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Dive into the research topics where Parminder K. Flora is active.

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Featured researches published by Parminder K. Flora.


Preventive Medicine | 2009

Active school transport, physical activity levels and body weight of children and youth: A systematic review

Guy Faulkner; Ron Buliung; Parminder K. Flora; Caroline Fusco

OBJECTIVES Active school transport (AST) may be an important source of childrens physical activity (PA). Innovative solutions that increase PA time for children, without putting added pressure on the school curriculum, merit consideration. Before implementing such solutions, it is important to demonstrate that active school transport is associated with health-related outcomes. METHODS Following a standardized protocol, we conducted a systematic review of published research to address this question and explore whether children who actively commute to school also have a healthier body weight. Online searches of 5 electronic databases were conducted. Potential studies were screened on the basis of objective measures of physical activity. RESULTS Thirteen studies were included in this review. Nine studies demonstrated that children who actively commute to school accumulate significantly more PA and two studies reported that they expended significantly more kilocalories per day. Where studies examined body weight (n=10), only one reported active commuters having a lower body weight. CONCLUSIONS These studies demonstrate that active school commuters tend to be more physically active overall than passive commuters. However, evidence for the impact of AST in promoting healthy body weights for children and youth is not compelling.


Journal of Health Psychology | 2011

Varying the cause of a challenge to exercise identity behaviour: reactions of individuals of differing identity strength.

Shaelyn M. Strachan; Parminder K. Flora; Lawrence R. Brawley; Kevin S. Spink

Research shows that people with stronger exercise identity (EXID) exhibit greater negative affect and self-regulatory efficacy (SRE) when behaviour is inconsistent with identity. However, related attributions have not been examined. Using social cognitive and identity theories, we examined causes of failing to exercise. In a two (EXID: stronger, weaker) by two (Cause: personally-controllable, situational) design, participants (N = 224) were randomized to Cause and read a condition-relevant no-exercise vignette. MANOVA revealed main effects for Cause and EXID, p’s < .001. Participants explaining their Cause differed on attributional dimensions, and stronger EXID participants reported greater negative affect and higher SRE, p’s < .001.


Journal of Intergenerational Relationships | 2007

Physical Activity: An Innovative Context for Intergenerational Programming

Parminder K. Flora; Guy Faulkner

Abstract There is a sound rationale for developing intergenerational programming that includes physical activity. Innovative interventions, to help older adults increase and maintain healthy levels of physical activity, are required. Further, the physical activity experience itself might be a particularly resonant context for young and old in developing positive schemas about aging and the aging body. We conducted a systematic literature review in order to examine the benefits of intergenerational physical activity. While research is scarce, the reviewed studies suggest that intergenerational physical activity programming is feasible and can promote short-term changes in physical activity levels of older adults and improve attitudes toward aging and older adults. Future priorities for research and practice are discussed.


Arthritis Care and Research | 2015

Pain, anxiety, and negative outcome expectations for activity: do negative psychological profiles differ between the inactive and active?

Nancy C. Gyurcsik; Miranda A Cary; James D. Sessford; Parminder K. Flora; Lawrence R. Brawley

Adherence to physical activity at ≥150 minutes/week has proven to offer disease management and health‐promoting benefits among adults with arthritis. While highly active people seem undaunted by arthritis pain and are differentiated from the moderately active by adherence‐related psychological factors, knowledge about inactive individuals is lacking. This knowledge may identify what to change in order to help inactive people begin and maintain physical activity. The present study examined the planned, self‐regulated activity of high, moderate, and inactive individuals to determine if differences existed in negative psychological factors.


Activities, Adaptation & Aging | 2009

Videoconference-Based Physiotherapy and Tele-Assessment for Homebound Older Adults: A Pilot Study

Marie-Madeleine Bernard; Frederic Janson; Parminder K. Flora; Guy Faulkner; Liane Meunier-Norman; Mathias Fruhwirth

Tele-rehabilitation may be one alternative for addressing the growing demand for rehabilitation among older adults because it may offer quality home-based care and promote autonomy among older adults. This pilot study assessed the effectiveness of videoconference-based physiotherapy to improve strength and range of motion in the old-old elderly, using a previously validated Videoconference Goniometer®. Seventeen homebound older adults (mean age 82.4, ±7.2) participated in a 10-week exercise program. Strength and range of motion were assessed at baseline and after 10 weeks. Significant improvements were found in measures of strength and range of motion following the 10-week program. This study demonstrates the feasibility of delivering and monitoring videoconference-based physiotherapy with this population of homebound older adults.


Rehabilitation Psychology | 2015

Illness perceptions and adherence to exercise therapy in cardiac rehabilitation participants.

