Sylvia H. Crixell

The effects of caffeine on athletic agility.

Caffeine has been shown to improve sprint time, anaerobic power, and reaction time, all integral aspects of agility. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an acute caffeine dose would enhance agility and anaerobic power. Sixteen subjects participated in a randomized, double-blind experiment and performed the proagility run and the 30-second Wingate test 60 minutes after ingestion of caffeine (6 mg·kg−1) or placebo. No significant change was observed in the proagility run after caffeine ingestion compared with placebo. Also, no significant change was observed in peak power, mean power, or percent power decrease. Agility is an integral component of athletic skill and any reasonable method for enhancing agility would benefit active individuals. However, results from this study indicate that a 6 mg·kg−1 dose of caffeine does not impact agility as measured by the proagility run test or power output as measured by the 30-second Wingate test in recreationally active young adult males who are not habituated to caffeine.

Improving Children's Menus in Community Restaurants: Best Food for Families, Infants, and Toddlers (Best Food FITS) Intervention, South Central Texas, 2010-2014

Background Approximately 32% of US children are overweight or obese. Restaurant and fast food meals contribute 18% of daily calories for children and adolescents aged 2 to 18 years. Changing children’s menus may improve their diets. This case study describes Best Food for Families, Infants, and Toddlers (Best Food FITS), a community-based intervention designed to address childhood obesity. The objective of this study was to improve San Marcos children’s access to healthy diets through partnerships with local restaurants, removing sugar-sweetened beverages, decreasing the number of energy-dense entrées, and increasing fruit and vegetable offerings on restaurant menus. Community Context San Marcos, Texas, the fastest growing US city, has more restaurants and fewer grocery stores than other Texas cities. San Marcos’s population is diverse; 37.8% of residents and 70.3% of children are Hispanic. Overweight and obesity rates among school children exceed 50%; 40.3% of children live below the poverty level. Methods This project received funding from the Texas Department of State Health Services Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity Prevention Program to develop Best Food FITS. The case study consisted of developing a brand, engaging community stakeholders, reviewing existing children’s menus in local restaurants, administering owner–manager surveys, collaborating with restaurants to improve menus, and assessing the process and outcomes of the intervention. Outcome Best Food FITS regularly participated in citywide health events and funded the construction of a teaching kitchen in a new community building where regular nutrition classes are held. Sixteen independent restaurants and 1 chain restaurant implemented new menus. Interpretation Improving menus in restaurants can be a simple step toward changing children’s food habits. The approach taken in this case study can be adapted to other communities. Minimal funding would be needed to facilitate development of promotional items to support brand recognition.

User-centered Design of a Texas WIC App: A Focus Group Investigation.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this research was to conduct the first stages of a user-centered design of a smartphone app designed to improve health behaviors among participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in Texas. METHODS Focus groups explored facilitators and barriers to health behaviors, current use of apps, and desired features in a WIC app. RESULTS Facilitators to improve health behaviors included access to information, support from healthcare practitioners and family, and implementation of strategies. Current app use themes included texting/chatting, accessing information, tracking/locating, planning/scheduling, sharing, and gaming. Frequencies of key themes within and across groups were used to inform app prototype design. Mock-ups of 15 prototype features were developed based on themes of facilitators and currently used app features. Participants agreed that having all features combined into a single WIC app would be convenient and provide trustworthy information from WIC. CONCLUSIONS The enthusiasm of focus group participants for a comprehensive WIC app suggests that this initiative is timely, and that an app has potential to improve health behaviors. Future research should continue the user-centered design process through further evaluation of prototype features, incorporating cultural preferences at every step.

Staff Workshop Improves Child Care Center Menus in South Central Texas: A Best Food for Families, Infants, and Toddlers (Best Food FITS) Intervention

Objective: To assess the efficacy of an educational workshop for child care center staff to improve menus. Methods: Staff from 18 centers attended a nutrition educational workshop that included an activity that compared center menus to MyPlate standards. Four weeks of menus collected before and after the workshop were imported into SuperTracker; the Food Details report produced menu data clustered by day and center. Changes in pre‐post menus were assessed using Healthy Eating Index scores and the SAS software macro, MIXCORR. Results: After the workshop, there was a lower probability that fruit juice (P = .03) and starchy vegetables (P = .004) and a higher probability that non‐starchy vegetables (P < .001) and whole grains (P = .004) were on menus; amounts of refined grains (P = .004), savory snacks (P < .001), and cheese (P = .004) were significantly lower. Total Healthy Eating Index scores improved after the workshop (P = .009). Conclusions and Implications: Comparing 4 weeks of menus revealed menu changes. Workshop interventions show promise for improving childrens health.

Differences in Energy and Micronutrient Intakes Among Central Texas WIC Infants and Toddlers After the Package Change

OBJECTIVE To assess nutrient intakes after the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) package changes within an at-risk, majority Hispanic population of WIC infants and toddlers in Central Texas. METHODS For this cross-sectional observational study, Nutrition Data System for Research was used to collect 24-hour recalls of infants and toddlers from a sample of caregivers in 2009 and 2011. Usual nutrient intakes were estimated and compared with Dietary Reference Intakes using the National Cancer Institute method. Mean single-day nutrient intakes were compared using Mann-Whitney tests. RESULTS Subjects were children ages 4-24 months (2009, n = 84; 2011, n = 120). After the package change, usual energy intakes exceeded recommended levels for infants (79% in excess of Estimated Energy Requirement), but fell below recommended levels for toddlers (88% below Estimated Energy Requirement). Also after the package change, mean usual intake of vitamin D was below the Estimated Average Requirement for toddlers (6.54 vs 10 μg), and mean usual intakes of vitamin A and zinc exceeded the Tolerable Upper Intake Level for all groups. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Whereas lower energy intake may reduce obesity risk, in toddlers, lower energy intake increases risk for micronutrient deficiencies. Recommendations include culturally appropriate education and reinstatement of previous milk allotment in the toddler package.

