Factors influencing the adoption, implementation, and continuation of physical activity interventions in primary health care: A Delphi study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huijg, J.M.; Crone, M.R.; Verheijden, M.W.; Zouwe, N. van der; Middelkoop, B.J.; Gebhardt, W.A.

2013-01-01

Background: The introduction of efficacious physical activity interventions in primary health care is a complex process. Understanding factors influencing the process can enhance the development of effective introduction strategies. This Delphi study aimed to identify factors most relevant for the

Factors influencing the introduction of physical activity interventions in primary health care: a qualitative study.

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Huijg, Johanna M; van der Zouwe, Nicolette; Crone, Mathilde R; Verheijden, Marieke W; Middelkoop, Barend J C; Gebhardt, Winifred A

2015-06-01

The introduction of efficacious physical activity (PA) interventions in routine primary health care (PHC) is a complex process. Understanding factors influencing the process can enhance the development of successful introduction strategies. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore stakeholders' perceptions on factors influencing the introduction, i.e., adoption, implementation, and continuation, of PA interventions in PHC. Twenty-eight semistructured interviews were held with intervention managers, PHC advisors, intervention providers, and referring general practitioners of five PA interventions delivered in PHC. A theoretical framework on the introduction of innovations in health care was used to guide the data collection. Influencing factors were identified using thematic analysis. Stakeholders reported preconditions for the introduction of PA interventions in PHC (e.g., support, resources, and networks and collaborations), in addition to characteristics of PA interventions (e.g., compatibility, flexibility, and intervention materials) and characteristics of PHC professionals (e.g., knowledge, positive attitudes, and beliefs about capabilities) perceived to enhance the introduction process. Furthermore, they proposed strategies for the development of PA interventions (e.g., involvement of future stakeholders, full development, and refinement) and strategies to introduce PA interventions in PHC (e.g., training, assistance, and reinforcement). The majority of the influencing factors were discussed specifically in relation to one or two stages. This study presents an overview of factors that are perceived to influence the introduction of PA interventions in PHC. It underscores the importance of taking these factors into account when designing introduction strategies and of giving special attention to the distinct stages of the process.

Factors associated with physical therapists' implementation of physical activity interventions in The Netherlands.

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Huijg, Johanna M; Dusseldorp, Elise; Gebhardt, Winifred A; Verheijden, Marieke W; van der Zouwe, Nicolette; Middelkoop, Barend J C; Duijzer, Geerke; Crone, Mathilde R

2015-04-01

Physical therapists play an important role in the promotion of physical activity (PA) and the effectiveness of PA interventions. However, little is known about the extent to which they implement PA interventions following the intervention protocol and about the factors influencing their implementation behaviors. The study objective was to investigate physical therapists' implementation fidelity regarding PA interventions, including completeness and quality of delivery, and influencing factors with a Theoretical Domains Framework-based questionnaire. The study was based on a cross-sectional design. A total of 268 physical therapists completed the Determinants of Implementation Behavior Questionnaire. Questions about completeness and quality of delivery were based on components and tasks of PA interventions as described by the Royal Dutch Society for Physical Therapy. Multilevel regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with completeness and quality of delivery. High implementation fidelity was found for the physical therapists, with higher scores for completeness of delivery than for quality of delivery. Physical therapists' knowledge, skills, beliefs about capabilities and consequences, positive emotions, behavioral regulation, and the automaticity of PA intervention delivery were the most important predictors of implementation fidelity. Together, the Theoretical Domains Framework accounted for 23% of the variance in both total completeness and total quality scores. The cross-sectional design precluded the determination of causal relationships. Also, the use of a self-report measure to assess implementation fidelity could have led to socially desirable responses, possibly resulting in more favorable ratings for completeness and quality. This study enhances the understanding of how physical therapists implement PA interventions and which factors influence their behaviors. Knowledge about these factors may assist in the development of strategies to

Use of physical restraint: Nurses' knowledge, attitude, intention and practice and influencing factors.

