PA in intervention studies. Educators can ask students to complete PA records to determine time spent in physical activities and to identify health-enhancing activities for classroom PA breaks. Community leaders, parents, and health care professionals can identify activity types that promote healthful behaviors. Public health agencies can use the METy values for surveillance and as a resource to inform progress toward meeting national physical activity guidelines. Applications for the private sector include the use of METy in PA trackers and other applications.Conclusion: The National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research Web site presents the Youth Compendium and related materials to facilitate measurement of the energy cost of nearly 200 physical activities in children and youth. The Youth Compendium provides a way to standardize energy costs in children and youth and has application for a wide variety of audiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key aspect for researchers to consider when developing culturally appropriate physical activity (PA) interventions for African American (AA) women are the specific barriers AA women face that limit their participation in PA. Identification and critical examination of these barriers is the first step in developing comprehensive culturally relevant approaches to promote PA and help resolve PA-related health disparities in this underserved population. We conducted a systematic integrative literature review to identify barriers to PA among AA women. Five electronic databases were searched, and forty-two studies (twenty-seven qualitative, fourteen quantitative, one mixed method) published since 1990 (range 1998-2013) in English language journals met inclusion criteria for review. Barriers were classified as intrapersonal, interpersonal, or environment/community according to their respective level of influence within our social ecological framework. Intrapersonal barriers included lack of time, knowledge, and motivation; physical appearance concerns; health concerns; monetary cost of exercise facilities; and tiredness/fatigue. Interpersonal barriers included family/caregiving responsibilities; lack of social support; and lack of a PA partner. Environmental barriers included safety concerns; lack of facilities; weather concerns; lack of sidewalks; and lack of physically active AA role models. Results provide key leverage points for researchers to consider when developing culturally relevant PA interventions for AA women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression symptoms and overweight/obesity are common concerns during childbearing. Both conditions are associated with poor outcomes at birth and can have long-lasting consequences. Predictors of depressive symptoms among overweight and obese low-income and ethnically diverse women are not known. Data are from the Madres para la Salud trial with 139 postpartum Latinas. Depressive symptoms during a prior pregnancy were positively related, while social support and moderate intensity physical activity (PA) were negatively related to depressive symptoms after birth. Social support and PA may be effective interventions, particularly for women who have experienced depressive symptoms in a prior pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tudor-Locke and colleagues previously assessed steps/day for 1 year. The aim of this study was to use this data set to introduce a novel approach for the investigation of whether individual’s physical activity exhibits periodicity fluctuating round a mean and, if so, the degree of fluctuation and whether the mean changes over time. Twenty-three participants wore a pedometer for 365 days, recorded steps/day and whether the day was a workday. Fourier transform of each participant’s daily steps data showed the physical activity had a periodicity of 7 days in half of the participants, matching the periodicity of the workday pattern. Activity level remained stable in half of the participants, decreased in ten participants and increased in two. In conclusion, the 7-day periodicity of activity in half of the participants and correspondence with the workday pattern suggest a social or environmental influence. The novel analytical approach introduced herein allows the determination of the periodicity of activity, the degree of variability in activity that is tolerated during day-to-day life and whether the activity level is stable. Results from the use of these methodologies in larger data sets may enable a more focused approach to the design of interventions that aim to increase activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Athletes may be at risk for developing adverse health outcomes due to poor eating behaviors during college. Due to the complex nature of the diet, it is difficult to include or exclude individual food items and specific food groups from the diet. Eating behaviors may better characterize the complex interactions between individual food items and specific food groups. The purpose was to examine the Rapid Eating Assessment for Patients survey (REAP) as a valid tool for analyzing eating behaviors of NCAA Division-I male and female athletes using pattern identification. Also, to investigate the relationships between derived eating behavior patterns and body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) while stratifying by sex and aesthetic nature of the sport. Methods: Two independent samples of male (n = 86; n = 139) and female (n = 64; n = 102) collegiate athletes completed the REAP in June-August 2011 (n = 150) and June-August 2012 (n = 241). Principal component analysis (PCA) determined possible factors using wave-1 athletes. Exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) determined factors accounting for error and confirmed model fit in wave-2 athletes. Wave-2 athletes' BMI and WC were recorded during a physical exam and sport participation determined classification in aesthetic and non-aesthetic sport. Mean differences in eating behavior pattern score were explored. Regression models examined interactions between pattern scores, participation in aesthetic or non-aesthetic sport, and BMI and waist circumference controlling for age and race. Results: A 5-factor PCA solution