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Title
All in the Family : An Exploration of Family Functioning in Travel Ice Hockey
Creator
Wright, Emily M.
Date
2021
Collection
Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description
Within the youth sport domain, research has primarily emphasized the broad contributions of parents to the development of youth athletes, and the positive and negative impact they may have on children’s psychosocial experiences (Knight, 2019). The importance of family, especially parents, as a direct and indirect influence on a child’s development through sport is well-documented (Dorsch et al., 2021). While a considerable amount of attention has been given to the study of youth sport parents...
Show moreWithin the youth sport domain, research has primarily emphasized the broad contributions of parents to the development of youth athletes, and the positive and negative impact they may have on children’s psychosocial experiences (Knight, 2019). The importance of family, especially parents, as a direct and indirect influence on a child’s development through sport is well-documented (Dorsch et al., 2021). While a considerable amount of attention has been given to the study of youth sport parents, relatively less research has explored the family as a collective system, specifically related to their functioning in sport. Given this information, the overall purpose of this study was to understand family functioning in travel ice hockey. The Circumplex model of marital and family systems (Olson, 2000) was used to guide this study, which is comprised of three dimensions considered essential for understanding family functioning: cohesion, flexibility, and communication. The study was conducted in two phases, each associated with a specific purpose. A retrospective, cross-sectional, mixed methods design was employed by implementing a participant selection model within a multiple case study approach. A participant selection model was implemented to complete Phase 1 of the study. In Phase 1, 35 mothers and/or fathers of travel ice hockey players between the ages of 8-18 years old completed the self-report Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale – Fourth Edition (FACES IV), a validated measure of perceptions of family functioning. These results were then used to purposefully select four families with maximally different levels of family functioning to complete of this study, which involved in-depth qualitative interviews. To address purpose one, which aimed to use the Circumplex model FACES IV self-report measure to assess family functioning in travel ice hockey families, Phase 1 results suggested that the sample was comprised of normal, balanced functioning types. Thus, the identification of distinct family types nor any of the six family types derived from the validation of the Circumplex model was found. In an absolute sense, the study findings did not reflect the Circumplex model. To address purpose two, which aimed to conduct an exploratory assessment of the utility of the Circumplex model to understand family functioning in the travel ice hockey experience, Phase 2 interview data were then analyzed within and across families according to the dimensions of the Circumplex model. Findings highlighted the nuances of family functioning by highlighting how the four families were characterized as generally normal, balanced family types, yet functioned differently in the context of travel ice hockey. While differences in family functioning within each family case emerged, core themes across the family cases were identified, which supported dimensions of the Circumplex model, while also showcasing other key considerations outside of the Circumplex model that may be important for understanding family functioning in travel ice hockey. The current study emphasized the importance of exploring families as one unit, or system, allowing the researcher to move from an individualized, top-down approach toward a more integrated approach that considered the family as a coordinated system. Taken together, this study enriched our understanding of family functioning in travel ice hockey through use of a systems approach and highlighted the importance of continued research on this topic.
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Title
Dialogue in Athletics : A Program Evaluation of A Social Justice Education Initiative in Sports
Creator
Kochanek, Jill
Date
2021
Collection
Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description
Inclusive spaces and relationships that honor athletes’ unique identities are vital to ensure adaptive sport experiences (e.g., Kochanek & Erickson, 2019a, 2019b). And, the increasing diversity of sport stakeholders and rising visibility of athlete activism a part of the burgeoning Black Lives Matter movement have made visible how sport and social justice-related issues are inseparable (Cooky, 2017). While the current context demands that student-athletes and coaches possess critical...
Show moreInclusive spaces and relationships that honor athletes’ unique identities are vital to ensure adaptive sport experiences (e.g., Kochanek & Erickson, 2019a, 2019b). And, the increasing diversity of sport stakeholders and rising visibility of athlete activism a part of the burgeoning Black Lives Matter movement have made visible how sport and social justice-related issues are inseparable (Cooky, 2017). While the current context demands that student-athletes and coaches possess critical capacities that support inclusion and contest discrimination, prevalent approaches to youth development through sport offer little guidance for how to proactively address broader social issues (e.g., racism), and empower youth participants and coaches/administrators as positive change agents. Kochanek and Erickson (2019a, 2019b) also identified the lack of developmental programs to help stakeholders develop such critical competencies and evaluation research that assesses the efficacy of such initiatives. One promising research-informed approach to social justice education in athletics is intergroup dialogue. Intergroup dialogue brings together individuals with different social identities to build their awareness and capacities to promote inclusion and social justice (Gurin, Nagda, & Zúñiga, 2013). The purpose of this dissertation was to provide a preliminary evaluation of a (3-week) sport-specific program, Dialogue in Athletics, that used intergroup (race) dialogue to address this gap in youth sport research and practice. The author (who was program facilitator and evaluator) delivered and assessed the efficacy of Dialogue in Athletics within one interscholastic sports community context: Sowers School (pseudonym). A utilization-focused evaluation framework (Patton, 2011) guided the assessment of program efficacy among Sowers student-athlete and coaches/administrators. This framework required engaging key community decision-makers (i.e., intended users) with the aim of supporting use of the evaluation findings. Thus, the author worked collaboratively with intended users throughout this project to define evaluation purposes and ensure that evaluation met their informational/practical needs. The key purposes were to assess the impact of dialogue programming based on participants’ improvements in relevant (intergroup) learning outcomes (i.e., satisfaction, awareness, affect, and skills transference), and processes (i.e., program features) salient to participants’ learning experience. A quasi-experimental, mixed methods convergent evaluation design was used to collect data at the session-specific, pre/post-program, and follow-up time points. Results showed that student-athletes (n=7) and coaches/administrators (n=13) were satisfied with their program experience. Integrated analyses revealed that coaches/administrators showed more marked increases in critical awareness and skills development/transference relative to student-athletes who showed some, though less pronounced, gains following the program. Participants showed favorable affective shifts (i.e., increases in their valuing, confidence, and intentions to take dialogue-related action), with some variation between youth and adults. Participants emphasized the experiential process/practice of dialoguing with others in a supportive, small group setting as meaningful to their learning. Results on participants’ program process showed various sources of discomfort, barriers to learning transference, and sources of support related to their learning. From these findings, the author presents a formative judgment of Dialogue in Athletics and programmatic/evaluation recommendations for Sowers. This manuscript concludes with a general discussion of this project’s contribution to youth development through sport praxis.