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Eskandari, Fatemeh; Abdullah, Khatijah Lim; Zainal, Nor Zuraida; Wong, Li Ping

2017-12-01

To investigate the knowledge, attitude, intention and practice of nurses towards physical restraint and factors influencing these variables. A literature review showed a lack of studies focused on the intention of nurses regarding physical restraint throughout the world. Considering that very little research on physical restraint use has been carried out in Malaysia, assessment of nurses' knowledge, attitude, intention and practice is necessary before developing a minimising programme in hospitals. A cross-sectional study was used. A questionnaire to assess the knowledge, attitude, intention and practice was completed by all nurses (n = 309) in twelve wards of a teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur. Moderate knowledge and attitude with strong intention to use physical restraint were found among the nurses. Less than half of nurses considered alternatives to physical restraint and most of them did not understand the reasons for the physical restraint. Nurses' academic qualification, read any information source during past year and nurses' work unit showed a significant association with nurses' knowledge. Multiple linear regression analysis found knowledge, attitude and intention were significantly associated with nurses' practice to use physical restraint. This study showed some important misunderstandings of nurses about using physical restraint and strong intention regarding using physical restraint. Findings of this study serve as a supporting reason for importance of educating nurses about the use of physical restraint. Exploring the knowledge, attitude, intention and current practice of nurses towards physical restraint is important so that an effective strategy can be formulated to minimise the use of physical restraints in hospitals. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Influence of megapolis on the physical field variations

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Riabova, Svetlana; Loktev, Dmitry; Spivak, Alexander

2016-04-01

The research of geophysical fields in the conditions of megapolis attracts particular interest not only in terms of their influence on the operation of precision equipment and technological processes associated with nanotechnology, but also it is perhaps the most important in terms of the formation of a special human and other biological objects' habitat. Indeed, the megapolis causes significant changes in regime of the physical fields both directly and indirectly. Negative factors of megapolis associated with elevated vibrations of soil as a result of traffic, acoustic load in the construction of infrastructure and transport communications, etc. are complemented by another negative factor, which until quite recently wasn't known much. It is a variation of physical fields (primarily electric and magnetic) induced by anthropogenic activities. As a result of the evolution a man has adapted to the natural regime of physical fields. Therefore, any, even the short-term changes of physical fields in the environment, their deviations from the natural rate can have a significant influence on human health including changes in the psycho-emotional state. In the present work we have evaluated the influence of the megapolis (in our case, Moscow) on the nature and regime of microseismic, electric and acoustic field in the surface atmosphere. We have analyzed data obtained as a result of continuous simultaneous registration of physical fields and meteorological parameters at the Center for geophysical monitoring of Moscow of Institute of Geosphere Dynamics of Russian Academy of Sciences. For determination of the characteristics of physical fields in the megapolis obtained data were compared with the results of the registration carried out at the Geophysical Observatory "Mikhnevo" of IDG RAS (located 85 km south from Moscow). The work is shown that the influence of the megapolis appears to increase the amplitude of physical fields, change of their spectral composition

Parenthood and factors that influence outdoor recreational physical activity from a gender perspective

