Brandonn Harris

Wearable Devices to Improve Physical Activity and Sleep A Randomized Controlled Trial of College-Aged African American Women

This study examined the efficacy of the Jawbone UP platform for increasing physical activity and improving sleep quality among African American college women using a randomized controlled trial. Participants were college-aged (19.9 ± 1.7 years) African American women (N = 69) at a southeastern midsize university in United States. The trial began in September 2013 and concluded in February 2014. Each group received similar brief training to use the respective platforms and weekly emails encouraged regular continued engagement. There was a significant difference at the 8-week follow-up, such that the intervention group decreased step counts relative to the comparison app (9,378 vs. 11,287 steps; p = .02). For sleep, neither group demonstrated any changes in sleep duration, sleep onset latency, wakefulness after sleep onset, or sleep efficiency at the 6-week posttest or 8-week follow-up. This study found no evidence for initial efficacy as a stand-alone tool for increasing physical activity or improving sleep.

Enhancing Psychosocial Constructs Associated with Technology-Based Physical Activity: A Randomized Trial Among African American Women

ABSTRACT Background: Minority women have demonstrated higher rates of health disparities associated with lower levels of physical activity, a finding prevalent among college-aged individuals. Though these health disparities occur given a variety of factors, novel, technology-based interventions are being developed to increase physical activity, with Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) serving as a useful framework for guiding such interventions. Purpose: This investigation sought to evaluate 2 technology-based interventions on physical activity motivation and psychosocial variables among young African American women. Methods: Forty-nine female African American college students aged 18–24 used an UpBand accelerometer and app or a diet tracker app for 6 weeks. Posttesting occurred at the conclusion of the intervention and 2 months postintervention. Results: Perceived family support for exercise decreased in both groups, F(2, 94) = 9.90, P < .001, partial η2 = 0.17. Following an initial decrease in exercise self-efficacy scores from pre- to posttest, an increase in exercise self-efficacy was evidenced from posttest to the 2-month follow-up for both groups, F(1, 47) = 10.90, P = .002, partial η2 = 0.188. Discussion: Although technology-based physical activity apps include social constructs, this study did not find strong support for promoting the psychosocial variables among participants. The use of fitness-promoting technology may facilitate exercise self-efficacy in minority female college students. Translation to Health Education Practice: Technology-based interventions may be more effective when used in conjunction with traditional physical activity promotion.

Using a MG-M Imagery Intervention to Enhance the Sport Competence of Young Special Olympics Athletes

Abstract Opportunities for athletes with an intellectual disability (ID) to participate in sport are limited by physical and psychosocial barriers. Sport psychology interventions may be able to address these barriers, namely the lack of sport competence that athletes with an ID experience. This study sought to enhance sport competence among athletes with an ID using personalized motivational general-mastery (MG-M) imagery scripts. The six-week study assessed the imagery use, imagery ability, and sport competence of five Special Olympians (Mage=11.40) who had ID’s including autism, a mild intellectual disability, and a moderate intellectual disability. Three of five participants demonstrated improvements in sport competence through the intervention, with two of those three maintaining these changes upon withdrawal of the intervention. Effect sizes suggested that scores became more stable during the intervention for three of five participants. Implications of the current study emphasize the feasibility of conducting research with this special population of athletes. Additionally, this study identifies the relevant modifications for mental skills training with individuals who have an ID. Results suggest that imagery use, ability, and sport competence can be improved with individualized imagery training among athletes with an ID.