Effects of a Peer Mentored Exercise Program on Physical Activity and Fitness for College Students with ASD

Effects of a Peer Mentored Exercise Program on Physical Activity and Fitness for College Students with ASD PDF Author: Steffanie Colgate
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 54

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Book Description
People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are less fit than their peers without ASD, which is why it is important to give exercise interventions further attention. Barriers such as a lack of motivation to be physically active, limited physical activity opportunities, as well as impaired motor skills may restrict exercise participation. Peer mentors can be helpful support devices when administering exercise interventions for college students with ASD. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a peer mentored exercise program on physical activity and fitness for college students with ASD. Sixteen college students with ASD (male = 13, female = 3; mean age = 22.38) participated in this study. All participants partook in the IFiT (Into Fitness Together) program; which is a peer mentored physical activity program for college students with ASD. Additionally, the participants completed physical fitness assessments before and after IFiT. The physical fitness assessments included: cardiorespiratory fitness, upper body and abdominal muscular endurance, as well as flexibility. Physical activity (i.e. steps per day) was monitored through a Fitbit Charge 2 throughout the 10-week intervention. Statistical significance was found in 3 out of 4 fitness measurements at post testing: Vo2 max (p=.005), sit and reach (p=.014), and push-ups (p=.010). Out of the 16 participants in this study, 10 met the physical activity criteria to be included in analysis. Physical activity results showed that our participants averaged 9,712 SPD and over half (60%) of the participant’s individual activity graphs displayed an upward trend in average SPD throughout the intervention. Results from this study suggest that a peer mentored exercise program may be an effective method to increase physical activity and fitness in college students with ASD.

Effects of a Peer Mentored Exercise Program on Physical Activity and Fitness for College Students with ASD

Effects of a Peer Mentored Exercise Program on Physical Activity and Fitness for College Students with ASD PDF Author: Steffanie Colgate
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 54

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Book Description
People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are less fit than their peers without ASD, which is why it is important to give exercise interventions further attention. Barriers such as a lack of motivation to be physically active, limited physical activity opportunities, as well as impaired motor skills may restrict exercise participation. Peer mentors can be helpful support devices when administering exercise interventions for college students with ASD. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a peer mentored exercise program on physical activity and fitness for college students with ASD. Sixteen college students with ASD (male = 13, female = 3; mean age = 22.38) participated in this study. All participants partook in the IFiT (Into Fitness Together) program; which is a peer mentored physical activity program for college students with ASD. Additionally, the participants completed physical fitness assessments before and after IFiT. The physical fitness assessments included: cardiorespiratory fitness, upper body and abdominal muscular endurance, as well as flexibility. Physical activity (i.e. steps per day) was monitored through a Fitbit Charge 2 throughout the 10-week intervention. Statistical significance was found in 3 out of 4 fitness measurements at post testing: Vo2 max (p=.005), sit and reach (p=.014), and push-ups (p=.010). Out of the 16 participants in this study, 10 met the physical activity criteria to be included in analysis. Physical activity results showed that our participants averaged 9,712 SPD and over half (60%) of the participant’s individual activity graphs displayed an upward trend in average SPD throughout the intervention. Results from this study suggest that a peer mentored exercise program may be an effective method to increase physical activity and fitness in college students with ASD.

Exploring a Mind-body Fitness Program Among College Students with and Without ASD

Exploring a Mind-body Fitness Program Among College Students with and Without ASD PDF Author: Ngozichukwu Nnoli
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Many college students with and without ASD tend to live a more inactive lifestyle and experience challenges in meeting the physical activity guidelines of at least 150min/week, putting their health at risk of developing chronic conditions. These findings suggest a need to find ways to promote physical activity in the young-adult population. Self-determination is a motivational theory that argues that all human beings have universal needs that can be used to motivate and enhance all human activity. The fulfillment of the basic psychological needs can help explain motivation on a continuum, from being unmotivated to being intrinsically motivated. Therefore, this research aimed to explore the experiences of college students' participation in a 10-week, virtual, peer-mentored physical activity and mindfulness intervention program through self-determination theory. The first author used a traditional qualitative inquiry design, and 4 participants (1 ASD, 3 Non-ASD) took part in interviews. This study employed a purposeful sampling method to include college students (Meanage= 21 years) from the peer mentored physical activity and mindfulness intervention program. The four college students who completed the intervention program participated individually in in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Following a deductive thematic analysis, four themes were identified: (a) perceived control (sense of choice and sense of self), (b) skill development (increase of knowledge and perceived progress and improvements), (c) belongingness (feeling part of a group and feeling cared for), and (d) connectedness (persistence and companionship). These findings deepen understanding of how basic psychological need fulfillment can provide invaluable opportunities for enhanced physical activity engagement. A basic psychological need-supportive environment in a physical activity context is important for influencing activity motivation in young adults with and without ASD.