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Hansson Eva

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A physically active life promotes both physical and mental health, increasing well-being and quality of life. Physical activity (PA performed outdoors has been found to be particularly good for promoting well-being. However, participation in PA can change during the course of a lifetime. Parenthood has been found to be a life event associated with decreased PA, especially among women, although studies in the field are sparse. The aim of this study was to investigate participation in outdoor recreational PA, and factors influencing participation among parents-to-be, with and without previous children, from a gender perspective. Methods This study included baseline data from parents-to-be, 224 women and 208 men, from the municipality of Karlskrona in south-east Sweden. Data collection was carried out during 2008-2009. We measured the self-reported amount of outdoor recreational PA undertaken during the last year and analysed the probability of participating in this PA using 25 variables covering individual and socioeconomic factors. Results Seventy-six per cent of the women and 65% of the men had participated in outdoor recreational PA, varying from several times per month to every day, over a 12-month period prior to one month before pregnancy. Participation in PA indoors and owning a dog or a horse emerged as the most important factors associated with the probability of participation in outdoor recreational PA. Men were affected by a greater number of factors than women, for example men who had a family situation that permitted outdoor recreational PA participated in activities to a greater extent than men without such a family situation. The physical aspect, i.e. improved physical condition, staying power and vigour, also played a significant role with regard to participation among men. Conclusions Becoming a parent is a life-changing event that affects participation in PA. By offering family-oriented PA choices that involve

How life stressors influence modifiable lifestyle factors, depressive symptoms, and physical and mental health among Vietnamese older women?

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Dao-Tran, Tiet-Hanh; Anderson, Debra; Seib, Charrlotte

2017-06-29

Research has demonstrated that exposure to life stressors can influence health through a number of pathways. However, knowledge about the patterns of life stressors and their contributions to health in different populations is limited. Vietnamese older women have attracted little research to date in this area. This cross-sectional study used an interview-administered-questionnaire to collect data from 440 Vietnamese older women. Descriptive analysis was used to describe life stressors among Vietnamese older women. Binary analysis and Structural Equation Modelling statistical analysis were used to examine the influences of life stressors on modifiable lifestyle factors, depressive symptoms, physical and mental health among Vietnamese older women. Vietnamese older women in this study commonly reported the experience of losing a close person, including a baby/child, serious health or money problems, violence and disaster. Among the study participants, (1) exposure to more life stressors increased their depressive symptoms, and decreased their physical and mental health; (2) exposure to more life stressors also increased their physical health by increasing their physical activity levels. Life stressors influenced health among Vietnamese older women through different pathways. Interventions to manage stress and depressive symptoms are required for Vietnamese older women in the future.

What Influences Patient-Therapist Interactions in Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy? Qualitative Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis.

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O'Keeffe, Mary; Cullinane, Paul; Hurley, John; Leahy, Irene; Bunzli, Samantha; O'Sullivan, Peter B; O'Sullivan, Kieran

2016-05-01

Musculoskeletal physical therapy involves both specific and nonspecific effects. Nonspecific variables associated with the patient, therapist, and setting may influence clinical outcomes. Recent quantitative research has shown that nonspecific factors, including patient-therapist interactions, can influence treatment outcomes. It remains unclear, however, what factors influence patient-therapist interaction. This qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis investigated patients' and physical therapists' perceptions of factors that influence patient-therapist interactions. Eleven databases were searched independently. Qualitative studies examining physical therapists' and patients' perceptions of factors that influence patient-therapist interactions in musculoskeletal settings were included. Two reviewers independently selected articles, assessed methodological quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP), and performed the 3 stages of analysis: extraction of findings, grouping of findings (codes), and abstraction of findings. Thirteen studies were included. Four themes were perceived to influence patient-therapist interactions: (1) physical therapist interpersonal and communication skills (ie, presence of skills such as listening, encouragement, confidence, being empathetic and friendly, and nonverbal communication), (2) physical therapist practical skills (ie, physical therapist expertise and level of training, although the ability to provide good education was considered as important only by patients), (3) individualized patient-centered care (ie, individualizing the treatment to the patient and taking patient's opinions into account), and (4) organizational and environmental factors (ie, time and flexibility with care and appointments). Only studies published in English were included. A mix of interpersonal, clinical, and organizational factors are perceived to influence patient-therapist interactions, although research is needed to identify

(Reinforcing) Factors Influencing a Physical Education Teacher's Use of the Direct Instruction Model Teaching Games

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Jayantilal, Kumar; O'Leary, Nick

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore how a physical education (PE) teacher employed the direct instruction model (DIM) teaching games in a United Kingdom secondary school. The research sought to identify how the teacher utilised the DIM and those factors that influenced his use of the model. Occupational socialization was used to identify the…

Environmental influences on food choice, physical activity and energy balance.