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Title
Cardiovascular Health of Individuals with Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Creator
Triplett, Ashley Nicole
Date
2021
Collection
Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description
Previous literature has indicated that individuals with a history of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) are less likely to be active, may experience negative changes in weight status, and may have reduced cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) following surgery as compared to uninjured individuals. Despite the key role of physical activity (PA), obesity, and CRF in the prevention of noncommunicable diseases; it is unclear how these factors change in a population of young individuals...
Show morePrevious literature has indicated that individuals with a history of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) are less likely to be active, may experience negative changes in weight status, and may have reduced cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) following surgery as compared to uninjured individuals. Despite the key role of physical activity (PA), obesity, and CRF in the prevention of noncommunicable diseases; it is unclear how these factors change in a population of young individuals who have experienced a period of reduced activity during rehabilitation for a traumatic knee injury. The overarching aim of this dissertation was to characterize cardiovascular health risk factors such as PA, BMI, body composition, CRF, and arterial stiffness as measured by carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and understand how these variables change throughout recovery from ACLR.This dissertation is comprised of three studies. First, PA was measured at 6- and 9-months post-surgery in adolescent individuals with a history of ACLR. No differences were observed in moderate-to-vigorous PA volume, but individuals with ACLR had lower daily step counts than their uninjured peers. There was also no change in PA from 6 to 9 months for adolescents with ACLR. Uninjured individuals were no more likely to meet PA recommendations for MVPA and step counts than individuals with ACLR at 6 months and 9 months. Second, a retrospective chart review was conducted to examine change in BMI of adolescents and adults from pre-surgery to 6 months post-ACLR. Adolescent and adult participants experienced a significant increase in body mass and BMI from pre- to 6 months post-ACLR. Lastly, an exploratory study was conducted to evaluate cardiovascular health characteristics of individuals with a history of ACLR as compared to their uninjured peers. Body composition, CRF, arterial stiffness, and PA engagement was compared between young individuals with ACLR and uninjured controls. We observed that individuals with ACLR displayed similar characteristics of cardiovascular health as their uninjured peers, but those with ACLR may experience elevated BMI and fat mass and end a maximal graded exercise test sooner. Taken together, these studies highlight health-related risk factors that should be addressed in adolescents and adults with a history of ACLR. The potential for reduced PA and undesirable changes to BMI and weight status are concerning in these otherwise healthy young individuals. The time following ACLR presents an opportunity for researchers and clinicians to promote healthy behaviors and these results also demonstrate the continued need for consideration of PA and diet during clinical care in order to minimize potential negative long-term effects of weight gain following surgery and ensure that ACLR does not become a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD).
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Title
Change of Direction and Psychological Response to Injury as Risk Factors for Second ACL Injury
Creator
Birchmeier, Thomas Brian
Date
2021
Collection
Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description
Integration into sport is an important milestone after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR); however, only 65% of individuals with ACLR will return to sport. After integrating into sport, the risk of a second ACL injury is 6 times greater in individuals with ACLR than in individuals without a history of ACL injury. Common obstacles to return to sport (RTS) and risks factors for second ACL injury like functional deficits, patient demographics, and psychological response to injury...