accounting for 60.3% of sample variance determined fourteen questions for EFA and CFA. A confirmed solution revealed patterns of Desserts, Healthy food, Meats, High-fat food, and Dairy. Pattern score (mean ± SE) differences were found, as non-aesthetic sport males had a higher (better) Dessert score than aesthetic sport males (2.16 ± 0.07 vs. 1.93 ± 0.11). Female aesthetic athletes had a higher score compared to non-aesthetic female athletes for the Dessert (2.11 ± 0.11 vs. 1.88 ± 0.08), Meat (1.95 ± 0.10 vs. 1.72 ± 0.07), High-fat food (1.70 ± 0.08 vs. 1.46 ± 0.06), and Dairy (1.70 ± 0.11 vs. 1.43 ± 0.07) patterns. Conclusions: REAP is a construct valid tool to assess dietary patterns in college athletes. In light of varying dietary patterns, college athletes should be evaluated for healthful and unhealthful eating behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uncertainty of the role of serum cholesterol in neurodevelopment of children has largely hampered the implementation of the fat recommendation to children in the general population. We explored whether serum cholesterol concentrations are associated with cognitive achievements, academic performance in school-aged children and adolescents at the population level. In the Third National Health and Nutrition Survey, blood specimens were collected from 4248 6–16-year-old children and adolescents to assess three serum cholesterol measures, e.g. total serum cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol. Cognitive achievements and academic performance were measured on standard tests of arithmetic skills, reading skills, non-verbal reasoning and short-term memory. No significant difference in measures of cognitive and academic performance was observed between children and adolescents stratified by the levels of serum total, HDL, and non-HDL cholesterol. Our results suggest that differences within the normal range of serum lipids at a population level are not associated with intelligence and cognition developmental outcomes of children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overweight and obesity vary in prevalence among particular groups, and are especially problematic for childbearing Hispanic women. The complex interaction between physical changes associated with pregnancy, role changes accompanying birth, and family and cultural values related to childbearing are superimposed upon the underlying mechanisms that create or perpetuate obesity. In this article we review biological and behavioral research on obesity in postpartum Hispanic women to identify critical components for intervention studies focused on weight management. Recommendations are offered for health care providers and researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To examine perception differences between genders of university sidewalks and safety from crime on the physical activity (PA) behaviors of undergraduate students. Participants Five hundred and sixty undergraduate students participated in this study. Methods The authors derived questions from the South Carolina Environmental Supports for Physical Activity Questionnaire (SCESPAQ) and National College Health Risk Behavior Survey (NCHRS) PA module. Results The authors found a significant mean difference between genders for the Moderate Intensity Item (eg, walking and biking) and the Flexibility Item, t(558) = 3.602, p = .001, and t(558) = 1.946, p = .050, respectively. Of participants surveyed, 30% of women perceived this campus to be extremely safe compared with 49% of men, t(558) = 4.240, p = .001. Gender and the perceptions of sidewalk presence were significantly related (p < .05) to respondents' walking or bicycling patterns. Conclusions Perceptions of sidewalks and safety from crime on this university campus were related to students' PA behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Missing values are a common phenomenon in physical activity research, which has a negative impact on the quality of the data collected. The purpose of this study was to determine empirically the effectiveness of an individual information-centered (II-centered) approach in recovering step-count missing values by comparing the performance of the II-centered approach with the traditional group information-centered approach. Using pedometers, the step counts of 117 participants were measured for 21 consecutive days. A semisimulation approach was used to create a missing data set and several conditions of weekdays, weekend days, or both, were compared under each approach. Two accuracy indexes, Root Mean Square Difference and Mean Signed Difference, were used to determine the effectiveness of the recovery methods, and paired t tests were used to examine the mean differences between the original and the replacement values. The II-centered approach produced a more accurate recovery method. The impact of the findings and future research directions in recovering physical activity data are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past 75 years, articles in Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport (RQES) have contributed to the under- standing of the `role physical activity plays in the health of individuals and populations. Articles have described laboratory and community research studies in humans and animals, presented reviews of topics and conference proceedings, and presented forums for discussion about current topics in physical activity and health. The articles reflect the growth of the profession from basic inquiry, about physiological responses to exercise (and the development of physical fitness methods and standards), to studies of the effects of exercise on physical fitness and health in various population subgroups. This evolution in RQES reflects the well recognized paradigm shift toward public health concerns for physical activity and health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the correlates of self-efficacy for physical activity in African American women. In bivariate analyses, self-efficacy was higher among women reporting fewer social role constraints, more positive perceptions of physically active women, more positive sense of community, better perceived health, and higher levels of physical activity. In a simultaneous multivariate model, more positive perceived health status (p = .001), higher physical activity level (p = .007), and lower social role constraint (p = .02) were independently associated with higher self-efficacy. Thus, physical activity interventions for African-American women should include strategies to decrease social role constraint and offer safe activities for women with health conditions hindering physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase in the number of cancer survivors, there is a need to understand the effect of physical activity (PA) on cancer prognosis. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate methods used to assess PA and energy expenditure (EE) in exercise interventions following cancer diagnosis and to evaluate the outcomes of these interventions. A literature search of studies up to and including June 2003 was conducted. To be included in the review, studies had to examine the effects of a PA intervention following cancer diagnosis. Forty-three studies met the selection criteria; 21 were randomized controlled trials and 22 were quasi-experimental study designs. The studies vary in terms of the purpose, subjects, study design, variables measured, and level of detail reported in the study manuscript. A focus of most studies was on the feasibility of performing PA interventions in cancer survivors and the effect on psychosocial processes. Very few studies examined the effect of PA on physiological or biological processes, and no studies examined the effect of PA on cancer recurrence or survival. Overall, the studies consistently demonstrated that PA has a positive effect on psychosocial processes, including fatigue and nausea. Many challenges remain pertaining to the study of PA following cancer diagnosis to include subject recruitment and compliance, delivery and assessment of PA, and the measurement of study variables. Future studies are needed that use a randomized controlled design with process, short-term impact, and long-term outcome measures to identify a dose-response effect of increased PA and physical fitness on cancer recurrence and survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined worry regarding seven major diseases and their correlates in a sample of African-American (n = 57), Native-American (n = 50), and Caucasian (n = 53) women ages 36 to 91 years. African-American and Native-American women were most worded about developing cancer (44% and 50%, respectively) while Caucasian women were most worried about osteoporosis (37%) and cancer (33%). Women from each ethnic group were more worried about de- veloping cancer than cardiovascular diseases and conditions. AfricanAmerican and Native-American women were more worried than Caucasian women about developing diabetes and high cholesterol. Body mass index (BMI) was a consistent correlate of worry: heavier women were more worried about developing diseases than were leaner women. Other risk factors (e.g., physical activity, blood pressure), however, were generally not associated with disease worry. In fact, age was inversely associated with worry regarding diabetes, cancer, and osteoporosis. Although women who were more worried about developing cancer were more likely to perform monthly breast self-exams, worry regarding other diseases was not associated with preventive actions. These results are generally consistent with other studies that indicate women are more concerned about cancer than cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six focus groups were conducted in South Carolina with African American women (n = 42) aged 19-51 years to identify factors that influence physical activity. Transcripts were analyzed using NUD*IST. Cultural influences were seen as more important in determining the type of physical activity than its level. Barriers to and enablers of physical activity were identified in the social and physical environments, as were policy issues affecting physical activity in the community and at the work site. Potential community and work site interventions were suggested. Child care and monetary costs were frequently cited as barriers to physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The roles of women in the United States are changing, along with the idea that being female is mitigated by a number of constructions such as race, class, age, income, (dis)ability, culture, and sexual orientation. Interest in understanding physical activity as leisure embodied in movement, exercise, fitness, recreation, and sports has increased because moderate to vigorous physical activity is associated with a lower risk for premature death, some chronic diseases, and being overweight. Research from the Centers for Disease Control, however, has shown that fewer than 30% of minority women in the United States obtain sufficient amounts of moderate activity to derive physical and mental health benefits. The Cross Cultural Activity Participation Study was designed to measure physical activity habits in African American and American Indian women and to develop and validate a set of surveys to measure moderate physical activity. A qualitative component was included as part of the larger study to obtain additional information about the psychosocial context and sociocultural meanings of physical activity and perceptions of leisure. The process of data collection, analyses, and reporting the qualitative findings, as well as developing and validating quantitative measurement instruments, resulted in raising methodological issues about studying race and culture and theoretical concerns for future research. The purpose of this article is to retrospectively describe our research process and what we learned in undertaking it. If behavior changes, health improvement, and an enhanced quality of life are to be achieved, then researchers must continue to determine the best ways to examine the meanings that individuals attach to activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines what conditions enabled walking to occur and what constraints prevented some older African American and American Indian women from walking as a physical activity. Context of walking; Need to know more about how and why a behavior occurs; Efforts to raise the physical and mental quality of life.

