Melissa M. Tovin

African American women and physical activity

Abstract Background: The rates of overweight and obesity are the highest in African American women over 40 years of age. Excess weight is associated with significant health risks. Physical activity is an essential component of weight management and disease prevention. Participation in physical activity is lower among African American women than all other race–gender groups except Mexican American women. Objectives: This article reviews the literature on the role of physical activity in weight management in African American women. There were limited studies to include in the review. Intervention studies with primarily African American women failed to demonstrate a significant increase in physical activity behaviours over the long term. Qualitative studies explored the role of physical activity in the lives of African American women through focus group and semistructured interviews. Major findings: Common identified facilitators of physical activity included setting goals, convenient, safe places to exercise, and having social support. Common identified barriers to physical activity included physical activity interfering with caretaker roles, lack of child care, and unsafe neighbourhoods. Conclusions: Few physical activity studies of African American women were identified. Future studies should focus on promoting family physical activity, as social support is a key component of successful adoption of physical activity in this population.

Sport-specific fitness testing and intervention for an adolescent with cerebral palsy: a case report.

Background and Purpose: This case report describes the development, implementation, and outcomes of a fitness-related intervention program that addressed the sport-specific goals of an adolescent with cerebral palsy. Case Description: The participant in this case was a 16-year-old African American male with spastic diplegia. The participant joined his high school wrestling team and asked to focus his physical therapy on interventions that would improve his wrestling performance. An examination was performed using the muscle power sprint test, the 10 × 5-m sprint test, strength tests, the 10-m shuttle run test, and the Gross Motor Function Measure. The intervention consisted of interval training, which focused on the demands of wrestling. Outcomes: Scores on all tests and measures were higher after the intervention. Discussion: The outcomes of this case report seem to support the use of a fitness-related intervention program for addressing the sport-specific goals of an adolescent with cerebral palsy.

The Meaning of Intraoperative Errors: Perioperative Nurse Perspectives

Medical errors involve different health care professionals, are multifaceted, and can occur at the individual practitioner or system level. The conditions for errors vary in the health care environment; some practice areas may be more vulnerable to errors than others. Limited research exists that explores perioperative nursing errors. The purpose of this study was to describe and interpret the experiences of perioperative nurses related to intraoperative errors. We used the hermeneutic phenomenological method. Ten perioperative RNs participated in focus group interviews that we audio-recorded and transcribed. We analyzed data using thematic analysis, and three themes emerged that represent the essence of the experience of nurses involved in intraoperative errors: environment, being human, and moving forward. The findings support efforts to improve quality care and foster a culture of safety in the OR through strategies such as perioperative staff training, interprofessional team building, and controlling environmental factors that are distracting.

Pediatric Integrated Clinical Experiences: Enhancing Learning through a Series of Clinical Exposures

Background and Purpose.Physical therapists (PTs) provide services to individuals throughout the lifespan. Previous research supports the inclusion of opportunities for PT students in entry-level programs to observe and interact with both children who are typically developing and those with disabilit