The Effects of Participation in a Physical Activity Mentoring Program on the Attitudes of College Students Toward Individuals with Disabilities

The Effects of Participation in a Physical Activity Mentoring Program on the Attitudes of College Students Toward Individuals with Disabilities PDF Author: Tanya Shull
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Physical fitness for people with disabilities
Languages : en
Pages : 124

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Book Description
Background: Health-related mentoring programs for individuals with disabilities can produce benefits for all participants. Physical activity is critical for individuals with disabilities and has been shown to enhance many aspects of their health. Through a physical activity mentoring program, persons can benefit from a mentor to become physically active. Objective: To determine the effects of a physical activity mentoring program for individuals with disabilities on the attitudes of college students towards persons with disabilities. Methods: College student mentors (n = 36) were paired with individuals with disabilities to participate in physical activity 2 hours a week for 8 weeks. Mentors completed pre and post attitude surveys. A control group (n = 32) was used for comparison. Two scales were utilized to measure attitudes of college students. Antonak' s Scale Toward Disabled Persons and Gething's Modified Interaction with Disabled Persons Scale were used. Results: Participation in a physical activity mentoring program for individuals with disabilities did not show a significant difference in attitude change in the experimental group (mentors) compared to a control group. Conclusions: Data suggests future studies with larger samples may find a change in sub-groups. To determine the affects of participation in a physical activity mentoring program more research needs to be done.

ACSM's Behavioral Aspects of Physical Activity and Exercise

ACSM's Behavioral Aspects of Physical Activity and Exercise PDF Author: American College of Sports Medicine
Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
ISBN: 1469832720
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 300

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Book Description
Based on the latest scientific research findings, ACSM’s Behavioral Aspects of Physical Activity and Exercise lays the theoretical foundation of behavior change and then provides specific strategies, tools, and methods to motivate and inspire clients to be active, exercise, and stay healthy. Developed by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and written by a team of leading experts in exercise science and motivation, this highly practical book provides step-by-step instructions to help fitness/health professionals and students master motivation techniques that have proven successful in helping clients adhere to an exercise program.

Effects of Participation in a Physical Activity Mentoring Program on the Attitudes of College Students Towards Individuals with Disabilities

Effects of Participation in a Physical Activity Mentoring Program on the Attitudes of College Students Towards Individuals with Disabilities PDF Author: Blake Dole
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : People with disabilities
Languages : en
Pages : 72

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Book Description
Investigating attitudes towards individuals with disabilities (IWD) has been the focus of much research including how attitudes develop and what effects they have on IWD. Attitudes play an important role in everyday life of IWD as barriers often exist that hinder many aspects of daily life including services in physical activity (Vilchinsky, Werner, & Findler, 2010). Much research on factors that affect the development of attitudes has led researchers to identifying direct contact or hands-on experience with IWD as a factor consistently related to positive attitudes (Rimmerman, Hozmi, & Duvdevany, 2000; McManus, Feyes, & Saucier, 2011). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of participation in a physical activity mentoring program on the attitudes of college students towards IWD. Participants in the mentoring program and a control group completed pre- and postsurveys using the Multidimensional Attitudes Scale Towards Persons with Disabilities (MAS) (Vilchinsky et al., 2010). Results revealed no statistically significant differences in attitude change between the two groups following participation in the 8-week program. Significant interaction effects were present between factors scores and pre- and post surveys as well as on factor scores and three different disability situations.

Effects of a Home Vs. Community-based Exercise Program on Physical Fitness for Adolescents and Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism

Effects of a Home Vs. Community-based Exercise Program on Physical Fitness for Adolescents and Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism PDF Author: Alicia Marie Loreta
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a home or community-based exercise program was more effective for improving physical fitness for adolescents and young adults with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) and Autism. Methods: Fourteen adolescents and young adults with ID and/ or Autism, 10 males and 4 females, ages 14-27 years, were randomized to a home or community-based exercise program for 8 weeks. Both groups exercised three days a week for 30 minutes. The home group exercised alone with parental supervision and watched an online video; the community-based group exercised with a coach and peers. The participants were assessed pre and post intervention using the Brockport Physical Fitness Test (BPFT) to measure aerobic function, body composition, musculoskeletal function, and flexibility. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to assess improvements between groups, and paired sample t-tests were used to assess improvements for the entire sample. Results: The results indicated no significant differences (p > .05) in improvement between the home and community-based groups for any fitness variable. There was also no significant change for most fitness variables for the entire sample. However, there was a significant (p=.026) improvement in the trunk lift fitness measure (pre-test = 8.4 inches, post-test = 9.6 inches) for the entire sample.Conclusion: Although both groups showed improvements for the fitness variables tested, the difference between groups was not significant. The improvements that were made indicate that the home or community-based exercise program can be beneficial in helping this population improve their physical fitness.

