Physical activity, nutrition, and chronic disease

A survey of health awareness and physical activity among Japanese undergraduate rehabilitation students

[Purpose] We aimed to investigate students' awareness of their general physical activity and current physical activity habits. [Participants and Methods] One hundred and eighteen undergraduate students in rehabilitation courses volunteered to participate in this survey. The participants were required to answer a questionnaire related to their health awareness and physical activity habits. A χ² test was used to demonstrate the relationships between each category of the selected items. [Results] Undergraduate rehabilitation students felt very or moderately healthy when asked to subjectively describe the current condition of their health. Most of them liked and had more interest in exercise or sports activities. However, more than 60% of them felt that their participation in physical activities had decreased since they entered college. [Conclusion] Undergraduate students in rehabilitation courses lacked motivation to exercise and participate in physical activities in college. Students who did not have a habit of exercising or participating in sports activities may have lacked motivation because they were busy with school; however, they had a high level of positivity towards exercise or sports activities. Therefore, it is important for them to actively participate in exercise and/or physical activity with a specific purpose in mind.

Towards best practice in physical and physiological employment standards

While the scope of the term physical employment standards is wide, the principal focus of this paper is on standards related to physiological evaluation of readiness for work. Common applications of such employment standards for work are in public safety and emergency response occupations (e.g., police, firefighting, military), and there is an ever-present need to maximize the scientific quality of this research. Historically, most of these occupations are male-dominated, which leads to potential sex bias during physical demands analysis and determining performance thresholds. It is often assumed that older workers advance to positions with lower physical demand. However, this is not always true, which raises concerns about the long-term maintenance of physiological readiness. Traditionally, little attention has been paid to the inevitable margin of uncertainty that exists around cut-scores. Establishing confidence intervals around the cut-score can reduce for this uncertainty. It may also be necessary to consider the effects of practise and biological variability on test scores. Most tests of readiness for work are conducted under near perfect conditions, while many emergency responses take place under far more demanding and unpredictable conditions. The potential impact of protective clothing, respiratory protection, load carriage, environmental conditions, nutrition, fatigue, sensory deprivation, and stress should also be considered when evaluating readiness for work. In this paper, we seek to establish uniformity in terminology in this field, identify key areas of concern, provide recommendations to improve both scientific and professional practice, and identify priorities for future research.

Nutritious food intake: a new competitive advantage for organizations?

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to suggest that nutritious food intake is a somewhat overlooked yet essential aspect of corporate wellness that has the potential to help provide organizations with a sustainable competitive advantage.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper first discusses the resource‐based view, identifying ways in which nutritious food intake across an organization may serve to create rare and inimitable organizational resources leading to a competitive advantage. It then presents a basic overview of the fundamentals of nutritious food intake. It proceeds to review the transtheoretical stages of change model in the context of tailored nutrition interventions in organizations, providing a detailed overview of key individual behavior focused and environmental focused change strategies along with a discussion of types of technical delivery systems.

Findings

The paper suggests that an organization may be able to use a tailored stage‐based nutrition intervention as part of a comprehensive wellness program in order to help create a sustainable competitive advantage based on the nutritious food intake of its members.

Research limitations/implications

Future researchers should continue to examine the effectiveness of stage‐based computer tailored nutrition interventions and their delivery systems, particularly in the context of comprehensive corporate wellness plans and the extent to which this serves to create a competitive advantage through lower direct healthcare costs and higher worker productivity.

Practical implications

Organizational leaders should carefully consider the strategies and methodologies presented in this paper when designing and implementing nutrition interventions as part of a broad corporate wellness program.

Originality/value

This paper makes a valuable contribution to the organizational literature by recognizing the potential for the application of the transtheoretical stages of change model from the field of nutrition education within the context of the resource‐based view of organizations.

Testing the effect of the WALC intervention on exercise adherence in older adults

The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of the WALC intervention (Walk; Address pain, fear, fatigue during exercise; Learn about exercise; Cue by self-modeling), and determine its effects on self-efficacy and outcome expectations, exercise activity and free living activity, physical and mental health status, and falls and fall-related injuries. A total of 17 sedentary older women with a mean age of 88 +/- 3.7 years were randomly assigned to receive either the WALC intervention or routine care. Ninety percent of those in the treatment group initiated and engaged in a regular exercise program during the 6 months of the study. There was a statistically significant difference in self-efficacy expectations, exercise behavior, and overall activity between the two groups. Those in the treatment group had stronger self-efficacy expectations related to exercise; engaged in more exercise and more free living activity; and although not statistically significant, had stronger outcome expectations following exposure to the WALC intervention when compared with those who received routine care. To help older adults initiate and adhere to an exercise program, nurses can easily implement the WALC intervention in a variety of settings.

Functional performance and exercise of older adults in long-term care settings

Performing functional activities and exercising are important for older adults living in long-term care settings. Participation in these activities not only improves and maintains function in older adults but also can improve physical and emotional health and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to explore the variables that influence functional performance and exercise activity in a group of nursing home residents. Participants included 59 residents in a long-term care facility. The mean age of participants was 88 +/- 6.9, and the majority were women (76%), White (97%), and unmarried (76%). Residents participated in a single face-to-face interview. Chart reviews for demographic and health information also were performed. Based on stepwise multiple regression analyses, upper and lower extremity contractures and cognitive status were the only variables that significantly influenced functional performance and accounted for 49% of the variance in function. Self-efficacy and outcome expectations were the only variables to significantly influence exercise behavior and accounted for 57% of the variance in this behavior. These findings can be used to help develop and implement effective restorative nursing care programs in long-term care settings.

Understanding what motivates older adults to exercise

The purposes of this study were to explore the factors that influenced adherence to an exercise program for older adults, and compare differences in motivation, efficacy expectations, health status, age, functional performance, and falls between adherers and nonadherers. A combined qualitative and quantitative design was used. Participants included 23 of the 24 members of an existing walking group, with an average age of 81 +/- 7.2 years. Fourteen (60%) participants did not adhere to walking, while 9 (40%) adhered. Those that adhered had fewer functional limitations due to their health, (F = 7.7, p < .05), better functional performance (F = 4.0, p < .05), stronger self-efficacy expectations related to exercise (F = 4.3, p < .05), and fewer falls (F = 4.4, p < .05). Six major themes were identified that impacted adherence: a) beliefs about exercise; b) benefits of exercise; c) past experiences with exercise; d) goals; e) personality; and f) unpleasant sensations associated with exercise. Interventions that focus on teaching older adults about the benefits of exercise, establishing appropriate goals, and decreasing unpleasant and increasing pleasant sensations associated with exercise may be useful to improve adherence to a regular exercise program.