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Popkin, Barry M; Duffey, Kiyah; Gordon-Larsen, Penny

2005-12-15

In this paper, the environment is defined as the macro- and community-level factors, including physical, legal and policy factors, that influence household and individual decisions. Thus, environment is conceived as the external context in which household and individual decisions are made. This paper reviews the literature on the ways the environment affects diet, physical activity, and obesity. Other key environmental factors discussed include economic, legal, and policy factors. Behind the major changes in diet and physical activity in the US and globally lie large shifts in food production, processing, and distribution systems as well as food shopping and eating options, resulting in the increase in availability of energy-dense foods. Similarly, the ways we move at home, work, leisure, and travel have shifted markedly, resulting in substantial reductions in energy expenditure. Many small area studies have linked environmental shifts with diet and activity changes. This paper begins with a review of environmental influences on diet and physical activity, and includes the discussion of two case studies on environmental influences on physical activity in a nationally representative sample of US adolescents. The case studies illustrate the important role of physical activity resources and the inequitable distribution of such activity-related facilities and resources, with high minority, low educated populations at strong disadvantage. Further, the research shows a significant association of such facilities with individual-level health behavior. The inequity in environmental supports for physical activity may underlie health disparities in the US population.

Factors associated with physical therapists’ implementation of physical activity interventions in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huijg, J.M.; Dusseldorp, E.; Gebhardt, W.A.; Verheijden, M.W.; Zouwe, N. van der; Middelkoop, B.J.C.; Duijzer, G.; Crone, M.R.

2015-01-01

Background. Physical therapists play an important role in the promotion of physical activity (PA) and the effectiveness of PA interventions. However, little is known about the extent to which they implement PA interventions following the intervention protocol and about the factors influencing their

Developing a systems-based framework of the factors influencing dietary and physical activity behaviours in ethnic minority populations living in Europe - a DEDIPAC study.

Science.gov (United States)

Holdsworth, Michelle; Nicolaou, Mary; Langøien, Lars Jørun; Osei-Kwasi, Hibbah Araba; Chastin, Sebastien F M; Stok, F Marijn; Capranica, Laura; Lien, Nanna; Terragni, Laura; Monsivais, Pablo; Mazzocchi, Mario; Maes, Lea; Roos, Gun; Mejean, Caroline; Powell, Katie; Stronks, Karien

2017-11-07

Some ethnic minority populations have a higher risk of non-communicable diseases than the majority European population. Diet and physical activity behaviours contribute to this risk, shaped by a system of inter-related factors. This study mapped a systems-based framework of the factors influencing dietary and physical activity behaviours in ethnic minority populations living in Europe, to inform research prioritisation and intervention development. A concept mapping approach guided by systems thinking was used: i. Preparation (protocol and terminology); ii. Generating a list of factors influencing dietary and physical activity behaviours in ethnic minority populations living in Europe from evidence (systematic mapping reviews) and 'eminence' (89 participants from 24 academic disciplines via brainstorming, an international symposium and expert review) and; iii. Seeking consensus on structuring, rating and clustering factors, based on how they relate to each other; and iv. Interpreting/utilising the framework for research and interventions. Similar steps were undertaken for frameworks developed for the majority European population. Seven distinct clusters emerged for dietary behaviour (containing 85 factors) and 8 for physical activity behaviours (containing 183 factors). Four clusters were similar across behaviours: Social and cultural environment; Social and material resources; Psychosocial; and Migration context. Similar clusters of factors emerged in the frameworks for diet and physical activity behaviours of the majority European population, except for 'migration context'. The importance of factors across all clusters was acknowledged, but their relative importance differed for ethnic minority populations compared with the majority population. This systems-based framework integrates evidence from both expert opinion and published literature, to map the factors influencing dietary and physical activity behaviours in ethnic minority groups. Our findings illustrate

Factors affecting physical therapists' job satisfaction: questionnaire survey targeting first-year physical therapists.