Parminder K. Flora; Tara J. Anderson; Lawrence R. Brawley

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE Two complementary frameworks, the common sense model, and social-cognitive theory, were used. The first purpose of this study was to compare 2 groups varying in their illness perceptions (strong vs. weak) on baseline differences in theory-based exercise cognitions (self-regulatory efficacy and outcome expectations), and health-related quality of life (HRQL). The second purpose was to examine illness perception group differences in cardiac rehabilitation exercise participation following 3 months of exercise therapy. RESEARCH METHOD/DESIGN Newly enrolled cardiac rehabilitation participants (N = 49) completed baseline measures of illness perceptions, self-regulatory efficacy, outcome expectations, and HRQL. Cardiac rehabilitation exercise minutes were measured at baseline (after 2 weeks of participation) and following 3 months of cardiac rehabilitation. RESULTS Individuals were successfully classified into strong and weak illness perception groups using cluster analysis. Analyses of variance indicated significant group differences on negative outcome expectations (p < .05), where the strong illness perception group reported greater negative outcome expectations. The strong illness perception group also reported significantly lower physical and mental HRQL as compared to their weak illness perception counterparts (p < .01). Parallel differences in cardiac rehabilitation exercise participation at 3 months were also observed (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS This study was a first attempt to utilize the common sense model and social-cognitive theory to examine individuals engaged in rehabilitation to reduce cardiac risk. The findings suggest that complementary use of these 2 frameworks to study individual illness perception differences relative to psychological beliefs and adherence to exercise therapy may aid understanding of correlates of exercise adherence among cardiac rehabilitation participants.


Journal of Health Psychology | 2016

Predicting planned physical activity of individuals with arthritis: A self-regulatory perspective.

Parminder K. Flora; Lawrence R. Brawley; James D. Sessford; Miranda A Cary; Nancy C. Gyurcsik

Few individuals with arthritis are sufficiently active. We surveyed a convenience sample of exercisers (N = 134) to examine the utility of social cognitive theory variables, namely, self-regulatory efficacy, negative outcome expectations, and pain acceptance for predicting planned physical activity according to Weinstein’s two prediction suggestions. Logistic regression revealed, after controlling for pain intensity, self-regulatory efficacy, negative outcome expectations, and pain acceptance distinguished groups achieving/not achieving planned physical activity, p < 0.001 (28% variance). A second model adding past physical activity also predicted the groups, p < 0.001 (57% variance). This is one of the first arthritis studies examining planned physical activity relative to Weinstein’s recommendations.


Rehabilitation Psychology | 2013

Managing lapses in cardiac rehabilitation exercise therapy: examination of the problem-solving process.

Parminder K. Flora; Lawrence R. Brawley

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE Poor adherence to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) exercise therapy is an ongoing problem. Problem-solving (PS) is an identified cognitive-behavioral strategy to promote exercise adherence. However, PS process has not been examined, and how PS promotes adherence is not known. Using Social Cognitive Theory and Ewarts Social Problem-Solving Model as guiding frameworks, we examined proposed theoretical links between persistence, an indicator of adherence, and (a) PS effectiveness and (b) self-regulatory efficacy. Based on the Model of Social Problem-Solving, 2 distinct components of the PS process (problem-solving and solution implementation), were examined. RESEARCH METHOD/DESIGN Older adult participants (N = 52; 32 men) representing a typical CR sample (mean age = 65.6 years; SD = 10.8) participated in this correlational, observational study. RESULTS Two hierarchical multiple regressions indicated that PS effectiveness and self-regulatory efficacy were significant predictors of anticipated persistence. Relative to PS process, both predictors accounted for: (a) 41% of the variance in anticipated persistence with PS; and (b) 49% of the variance in anticipated persistence with solution implementation. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS Proposed theoretical relationships were supported, and both PS effectiveness and self-regulatory efficacy accounted for a greater amount of the variance in anticipated persistence than either alone. Future efforts to improve adherence to rehabilitative exercise could include the use of PS. The 2 distinct components of the PS process may be important for successful adjustment to problems.


Psychology of Sport and Exercise | 2012

Using efficacy information to manipulate proxy efficacy in novice exercisers

Carly S. Priebe; Parminder K. Flora; Leah J. Ferguson; Tara J. Anderson


Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology | 2012

Exercise Identity and Attribution Properties Predict Negative Self-Conscious Emotions for Exercise Relapse

Parminder K. Flora; Shaelyn M. Strachan; Lawrence R. Brawley; Kevin S. Spink

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James D. Sessford

University of Saskatchewan

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Miranda A Cary

University of Saskatchewan

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Sean R Locke

University of Saskatchewan

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Guy Faulkner

University of British Columbia

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Kevin S. Spink

University of Saskatchewan

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Nancy C. Gyurcsik

University of Saskatchewan

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Katherine Knox

University of Saskatchewan

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