Timothy K. Behrens

EVALUATION OF AN EMPLOYER-SPONSORED PEDOMETER-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAM '

This study evaluated a competition-based employer-sponsored physical activity program using pedometers. City employees (N∼2,600) formed teams in groups of 10 persons (N = 640). The groups competed against each other over a 12-wk. period with the goal of attaining 10,000 steps per day, per person. Only teams with complete data were included in the formal evaluation. A repeated-measures analysis of variance indicated significant differences in team steps by week of the program, with post hoc comparisons indicating significant differences from baseline step counts evident during Weeks 6–8 but not at the end of the program. These data confirm that competition-based physical activity programs using pedometers may not be an effective means of increasing the long-term physical activity of employees.

Accuracy of step recording in free-living adults.

Timothy K. Behrens is with the Department of Kinesiology at Kansas State University. Mary K. Dinger is with the Department of Health and Exercise Science at the University of Oklahoma. Sara K. Vesely is with the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. David A. Fields is with the Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology at the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center.

Physician intention to counsel on physical activity: results from a pilot theory of planned behavior questionniare

Abstract Background: Physical activity has been identified as a behavior linked to reducing and preventing chronic disease. Physician counseling may represent an effective way to promote physical activity to a variety

A Method for Evaluating Physical Activity Programs in Schools

Providing opportunities for students to be physically active during the school day leads to increased academic performance, better focus, and fewer behavioral problems. As schools begin to incorporate more physical activity programming into the school day, evaluators need methods to measure how much physical activity students are being offered through this programming. Because classroom-based physical activity is often offered in 3-minute to 5-minute bouts at various times of the day, depending on the teachers’ time to incorporate it, it is a challenge to evaluate this activity. This article describes a method to estimate the number of physical activity minutes provided before, during, and after school. The web-based tool can be used to gather data cost-effectively from a large number of schools. Strategies to increase teacher response rates and assess intensity of activity should be explored.

Demographic Trends in Utah College Students' Vigorous Physical Activity, 2003-2007

OBJECTIVES This analysis of a large-scale survey of college students from 2003 to 2007 explores relationships between meeting vigorous physical activity (VPA) recommendations and key demographic, lifestyle, and personal characteristics. METHODS Multivariate logistic regression modeling was used to analyze VPA data from the Utah Higher Education Health Behavior Survey, a descriptive cross-sectional survey conducted in 2003 (N = 4574), 2005 (N = 9673) and 2007 (N = 7938). RESULTS Factors consistently associated with meeting VPA recommendations included involvement in extracurricular sports, being single, and daily consumption of fruits or vegetables. In contrast, factors such as older age (> 23 years old), having a particularly low (<18.5 kg˙m2) or high BMI (> 34.9 kg˙m2), and being a current smoker were associated with not meeting the VPA recommendation. This corroborates paradoxical findings that binge alcohol consumption correlates with meeting VPA. CONCLUSIONS Findings support the need for targeted interventions among college students to support the establishment of long-term protective behavioral patterns against chronic disease risk throughout the life course.

Physical Activity Prevalence and Awareness after an Exercise is Medicine on Campus Campaign, 2011-2013

Exercise Is Medicine (EIM) is a global health initiative to establish physical activity. Exercise Is Medicine with Altitude (EIMA) was a campaign implemented to promote physical activity (PA) on a university campus. Objective: To evaluate awareness of the EIMA campaign and PA of students. Participants: Individuals enrolled in a regional comprehensive university. Methods: An online questionnaire was administered over three years (2011-2013). Respondents were queried on awareness of the EIMA campaign and modified BRFSS PA questions. Results: Questionnaire responses were as follows: Y1 (n = 1411), Y2 (n = 622), and Y3 (n = 888). There was a significant difference across all years for awareness of the EIMA campaign by PA level (p <.05). Awareness and PA increased during each year. During Y3 awareness increased the likelihood of being PA by 1.76. Conclusion: Results suggest that more aggressive awareness techniques should be examined in an effort to promote PA in