Show moreIntegration into sport is an important milestone after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR); however, only 65% of individuals with ACLR will return to sport. After integrating into sport, the risk of a second ACL injury is 6 times greater in individuals with ACLR than in individuals without a history of ACL injury. Common obstacles to return to sport (RTS) and risks factors for second ACL injury like functional deficits, patient demographics, and psychological response to injury have been identified. Return to sport (RTS) criteria has been proposed to mitigate the risk of a second ACL injury, but has been criticized for insufficiently identifying individuals at heightened risk of ACL injury and for lack of relevance to sport related movement. More vigorous functional assessments are needed to identify individuals with ACLR at increased risk of a second ACL injury. Individuals with ACLR exhibit high-risk biomechanics during change of direction (COD) and it is commonly reported as a fear-evoking task in those with ACLR. Psychological response to injury after ACLR may negatively affect lower extremity biomechanics during COD and contribute to a second ACL injury due to increased muscle tension and decreased focus. However, limited research has been conducted in this area. Omission of COD assessment from RTS criteria is a major limitation in the current approach to identifying those prepared to integrate into sport after ACLR. Vigorous testing representative of sport demands in addition to nonmodifiable risk factors are needed to identify at risk individuals. The purpose of this study was to assess modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors for second ACL injury and obstacles to RTS. Our central hypothesis is that demographic information, surgical characteristics, patient-reported outcome measures, and lower extremity biomechanics during fear-evoking tasks will identify individuals with ACLR at risk for a second injury. Ninety-one individuals with ACLR were assessed within 1-year of surgery on functional assessments, and patient-reported outcome measures. Follow-up interviews were collected 2-years after ACLR to collect return to sport status and second ACL injury status. Separate logistic regressions were used to assess the relationship between assessments collected 1-year after ACLR and return to sport status and incidence of second ACL injury. Older age, male sex, and meniscal procedure at the time of ACLR were predictive of return to sport status. Our models were unable to predict second ACL injury. Models for both outcomes were not enhanced with the addition of psychological outcome measures or functional data. Our results contribute to the growing concern that current RTS criteria does not adequately identify those at risk for a second ACL injury or those prepared to return to sport after ACLR. To identify unique demands during COD, 48 individuals with ACLR were assessed using a 3D motion capture system while performing a single leg drop vertical jump (SLV) currently used in RTS criteria and a single leg crossover hop (SLC), a COD task. Spearman’s Rho Correlation revealed moderate correlations between tasks during the amortization and acceleration phase. Deceleration and amortization time were longer during the COD task implying more time was needed to stabilize the knee and rotate the trunk toward the new trajectory, consistent with increased risk of ACL injury. COD did impose unique demands to suggest it should be assessed as part of RTS criteria. To assess the relationship between psychological response to injury and lower extremity biomechanics after ACLR, 46 individuals with ACLR were assessed on 3 psychological response to injury outcome measures and lower extremity biomechanics were assessed during a SLC using a 3D motion capture system. Spearman’s Rho Correlations showed positive psychological response to injury was associated with safer lower extremity biomechanics. Correlations in this study were weak and further investigation into the relationship between psychological response to injury and lower extremity biomechanics is warranted.
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Title
MODELING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WORKLOAD AND NON-CONTACT INJURIES IN AMERICAN COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYERS
Creator
Burghardt, William Pastors
Date
2021
Collection
Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description
Physical activity can promote positive physical changes which, when performed repeatedly, can result in improvements to sport performance. However, activity that is too intense or too frequent may result in potential injury. Reducing injury occurrences and severity has shown to be critical for competitive success. In college football, injury rates have been reported to be 7.14 per 1,000 athlete exposures (AEs), with 35% occurring from a non-contact or overuse cause. A potential contributor to...
Show morePhysical activity can promote positive physical changes which, when performed repeatedly, can result in improvements to sport performance. However, activity that is too intense or too frequent may result in potential injury. Reducing injury occurrences and severity has shown to be critical for competitive success. In college football, injury rates have been reported to be 7.14 per 1,000 athlete exposures (AEs), with 35% occurring from a non-contact or overuse cause. A potential contributor to these injuries may be the length and intensity of sport activities that athletes experience following periods of time-off. Another contributor could be the rate that athletes experience this increased activity. In response, sport practitioners have begun measuring athlete activity during training and competition. Research has shown relationships between the amount of activity (workload), the rate of activity exposure, and ensuing non-contact injury. However, these studies have drawn criticism for how these relationships were assessed and the lack of an associated path between activity and injury. In response, the purposes of this dissertation were to 1) utilize modern techniques to assess the relationships among injuries, activity, and rate of activity increase at a particular point of the season between two different teams, 2) determine the non-contact injury rates for each phase of the calendar year and assess the relationship of injury occurrence to activity and activity rates within one team, and 3) to evaluate if inflammation may be a key component on the path between activity and non-contact injuries. Our first study measured workload, workload ratio, and non-contact injuries from two football teams (120 athletes) across two seasons. Both teams observed 44 total non-contact injuries, however the difference in reported injuries which resulted in time-loss from sport (Team 1: 6; Team 2: 17) led us to question if teams used different criteria for removing an athlete from team activities. Teams had different workload and workload ratios in each phase of the year. Our calculations demonstrated that workload and workload ratios were associated with injuries. However increased activity was associated with lower chance of injury, and workload ratios were only associated with a higher chance of injury to a point. These relationships were consistent with our second study, which examined these measures across nearly three years of data from one team (n = 88). The pre-season practice phase was the largest in both workload and time-loss non-contact injury rate (4.70 AEs), however, winter conditioning (2.84 AEs), spring practice (2.64 AEs), and summer conditioning phases (1.42 AEs) had injury rates higher than in-season (1.20 AEs). This suggests the need to monitor these other phases of training. Finally, we assessed C-reactive protein in 19 football players during a pre-season and in-season period to determine if workload and workload ratios led to increased inflammation (CRP), which led to non-contact injury. However, our study showed that CRP did not vary across time and was poorly related to any difference in activity from week to week. However, the observance of only one time-loss non-contact injury limited our findings. Overall, our studies highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the current workload and workload ratio research. Further research should be conducted across multiple teams and years in order to observe enough non-contact injuries to permit the use of certain statistical tools that would be more useful to practitioners and coaches. In addition, further research should continue to see if there is a path between seek to find mediating pathways between activity and injury.