Genesis of an Employee Wellness Program at a Large University

University employee wellness programs have potential to support positive changes in employee health, thereby improving productivity and mitigating the rise in health care costs. The purpose of this article is to describe a theory-driven approach to systematically planning, developing, and implementing a comprehensive university employee wellness program. Long-term program goals were to improve employee health, well-being, and productivity by focusing on decreasing sedentary behavior, increasing physical activity, improving dietary habits, and reducing stress. An ecological approach was taken to identify levels of influence specific to a university setting: intrapersonal, interpersonal, department/college/division, and university. This framework guided the development of program components and strategies, which were grounded in several health behavior change theories. Input from supervisors and employees was incorporated throughout program development. A 15-week trial run, involving 514 employees, was evaluated to fine-tune services. Participation and feedback were positive, demonstrating that the program was valued. Support from upper administration is evidenced by continued funding. Critical factors to the successful launch of the program included a supportive administration, leverage of existing facilities and equipment, leadership provided by faculty, and service delivery by students.

Is the Polar F6 heart rate monitor less accurate during aerobic bench stepping because of arm movements

Abstract Lloyd, LK, Crixell, SH, and Price, LR. Is the polar F6 heart rate monitor less accurate during aerobic bench stepping because of arm movements? J Strength Cond Res 28(7): 1952–1958, 2014—Because of the well-documented linear relationship between heart rate and oxygen consumption (V[Combining Dot Above]O2), heart rate is commonly used to estimate energy expenditure during exercise. However, previous research suggests that heart rate increases without a concomitant rise in V[Combining Dot Above]O2 when arm movements are added to exercise. If so, this could impact the accuracy of heart rate monitors in estimating energy expenditure during combined arm and leg exercise. This study compared the cardiorespiratory responses to a bench step aerobics routine performed with and without arm movements and evaluated whether the accuracy of the Polar F6 heart rate monitor in predicting energy expenditure was impacted by the inclusion of arm movements. Thirty-two women performed the same routine with and without arm movements while stepping up and down off of a 15.24-cm bench at a cadence of 128 b·min−1. Heart rate and V[Combining Dot Above]O2 increased, whereas oxygen pulse (V[Combining Dot Above]O2·heart rate−1) decreased when arm movements were added (p < 0.001). However, the differences between the energy expenditure estimated by the Polar F6 heart rate monitor and the energy expenditure measured by indirect calorimetry were similar during the same aerobic bench stepping routine performed with and without arms (&Dgr;∼2 kCal·min−1, p ≥ 0.05). Results confirm that arm movements during aerobic bench stepping elicit a disproportionate rise in heart rate relative to V[Combining Dot Above]O2. However, results do not support that these movements increase the prediction error in energy expenditure, as the Polar F6 heart rate monitor over predicted energy expenditure when arm movements were involved and when they were not involved.

Designing a WIC App to Improve Health Behaviors: A Latent Class Analysis

JOURNAL OF MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN MEDICINE VOL. 7 ISSUE 2 SEPTEMBER 2018 7 Designing a WIC App to Improve Health Behaviors: A Latent Class Analysis Sylvia H. Crixell PhD, RD, Brittany Reese Markides MS, RD, Lesli Biediger-Friedman PhD, MPH, RD, Amanda Reat MS, RD, Nicholas Bishop PhD Nutrition and Foods Professor, School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas; Nutrition and Foods Lecturer, School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas; Nutrition and Foods Assistant Professor, School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas; Family and Child Development Assistant Professor, School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas Corresponding Author: scrixell@txstate.edu

Effect of group health behaviour change coaching on psychosocial constructs associated with physical activity among university employees

Lifestyle behaviours are a contributing factor in approximately 80% of chronic diseases, making them a primary target for employee wellness programmes (EWPs). To effectively change health behaviours, EWPs should implement evidence-based strategies. One strategy is health behaviour change coaching, which is often delivered in a one-on-one format. While limited research exists, group health behaviour change coaching (group coaching) has potential to be an efficient alternative, impacting more people. The purpose of this study was to determine whether group health coaching improved psychological constructs related to physical activity and physical fitness among university employees in an EWP. Employees (n = 100) were randomly selected from a pool of volunteers who registered for the EWP, were overweight/obese, and at risk for cardiovascular disease. The intervention consisted of three group coaching sessions based on the Transtheoretical Model and Self-Determination Theory. Paired t-tests compared pre/post-measures of psychological constructs related to physical activity and physical fitness. Additionally, multivariate regression analysis with post-coaching self-efficacy as the dependent variable was performed. Overall, 84 participants (83% female, average BMI = 31.2) completed the intervention, attending an average of 2.26 sessions. Stages of change, seven processes of change, self-efficacy, perceived competence, and the health care climate score improved. Attending group coaching sessions predicted post-test self-efficacy. All but one measure of physical fitness improved. Group coaching can be effective in improving physical fitness and psychological constructs related to physical activity behaviour. In programmes with limited funds, group coaching has potential to be an important EWP component to support health behaviour change.

Health behaviour change coaching in physical therapy: improving physical fitness and related psychological constructs of employees in a university setting

Health behaviour change coaching in physical therapy: improving physical fitness and related psychological constructs of employees in a university setting J. R. Bezner, L. Lloyd, S. Crixell and K. Franklin Department of Physical Therapy, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA; Department of Health and Human Performance, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA; School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas State University, TX, USA