Nigel R. Chaumeton

An Evaluation of the Effects of Tai Chi Exercise on Physical Function Among Older Persons: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study was designed to determine whether a 6-month Tai Chi exercise program can improve self-reported physical functioning limitations among healthy, physically inactive older individuals. Ninety-four community residents ages 65 to 96 (M age = 72.8 years, SD = 5.1) volunteered to participate in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to either a 6-month experimental (Tai Chi) group (n = 49), which exercised twice per week for 60 min, or a wait-list control group (n = 45). A 6-item self-report physical functioning scale, assessing the extent of behavioral dysfunction caused by health problems, was used to evaluate change in physical functioning limitations as a result of Tai Chi intervention. Results indicated that compared to the control group, participants in the Tai Chi group experienced significant improvements in all aspects of physical functioning over the course of the 6-month intervention. Overall, the experimental group had 65% improvement across all 6 functional status measures ranging from daily activities such as walking and lifting to moderate-vigorous activities such as running. It was concluded that the 6-month Tai Chi exercise program was effective for improving functional status in healthy, physically inactive older adults. A self-paced and self-controlled activity such as Tai Chi has the potential to be an effective, low-cost means of improving functional status in older persons.

Self-Efficacy as a Mediator Between Fear of Falling and Functional Ability in the Elderly:

Objectives: This study examined falls self-efficacy and fear of falling to determine whether self-efficacy acts as a mediator between fear of falling and functional ability. Methods: Using the Survey of Activities and Fear of Falling in the Elderly as a fear-of-falling measure and the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale for falls self-efficacy, structural relationships among fear of falling, self-efficacy, functional balance, and physical functioning outcomes were tested with older adults (N = 256, M age = 77.5). Results: Lower levels of fear of falling were significantly related to higher levels of falls self-efficacy, which was in turn associated with better functional outcomes. Moreover, falls self-efficacy mediated the effects of fear of falling on functional outcomes. Discussion: Results substantiate the hypothesized mediational role of falls self-efficacy in fear of falling and underscore the need to consider ways of enhancing falls self-efficacy in interventions aimed at reducing falls and fear of falling.

Reliability of pedometer data in samples of youth and older women

BackgroundPedometers offer researchers a convenient and inexpensive tool for objective measurement of physical activity. However, many unanswered questions remain about expected values for steps/day for different populations, sources of variation in the data, and reliability of pedometer measurements.MethodsThis study documented and compared mean steps/day, demographic predictors of steps/day, and pedometer reliability in two longitudinal investigations, one involving a population-based youth sample (N = 367) and the other targeting postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes (N = 270). Individuals were asked to wear pedometers (Yamax model SW-701) at the waist for 7 days and record steps/per day. They were also asked to record daily physical activities, duration, and perceived intensity (1 = low/light, 2 = medium/moderate, 3 = high/hard) for the same 7 days. In addition, survey data regarding usual physical activity was collected. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) were conducted to determine whether there were significant differences in pedometer results according to sex, age, and body mass index. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to examine potential differences in results among differing numbers of days.ResultsMean steps/day were 10,365 steps in the youth sample and 4,352 steps in the sample of older women. Girls took significantly fewer steps than boys, older women took fewer steps than younger women, and both youth and women with greater body mass took fewer steps than those with lower body mass. Reliability coefficients of .80 or greater were obtained with 5 or more days of data collection in the youth sample and 2 or more days in the sample of older women. Youth and older women were more active on weekdays than on weekends. Low but significant associations were found between step counts and self-report measures of physical activity in both samples.ConclusionMean steps/day and reliability estimates in the two samples were generally consistent with previously published studies of pedometer use. Based on these two studies, unsealed pedometers were found to offer an easy-to-use and cost-effective objective measure of physical activity in both youth and older adult populations.

Relations Between Youth Antisocial and Prosocial Activities

This study examines relations among antisocial and prosocial activities for boys and girls aged 10, 12, and 14 years. Antisocial activities included substance use and other deviant behaviors. Prosocial activities included physical activity, organized sports, organized nonsport activities, volunteer and religious activities. Household income and single-parent vs. two-parent family status were included as covariates. The sample comprised 356 youth (mean age = 12.06 years, 50% female, 73% White). A six-group (Age × Gender) multiple-sample structural equation model was employed to determine the existence of latent factors (substance use, deviant behaviors, prosocial activities) and relations among variables. Results showed a positive relationship among prosocial behaviors, and between substance use and other deviant behaviors. Organized sport and days of physical activity were inversely related to substance use. Higher income and living in a two-parent family were associated with less substance use and deviant behavior. There was little variation by gender and age.

Neighborhood Physical Activity Opportunity: A Multilevel Contextual Model

In recent years, the study of physical activityhas received increased recognition from broad theoretical perspectives, especially those within a social cognitive theory or ecological framework (Bandura, 1997; Bronfenbrenner, 1979) that acknowledge the individual and interactive roles of intrapersonal, social, and physical environment influences on physicalactivitybehavior and emphasize the importance of multiple levels of influence, such as the environment, family, community, and neighborhood (Baker,Brennan, Brownson,& Houseman, 2000;Diez-Roux et al., 1997;Sallis & Owen, 1999). While researchers in areas such as criminology (e.g., Ensminger, Lamkin, &jacobson, 1996; Sampson, Raudenbush, & Earls, 1997) have conducted studies on the influence neighborhood environments have on behaviors such as crime, school dropout, and drug use, researchers in physical activityarejust beginning to study the effects ofneighborhoods on physical activitybehaviors and beliefs (Sallis& Owen, 1999). As a result, few studies have investigated the relations among physical activity perceptions, behavior, and other potentially influential factors at the neighborhood level. It is important to understand neighborhood effects on health-related behaviors because of their potential to influence large populations. Neighborhoods have the capacity to facilitate or hinder physical activity (King et al., 1995; Sallis,johnson, Calfas, Caparosa, & Nichols, 1997). Neighborhoods that lack or are perceived to lack relevant

A multilevel approach to youth physical activity research.

DUNCAN, S. C., T. E. DUNCAN, L. A. STRYCKER, and N. R. CHAUMETON. A multilevel approach to youth physical activity research. Exerc. Sport Sci. Rev., Vol. 32, No. 3, pp. 95–99, 2004. Social environment factors are hypothesized to interact with individual-level factors to influence youth physical activity. Multilevel analytic approaches are ideal for examining the influence of the social environment on youth physical activity as they allow examination of research questions across multiple contexts and levels ( e.g. , individual, family, and neighborhood levels).

Sports Participation and Positive Correlates in African American, Latino, and White Girls

The purpose of the study was to examine relations among sports participation and positive correlates across African American, Latino, and White girls. Positive correlate variables were self-perceptions (self-worth, body attractiveness, athletic competence), less depression, and participation in extracurricular activities. The sample comprised 372 girls (mean age = 12.03 years). Data were analyzed using multiple-sample structural equation models, controlling for age and income. Across all ethnic groups, greater sports participation was significantly related to higher self-worth, body attractiveness, and athletic competence, and to more extracurricular activity. Among Latino and White girls only, greater sports participation also was related to less depression. There were significant age and income influences on the positive correlates. Findings confirm the existence of significant relationships between organized sports participation and positive correlates among early adolescent African American, Latino, and White girls. Despite a few ethnic differences in relationships, the current study revealed more similarities than differences.