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Title
The Clinical Utility and Influence of Habitual, Device-Measured Sleep Duration on Baseline Neurocognitive Performance and Total Concussion Symptom Severity in College-Aged Individuals
Creator
Anderson, Morgan
Date
2021
Collection
Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description
Context: Previous research suggests short sleep duration negatively influences baseline computerized neurocognitive test (CNT) performance. However, previous studies have only utilized subjective and single-night measures of sleep duration. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical utility and influence of habitual, device-measured sleep duration on baseline computerized neurocognitive performance and total concussion symptom severity in college-aged individuals. Methods:...
Show moreContext: Previous research suggests short sleep duration negatively influences baseline computerized neurocognitive test (CNT) performance. However, previous studies have only utilized subjective and single-night measures of sleep duration. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical utility and influence of habitual, device-measured sleep duration on baseline computerized neurocognitive performance and total concussion symptom severity in college-aged individuals. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design and included participants aged 18 – 25 years enrolled in university classes (N = 61, mean age 20.30 years). The sleep measures included: habitual, device-measured sleep duration, device-measured single-night sleep duration, subjective, single-night sleep duration, and habitual, subjective sleep duration. Participants provided informed consent, completed a sleep diary, were issued an Actigraph GT9X monitor, and instructed to wear the monitor and complete the morning and evening sections of the sleep diary for 7 continuous days. Participants completed the Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) battery. Hierarchical linear regressions were used to examine the influence of habitual, device-measured sleep duration on baseline ImPACT performance. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ .05. Equivalence testing and Bland-Altman plots were used to determine the level of agreement between 1) device-measured single-night sleep duration and habitual, device-measured sleep duration, and subjective, single-night sleep duration; 2) habitual, device-measured sleep duration and habitual, subjective sleep duration. Results: The average habitual, device-measured total nighttime sleep time was 322.13 minutes (5.37 hours). Habitual, device-measured sleep duration did not influence verbal memory (F2,48 = 0.26, p = .77; R2 = 0.011), visual memory (F2,48 = 0.04, p = .96; R2 = 0.002), visual motor processing speed (F2,48 = 0.41, p = .67; R2 = 0.017), or reaction time (F2,48 = 2.29, p = .11; R2 = 0.087). A significant model was found for total concussion symptom severity (F2,48 = 6.63, p = .003; R2 = 0.216); but habitual, device-measured sleep duration did not significantly contribute to the model (B = -0.002, 95% CI: -0.03, 0.02, β= -.02, p = .86). Subjective, single-night sleep duration significantly overestimated device-measured single-night sleep duration (d ̅ = 151.80; Z = -5.08, p ≤ .001) and habitual, device-measured sleep duration (d ̅ = 158.03; t41 = -12.30, p ≤ .001). Habitual, subjective sleep duration significantly overestimated habitual, device-measured sleep duration (d ̅ = -153.18; t48 = -15.57, p ≤ .001). In addition, no agreement was found between 1) device-measured single-night sleep duration, habitual, device-measured sleep duration and subjective, single-night sleep duration; 2) habitual, device-measured sleep duration and habitual, subjective sleep duration. Conclusion: Habitual, device-measured sleep duration did not influence baseline CNT performance or total concussion symptom severity. Further research should determine ImPACT battery’s sensitivity to habitual sleep and sleep loss. Furthermore, future researchers should investigate how other sleep-related variables, like sleep efficiency, may impact baseline CNT performance. Researchers and clinicians should use caution when using device-derived and subjective measures of sleep duration interchangeably.
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Title
Sport Nutrition Knowledge and Dietary Habits in College Athletes
Creator
Werner, Emily Nicole
Date
2021
Collection
Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description
Adequate nutrition is vital for the health, wellness, and performance of college athletes1,2. Previous literature suggests that college athletes have poor dietary practices3-8. A possible explanation for this is lack of nutrition knowledge. Previous knowledge surveys used have limitations that make them inappropriate for use in this population. In order to assess the nutrition knowledge of college athletes reliably, a new tool must be developed that has characteristics that promote the...
Show moreAdequate nutrition is vital for the health, wellness, and performance of college athletes1,2. Previous literature suggests that college athletes have poor dietary practices3-8. A possible explanation for this is lack of nutrition knowledge. Previous knowledge surveys used have limitations that make them inappropriate for use in this population. In order to assess the nutrition knowledge of college athletes reliably, a new tool must be developed that has characteristics that promote the athletes to respond in completion, and practitioners must believe in its usefulness and practicality. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was to examine the relationship between sport nutrition knowledge and dietary habits of college athletes through the development and validation of a sport nutrition knowledge assessment tool made specifically for this population. Three studies were conducted. The first was a nutrition knowledge assessment in college athletes (n=125) using a tool previously validated in the general population9. The average score was 58%, with females (average 67%) and athletes of non-revenue sports (i.e., sports other than football, basketball, or ice hockey; average 70%) scoring significantly better than males (average 46%) or athletes of revenue sports (average 46%), respectively. In general, the athletes had poor nutrition knowledge.The second study was the development and validation of the 25-question Sport Nutrition Assessment of Knowledge (SNAK) screener. First, the SNAK was developed using position stands and reviews on nutrition for sport in conjunction with feedback from experts. Next, a sample of college athletes and dietetic students (n=116 total) completed the SNAK. Results showed high knowledge scores (average 88%), which suggests that either the pilot version may have been too easy, or the athletes truly have high knowledge. A revised, 22-question SNAK was then developed based on statistical and qualitative feedback. The third study was a deeper investigation into the dietary habits of college athletes (n=94). This was done using the Automated Self-Administered 24-hour (ASA24) Dietary Assessment Tool10 and analyzed using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)11. Results showed an average score of 59 out of 100 possible for diet quality, which is equivalent to a grade of F based on the recommended grading scheme12. In general, the athletes displayed poor diet quality. Overall, this dissertation indicates that having high nutrition knowledge does not lead to high diet quality in college athletes. Future research should be done to investigate the barriers between knowledge and behavior, as well as the best intervention strategies to improve diet quality in this specific population.