The Effects of a Remote-based Exercise Intervention on Psychosocial Factors in Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The Effects of a Remote-based Exercise Intervention on Psychosocial Factors in Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder PDF Author: Juan Carlos Mayo
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 51

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Book Description
AIM: The aim for this study was to identify the effects of physical activity (PA) on the psychosocial factors (PA self-efficacy, enjoyment of PA, perceived stress, and depression) amongst young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through the use of a 12-week remotely prescribed exercise program. METHODSs: This quasi-experimental study consisted of a 12-week remote-based exercise intervention (and a no-exercise control group) for young adults (18 - 35 years) with ASD. Participants were recruited through the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD), an organization that provides resources to individuals with ASD and their families. The exercise program occurred twice a week for 45 minutes each session. Both the intervention and control groups were asked to complete surveys on PA self-efficacy, PA enjoyment, perceived stress, and depression. RESULTS: A total of 16 young adults (intervention = 10; control = 6) with ASD were included in the final analysis. Findings revealed that there was a significant decrease in depression scores in the intervention group following the exercise intervention (p = 0.03). Additionally, the change in depression scores from baseline to post-exercise program was significantly greater than in the control condition (p=0.017). Findings were not significant for either exercise group and control group for scores in enjoyment, self-efficacy, and perceived stress. CONCLUSION: Preliminary evidence suggest that a remote-based exercise intervention may reduce symptoms of depression in young adults with ASD. Future studies that consider the type of exercise program prescribed and increasing the sample diversity and size are needed.

A Qualitative Investigation of the Peer Mentor Experience in a Physical Activity Intervention for Mental Health

A Qualitative Investigation of the Peer Mentor Experience in a Physical Activity Intervention for Mental Health PDF Author: Taylor R. Leenstra
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Exercise
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Interventions that utilize peer mentors to aid in altering the physical activity behaviors and attitudes of individuals have grown in popularity (Mellanby, Rees, & Tripp, 2000). While the mentees' experiences in such programs have been studied extensively, there is little research that explores the experiences of the mentors. The Western Wellcat program is a peer-led physical activity intervention designed to improve the mental and physical well-being of students with clinical depression and anxiety (Keeler, 2015). In the Western Wellcat program peer mentors serve as supportive, reliable, and knowledgeable exercise partners for their peers (Keeler, 2015). The purpose of this study was to qualitatively investigate the experiences of peer mentors in the Western Wellcat program. Participants included eight former Western Wellcat peer mentors, who participated in the program in 2015 and 2016. Using semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions, the researcher explored the peer mentors' motivations to sign up, their expectations for the program, the ways in which the program influenced them, and solicited suggestions they had for program improvement. Inductive coding revealed multiple themes in each area of exploration. The 13 themes that emerged from the peer mentors' experiences were all related to their personal growth, interpersonal awareness, and professional development. Regarding the peer mentors' overall experiences, deductive analysis was also performed based on the three basic human psychological needs of the self-determination theory: autonomy, competence, and relatedness (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Based on the emerged themes, the self-determination theory adequately explained the peer mentors' experiences in the Western Wellcat program.

Evaluating the Effects of Wearable Technologies to Improve Physical Activity Levels for College Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Evaluating the Effects of Wearable Technologies to Improve Physical Activity Levels for College Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities PDF Author: Kelly Nicole Kraiss
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Developmental disabilities
Languages : en
Pages : 179

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Book Description
Regular physical activity can decrease the likelihood of being overweight or obese as well as other negative health outcomes. Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) are more likely to be obese, less likely to be physically active, and at greater risk for health conditions and disease. Thus, there is a need for interventions that aim to increase the physical activity levels of adults with I/DD. However, interventions and related research in this field are limited. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine two independent single-subject design interventions that incorporated the use of wearable technology, a Fitbit, in order to improve physical activity levels of young adults with I/DD. Chapter 1 provided an overview of the theoretical foundations behind motivation, in particular, self-determination theory, as well as how it is related to fitness and physical activity. Common barriers that people with I/DD face when participating in physical activity are explored, as well as, self-management as a strategy for increasing physical activity. Chapter 2 evaluated the effects of a goal-setting intervention on the physical activity levels of college students with I/DD. It was implemented as a part of a singlesubject changing criterion design, where students set step count goals for each phase based on previous averages. Results indicated that participants consistently increased the number of steps taken across consecutive phases and were able to achieve greater consistency in step counts over time. Chapter 3 examined the effects of a social reinforcement intervention via a single-subject withdrawal/reversal design on the activity levels of college students with I/DD as measured by daily steps. This intervention incorporated social reinforcement by peer mentors within the Fitbit app. The intervention was effective, as all participants increased average step counts during intervention weeks. Chapter 4 discussed results of both studies as they pertain to the current literature on wearable technology to improve activity levels, self-management and goal setting in relation to health, fitness, and physical activity, and social reinforcement in physical activity for people with I/DD. Conclusions are discussed within the framework of self-determination theory. Limitations, implications, and recommendations for future research are also presented.

Effectiveness of Behavioral Interventions to Modify Physical Activity Behaviors in General Populations and Cancer Patients and Survivors

Effectiveness of Behavioral Interventions to Modify Physical Activity Behaviors in General Populations and Cancer Patients and Survivors PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 8

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Book Description