Argues that women as a group are very active in their lives and that surveys used in previous studies may fail to measure the frequency, duration and intensity of physical activities actually performed by women in the United States. Physical activity of women in United States surveillance data; Problems with leisure-time surveys in women; Women-centered physical activity surveys.

Explores the sociocultural meanings of physical activity for older African American and American Indian women. Achievement of healthy lifestyles and quality of life; Perceptions about physical activity; Influence of gender and sociocultural factors; Opportunities for physical activity in their free time; Importance of history and daily living issues.

The purpose of this research note is to show how linking qualitative and quantitative data can give additional insights to leisure research. These possibilities are illustrated through a study conducted about the involvement in physical activity of women of color. Over a 6-month period, African American and American Indian participants completed physical activity records and other quantitative measurements including caltrac and pedometer readings. Some of these individuals also completed a 45- to 120-min qualitative interview. Standard protocols for measurement and interviewing were followed. The quantitative data gave baseline information, and the in-depth interviews provided a greater psychosocial understanding of the physical activity of these women of color. This research note demonstrates how the linking of two types of data provided a holistic understanding of the physical activity of these women of color and offered some additional information regarding how data types might be used in leisure research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assesses physical activity patterns in women. Health benefits of regular physical activity to women; Role of physicians in encouraging female patients to engage in physical activity; Advice on health promotion for women.

Presents an abstract of the work `Anaerobic Power and Performance of Elite Junior Male Alpine Ski Racers,' by David W. Bacharach.

Presents a panel discussion on the Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health. Topics to be discussed; Importance of report in promoting physical activity.

Presents a discussion by the author on activities that physical educators can do to reduce the burden of physical inactivity among youth, at the symposium on the Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health. Areas which activities are directed at.

Discusses the public health mission and core activities. Definition of public health; Role of federal state and government agencies in directing public health activities; Importance of such activities.

Presents information on a symposium summarizing the content of the Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health, and describing the successful community physical activity programs. Number of persons participating in symposium; Importance of physical educators in providing physical activity programs; Other details on symposium.

Determines the optimal categorization of an instrument measuring women's exercise perseverance and barriers using the Rasch analysis. Examination of the exercise perseverance and barriers; Details on Rasch calibration; Determination on barriers preventing individuals participation in physical activities.

This study was designed to determine the number of days of pedometer monitoring necessary to achieve reliable and valid estimates of a 1-year average of step counts in adults based on either consecutive days (CD) or random days (RD) of data collection. Twenty-three participants (16 women; M age = 38 years, SD = 9.9) wore a Yamax SW 200 pedometer and recorded their step counts for 365 consecutive days. Nine measurement periods of various lengths were selected (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 21, and 30 days). Each measurement period was randomly selected 10 times each for CD and RD from the larger database. For reliability and validity, two-way intraclass correlation coefficients and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) were calculated, respectively. The year-round average was considered the criterion measure of the "true" habitual physical activity. Data were analyzed separately by CD and RD. At least 5 CD or 6 RD were necessary to achieve an ICC of .80. A minimum of 30 CD or 14 RD were necessary to achieve an MAPE lower than 10%. These findings provide researchers and practitioners with useful information to determine appropriate measurement length and the method of data selection based on a desired level of reliability and validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]