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Title
Peer relationships and sport commitment
Creator
Oluyedun, Olufemi Adetokunbo
Date
2020
Collection
Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description
Peers play a vital role in shaping quality sport experiences. Early descriptive work has highlighted the importance of considering the social context when examining sport commitment, the desire or resolve to maintain sport participation. Yet, little research has investigated the specific role of peers in contributing to sport commitment. Peers may be especially important to sport commitment because athletes often pursue sport to cultivate a sense of affiliation and to make friends....
Show morePeers play a vital role in shaping quality sport experiences. Early descriptive work has highlighted the importance of considering the social context when examining sport commitment, the desire or resolve to maintain sport participation. Yet, little research has investigated the specific role of peers in contributing to sport commitment. Peers may be especially important to sport commitment because athletes often pursue sport to cultivate a sense of affiliation and to make friends. Accordingly, this dissertation examined how various peer relationships constructs predict sport commitment in highly involved athletes. The purpose of Study 1 was to examine whether impression motivation moderates the association of social constraints and sport commitment. Collegiate athletes (N = 257) completed established measures of impression motivation, perceptions of social constraints, and both enthusiastic and constrained sport commitment. Results largely suggested that impression motivation did not moderate the relationship between social constraints and sport commitment. One of the eight models run was significant and supported the moderation hypothesis. Self-development impression motivation (IM) was found to moderate the relationship between social constraints and the enthusiastic form of commitment, such that higher impression motivation strengthened that association. Overall, this model accounted for an additional 4% of variance predicted above and beyond the main effect of social constraints.The purpose of Study 2 was to (a) examine how positive friendship quality dimensions and friendship conflict would predict sport commitment, and (b) examine how other peer variables (peer acceptance, impression motivation) add to prediction of sport commitment beyond the friendship dimensions. Collegiate track and field athletes (N = 198) completed established measures of friendship quality, friendship conflict, peer acceptance, and impression motivation. Higher loyalty and intimacy and perceptions of conflict along with lower conflict resolution associated with greater constrained commitment. Thus, the more loyal an athlete was to their close friend, combined with higher perceived conflict and weaker perceived capacity to resolve conflict, associated with a greater perceived sense of obligation to remain in sport. Results addressing our secondary purpose suggested that a span of peer constructs would best predict sport commitment. Higher self-esteem enhancement and supportiveness, things in common, loyalty and intimacy, companionship and pleasant play, self-development IM, social identity development IM, and avoidance of negative outcomes IM collectively predicted more enthusiastic commitment. In addition, less things in common, conflict resolution, and peer acceptance combined with higher conflict and avoidance of damaging impressions IM predicted commitment that was more constrained and less enthusiastic. Our findings suggest that a "social tapestry" of peer constructs predict sport commitment. Friendship quality linked to sport commitment in a theoretically consistent direction, but only when considered alongside peer acceptance and impression motivation. This noted, the redundancy statistics for each root were 6.3% and 6.2% respectively, indicating a modest finding. Together, this dissertation shows that peer relationships matter to sport commitment, albeit modestly. These studies suggest that examining the full social tapestry of an athlete may best enrich our understanding of how social relationships, such as those with peers, tie to sport commitment.
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Title
ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS AND COACH BURN-OUT IN COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
Creator
Mignano, Michael John
Date
2020
Collection
Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description
Occupational burn-out was recently included in the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases (WHO, 2018) as an occupational phenomenon. Sport coaches’ experiences of burn-out and stress have been studied within the field of sport and exercise psychology of the past several decades. The purpose of the current study was to examine the prevalence of coach burn-out, examine how organizational factors are associated with burn-out, and explore coaching stressors utilizing...
Show moreOccupational burn-out was recently included in the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases (WHO, 2018) as an occupational phenomenon. Sport coaches’ experiences of burn-out and stress have been studied within the field of sport and exercise psychology of the past several decades. The purpose of the current study was to examine the prevalence of coach burn-out, examine how organizational factors are associated with burn-out, and explore coaching stressors utilizing the Coaching Stressors Scale, a 12-item instrument developed by the researcher. Using Horn’s (2002) Working Model of Coaching Effectiveness as the theoretical framework, coach demographics, organizational climate measures, perceived organizational support, perceptions of stress, turnover intention, resilience and burn-out were assessed. For measuring burn-out, the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Educators Survey was used. NCAA collegiate golf coaches (n = 96) in the United States were the sample participants. Descriptive statistics, correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess the three purposes of the study. Based on these findings, coach burn-out prevalence was relatively low. However, several key organizational factors were significantly associated with burn-out. Additionally, the variables of workplace stress, perceived organizational support, and resilience were significant predictors of the three dimensions of burn-out. Future research should focus on coach burn-out measure development, longitudinal studies of burnout in coaches, and interventions that examines the role of sport organizations in expanding resilience and coach wellbeing.
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Title
THE EFFECT OF GROWTH-RESTRICTION ON THE MURINE GUT MICROBIOME
Creator
Quinn, Melissa
Date
2020
Collection
Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description
ABSTRACTTHE EFFECT OF GROWTH-RESTRICTION ON THE MURINE GUT MICROBIOME By Melissa QuinnINTRODUCTION. Growth restriction induced by undernutrition in early life increases the risk of developing chronic diseases in adulthood. We hypothesized growth restriction would alter the gut microbiome and metabolome across the lifespan, impairing vital growth signaling processes necessary for proper development, with a primary focus on muscular and hepatic Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1) expression....
Show moreABSTRACTTHE EFFECT OF GROWTH-RESTRICTION ON THE MURINE GUT MICROBIOME By Melissa QuinnINTRODUCTION. Growth restriction induced by undernutrition in early life increases the risk of developing chronic diseases in adulthood. We hypothesized growth restriction would alter the gut microbiome and metabolome across the lifespan, impairing vital growth signaling processes necessary for proper development, with a primary focus on muscular and hepatic Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1) expression. METHODS. A cross-fostering, protein-restricted nutritive model (8% protein) was used to induce undernutrition during gestation (GUN) or lactation (PUN). At 21 days of age (PN21), all mice were weaned to a control diet (CON; 20% protein), isolating undernutrition to specific windows of early life. Fecal samples were collected weekly PN18-PN80 to determine longitudinal programming effects of growth restriction on the gut microbiome (CON N=5, GUN N=6, PUN N=6) and metabolome. Fecal sample DNA was extracted for amplification of the bacterial 16S rRNA genes using PCR, and then the amplicons were sequenced with the Illumina pipeline and analyzed using the Qiita bioinformatics software. Cecum samples were also collected at PN21 (CON N=4, GUN N=6, PUN N=5) and PN80 (CON N=5, GUN N=6, PUN N=6) for microbiome analysis. Liver samples were collected at PN21(CON N=12, GUN N=6, PUN N=7) and PN80 (CON N=13, GUN N=9, PUN N=11) and analyzed along with the cecum for metabolomics via tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and analyzed with the Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) bioinformatics software. IGF-1 expression in the liver and gastrocnemius (CON N=15, GUN N=12, PUN N=13) was analyzed via a Total Protein NIR western blot to establish a connection between the gut microbiome, tissue metabolome and organ growth. RESULTS. The Beta-Diversity of the fecal microbiome was significantly separated by treatment group using Weighted UniFrac measures (PERMANOVA p=0.0001). Differences in the microbiome were not evident through analysis at the Phylum level (Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio) but were instead driven by longitudinal alterations in the abundance of specific genera and species in PUN. Linear mixed model (LMM) analysis revealed PUN having significantly higher abundance of specific bacteria compared to GUN and CON across the lifespan including: Bacteroides uniformis, B. acidifaciens, B. ovatus, Bifidobacterium sp. and Clostridium sacchrogumia. Rikenellaceae was the only microbe that was significantly lower in abundance in the PUN group over time compared to GUN and CON. Additionally, the PUN metabolome was significantly altered compared to GUN and CON, primarily characterized by reduced: essential amino acids (EAAs: methionine, phenylalanine and tyrosine), riboflavin (B2), primary bile acids, and decreased Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA); and increased acylcarnitines and fecal peptides. NIR Western blot analysis revealed significantly lower IGF-1 expression in the liver at PN21 in GUN (p=0.0012) and PUN (p<0.001) as well as overall lower expression in the muscle in PUN (p=0.037) and GUN (p=0.007) compared to CON. CONCLUSION: The gut microbiome and metabolome are altered by early life growth restriction at PN21 and through adulthood. Elevated sugar-fermenting bacteria in the PUN group represent gut microbiome immaturity and delayed development. Temporary metabolic alterations of early life growth restriction are seen in decreased primary bile acids and increased synthesis of liver acylcarnitines, both of which are indicative as adaptations of the pups being calorie-restricted as a result of the low-protein fed dam. More permanent outcomes of growth restriction were evident by increased peptide excretion over the lifespan, significantly decreased methionine and riboflavin – which prevented protein synthesis to occur during early life development, and overall decreased muscle IGF-1 expression and DHEA levels in the PUN mice. Many of the metabolic pathways permanently altered by growth restriction are seen in the liver, making this organ an important site for future research on the development of treatment modalities that can limit growth restriction induced chronic disease.
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Title
Use of accelerometry and machine learning to measure free-living physical activity and sedentary behavior
Creator
Montoye, Alexander Henry
Date
2014
Collection
Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description
IntroductionPhysical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) are important behavioral variables that are associated with many key short- and long-term health indices. Objective and highly accurate methods of measuring PA and SB are needed in order to better understand the relationships of PA and SB with various health outcomes, determine population levels of PA and SB, identify and target groups at high risk of having low PA or high SB, and assess the effectiveness of interventions aimed to...
Show moreIntroductionPhysical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) are important behavioral variables that are associated with many key short- and long-term health indices. Objective and highly accurate methods of measuring PA and SB are needed in order to better understand the relationships of PA and SB with various health outcomes, determine population levels of PA and SB, identify and target groups at high risk of having low PA or high SB, and assess the effectiveness of interventions aimed to increase PA and reduce SB in populations. Of the available measurement tools, accelerometer-based activity monitors have gained popularity due to their blend of feasibility for use and relatively high accuracy for assessing PA (by identifying specific activity types), SB, and energy expenditure (EE). However, little research has been done to compare the accuracy of accelerometers placed on different parts of the body, and current data modeling methods are either 1) simple to use but lack accuracy or 2) highly accurate but highly complex. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was 1) to develop accurate and relatively simple data processing and modeling methods for accelerometer data and 2) to compare accelerometers located on the right hip, right thigh, and both wrists for classification of activity type and prediction of SB and EE.MethodsHealthy adults (n=44) were recruited to participate in a 90-minute simulated free-living protocol. For the protocol, participants performed 14 activities for between 3-10 minutes, with order, duration, and intensity of activities left up to participants. Participants wore a portable metabolic analyzer (for a criterion measure of EE) and four accelerometers, which were placed on the right hip, right thigh, and both wrists. The order and timing of the activities performed during the protocol was recorded by a trained research assistant (for a criterion measure of activity type and SB). Machine learning algorithms (i.e., artificial neural networks) were created by extracting simple-to-compute features from the data from each of the four accelerometers in order to classify activity type and predict SB and EE. Accuracy of the four accelerometers for each outcome variable was assessed by comparing predictions from the accelerometers to the actual values obtained by the criterion measures. Additionally, we processed, cleaned, and extracted features of the accelerometer data in Microsoft Excel and created the artificial neural networks using R software, thereby accomplishing our goal of using simple methods to create machine learning algorithms to model accelerometer data. ResultsOverall, the thigh accelerometer provided the highest predictive accuracy for EE, although both the wrists and hip accelerometers also provided highly accurate EE predictions. For recognition of activity type, the wrist accelerometers achieved the highest accuracy while the hip accelerometer had the lowest accuracy. Finally, for prediction of SB, the hip and left wrist accelerometers provided the highest accuracy while the right wrist accelerometer provided the lowest accuracy. DiscussionOur study highlights the strengths and weaknesses of accelerometers placed on the hip, thigh, and wrists for prediction of activity type, SB, and EE. These findings suggest that single accelerometers can be used for accurate measurement of PA, SB, and EE, although the optimal accelerometer placement site will depend on the specific research question. Further research should be conducted in a true free-living setting with a more diverse population, different sets of activities, and when using other types of machine learning to mode the accelerometer data.
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Title
The role of a soccer-based program in the acculturation of refugee youth : a retrospective examination
Creator
Capalbo, Lucas Silvestre
Date
2019
Collection
Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description
Sports have been said to be a powerful platform to help refugee youth overcome traumas from migration (Oliff, 2007) and to facilitate their adjustment in their country of settlement (Rich, Misener, & Debeau, 2015). Sport participation among refugee youth has also linked to greater agency (McDonald, Spaaij, & Dudik, 2018) and prosocial behavior (Nathan et al., 2013) among other benefits. Studies investigating sport-based programs for the social inclusion of refugees have used different...
Show moreSports have been said to be a powerful platform to help refugee youth overcome traumas from migration (Oliff, 2007) and to facilitate their adjustment in their country of settlement (Rich, Misener, & Debeau, 2015). Sport participation among refugee youth has also linked to greater agency (McDonald, Spaaij, & Dudik, 2018) and prosocial behavior (Nathan et al., 2013) among other benefits. Studies investigating sport-based programs for the social inclusion of refugees have used different methodologies like participatory action research and quasi-experimental mixed method designs in order to understand the effects that these programs had on their participants. However, very few of these studies investigated the refugee youth in-depth. To remedy this state of affairs a hermeneutical phenomenological research design was used in this study to directly assess participant experiences in exploring the role of a soccer-based program in the acculturation of refugee youth. The soccer-based program in the acculturation of refugee youth was a yearly program that involved two practices and one game per week along with mandatory tutoring sessions. Data was collected from in-depth interviews conducted with 8 former participants of a soccer-based program for refugees in a mid-Michigan city in the USA. The content of their interviews was transcribed and analyzed using initial coding and theory-based coding. The latter compared the participants' acculturation experiences in the society of settlement with Berry's (1997) framework for acculturation research. Results showed that participation in the program contributed to the refugees' English acquisition, academic performance, and social and personal development. Participants said they learned multiple functional skills like "respect" and "making right choices" from interacting with the program's experienced staff and coach. Finally, participation led to the participants' integration among other refugees but was also found to contribute to their marginalization among their American peers.
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Title
An examination of the impact of a physical activity-based service-learning course on undergraduate student leaders
Creator
Whitley, Meredith Anne
Date
2012
Collection
Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description
Over the past 25 years, there has been a call for change within American higher education, with an increasing number of foundations, national organizations, and individual researchers pushing for institutions of higher education to become more involved with the surrounding communities and American society (Campus Compact, 2011; Glass & Fitzgerald, 2010). In response to this call for a more engaged campus, colleges and universities have begun to seek out partnerships with community agencies,...
Show moreOver the past 25 years, there has been a call for change within American higher education, with an increasing number of foundations, national organizations, and individual researchers pushing for institutions of higher education to become more involved with the surrounding communities and American society (Campus Compact, 2011; Glass & Fitzgerald, 2010). In response to this call for a more engaged campus, colleges and universities have begun to seek out partnerships with community agencies, organizations, and other groups (Bringle & Hatcher, 2002; Driscoll, Holland, Gelmon, & Kerrigan, 1996), as well as invest in many different forms of engaged scholarship. One form of engaged scholarship that is becoming increasingly prevalent in institutions of higher learning is that of service-learning, which merges academic study with meaningful service in the community (Butin, 2010; Eyler, 2009). Service-learning has been incorporated into a wide range of fields, although the field of kinesiology has not yet embraced service-learning as a common pedagogical practice (Watson, Hueglin, Crandall, & Eisenman, 2002). In order to increase the prevalence of service-learning courses within kinesiology, it is necessary for research to be conducted on courses within this field. This dissertation examined one physical activity-based service-learning course within kinesiology. The primary purpose of the study was to explore the impact of this course on the undergraduate students enrolled, with a focus on personal growth, academic and intellectual development, and social and community engagement. The secondary purpose was to explore how these changes occurred during a physical activity-based service-learning course. These aims were addressed through a semester-long qualitative study, with in-depth interviews with six undergraduate student leaders and the course instructor, along with reflections completed by the students and the primary investigator in the role of a participant observer. The data were analyzed with a combined nomothetic and idiographic methodological approach, with commonalities and patterns being identified across participants in addition to the individual characteristics, experiences, and outcomes for each individual participant (Dunn, 1994; Gould, Tuffey, Udry, & Loehr, 1997). Results revealed that the participants all experienced growth and development from their experiences in the service-learning course, including leadership development, improved interpersonal skills, increased knowledge of social justice issues, and enhanced self-understanding. However, the participants varied significantly in terms of the number, depth, and complexity of these proximal outcomes, with the variance largely explained by the students' predisposing factors (e.g., race, gender, previous volunteering experience), the service-learning experience variables (e.g., feedback from the course instructor, effort level of students, integration of course content and service-learning experience), and the mediating variables (i.e., quality and quantity of reflection and cognitive complexity). These findings led to new insights within the field of service-learning as well as a deeper understanding of previous findings, resulting in a refined comprehensive theoretical framework that can be used by researchers, practitioners, administrators, and funders for the study, practice, and funding of service-learning. Along with a detailed discussion of this theoretical framework as it relates to the study and practice of service-learning, other practical implications of this dissertation are explored, including the design of coach education and mentoring programs and the potential impact on the field of kinesiology.
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Title
Gender role conflict and psychosocial concerns across race and school type as influences on adolescent girls' sport participation and withdrawal
Creator
Wright, Elizabeth A.
Date
2013
Collection
Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description
One of the most popular activities for both boys and girls to participate in are sports, with over 44 million youth involved in youth sports (National Council of Youth Sports, 2008). While girls are participating at higher rates than they were before the passage of Title IX in 1972, there still exists a discrepancy between the number of boys and girls who participate in sports. Further, there is an even larger discrepancy when looking at the demographics of the adolescent girls who are...
Show moreOne of the most popular activities for both boys and girls to participate in are sports, with over 44 million youth involved in youth sports (National Council of Youth Sports, 2008). While girls are participating at higher rates than they were before the passage of Title IX in 1972, there still exists a discrepancy between the number of boys and girls who participate in sports. Further, there is an even larger discrepancy when looking at the demographics of the adolescent girls who are participating at the lowest (girls of color and girls from low-income urban areas) and highest (girls who are white and reside in suburban areas) rates.One way of studying these discrepancies in sport participation is examining if gender role conflict or psychosocial concerns have a significant impact on adolescent girls' sport participation. With there being a lack of research that studies the sport experiences of girls of various racial and economic backgrounds, this study filled this void by examining not only girls' gender role conflict and psychosocial concerns, but also their overall levels of sport participation and their views on gender appropriateness of sports.Two hundred and thirty-six girls who attended middle SES suburban (n = 130) and low SES urban (n = 106) high schools participated in this study. It was found that adolescent girls reported low amounts of gender role conflict and psychosocial concerns. Related, girls also reported that gender role conflict and psychosocial concerns played a small role in any decreased middle school sport participation. Some differences emerged when examining girls' experienceswith these two measures across race, with African American girls having significantly more concerns with their image and African American girls from middle SES suburban schools reporting the highest amount of impact of gender role conflict.There were similar mixed findings when examining current sport participation. Girls who were current athletes in high school actually had higher gender role conflict scores than those girls who were non-current sport participants. There were limited differences between current and non-current sport participants' psychosocial concerns, with non-current sport participants reporting significantly higher image concerns. Similar results were found with girls who had played and quit a feminine sport, as they had higher image concerns than girls who had played a quit a masculine sport. When looking at middle school and high school sport participation, white girls from middle SES suburban schools were typically the girls that participated the most in sport. What played an especially significant role was the type of school a girl attended, with African American girls particularly negatively impacted with their high school sport participation if they attended a low SES urban school.While more research is needed to confirm these patterns, what these findings suggest is that there is a significant decrease in sport participation between middle school and high school, but only for girls that attend low SES urban schools. Noting the small amount of impact that psychosocial concerns and gender role conflict had with girls in this study, it can be tentatively concluded that there are other reasons that impact adolescent girls' decreasing or quitting their sport participation.
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