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Kota, Munetsugu; Kudo, Hiroyuki; Okita, Kazuhiko

2018-04-01

[Purpose] The survey aimed to clarify the factors that affect physiotherapists' job satisfaction. [Subjects and Methods] To examine factors affecting physical therapists' job satisfaction using a cross-sectional study with a questionnaire survey. Subjects were 193 first-year physical therapists who participated in a newcomer orientation at Hiroshima Prefectural Physical Therapy Association. The questionnaire comprised items concerning physical therapists' satisfaction with their work, motives for becoming physical therapists, education in school, internships, the workplace, and comfort in the workplace. [Results] Subjects were divided into two groups according to their satisfaction with their occupation. The "high satisfaction" group included 157 subjects, and the group "low satisfaction" group included 36 subjects. Using logistic regression analysis, items concerning comfort in the workplace, motives for becoming physical therapists, and learning in school were analysed. [Conclusion] Factors affecting physical therapists' job satisfaction were primarily influenced by previous experience and working conditions.

Spatial distribution and influence factors of interprovincial terrestrial physical geographical names in China

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Zhang, S.; Wang, Y.; Ju, H.

2017-12-01

The interprovincial terrestrial physical geographical entities are the key areas of regional integrated management. Based on toponomy dictionaries and different thematic maps, the attributes and the spatial extent of the interprovincial terrestrial physical geographical names (ITPGN, including terrain ITPGN and water ITPGN) were extracted. The coefficient of variation and Moran's I were combined together to measure the spatial variation and spatial association of ITPGN. The influencing factors of the distribution of ITPGN and the implications for the regional management were further discussed. The results showed that 11325 ITPGN were extracted, including 7082 terrain ITPGN and 4243 water ITPGN. Hunan Province had the largest number of ITPGN in China, and Shanghai had the smallest number. The spatial variance of the terrain ITPGN was larger than that of the water ITPGN, and the ITPGN showed a significant agglomeration phenomenon in the southern part of China. Further analysis showed that the number of ITPGN was positively related with the relative elevation and the population where the relative elevation was lower than 2000m and the population was less than 50 million. But the number of ITPGN showed a negative relationship with the two factors when their values became larger, indicating a large number of unnamed entities existed in complex terrain areas and a decreasing number of terrestrial physical geographical entities in densely populated area. Based on these analysis, we suggest the government take the ITPGN as management units to realize a balance development between different parts of the entities and strengthen the geographical names census and the nomination of unnamed interprovincial physical geographical entities. This study also demonstrated that the methods of literature survey, coefficient of variation and Moran's I can be combined to enhance the understanding of the spatial pattern of ITPGN.

The relative influence of demographic, individual, social, and environmental factors on physical activity among boys and girls

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Barr-Anderson Daheia

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This study aimed to evaluate the associations of selected demographic, individual, social, and environmental factors with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA in a sample of children and adolescents. Methods MVPA was assessed among youth (n = 294 10-17-years-old using the ActiGraph accelerometer. Youth completed measures of demographic and individual variables related to physical activity (PA, perceived social support by parents and peers, and perceived neighborhood characteristics. Parents completed the long-form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The Physical Activity and Media Inventory was used to measure the home environment and Geographical Information Systems software was used to measure the physical neighborhood environment. Bivariate correlations and hierarchical multiple regression were conducted stratified by gender. Results Boys participated in significantly more MVPA than girls. In hierarchical analyses, peer support, home PA equipment, and temperature were significantly associated with MVPA among boys whereas distance to the school they attended was associated with MVPA among girls. The final models accounted for 25% and 15% of the variance in MVPA among boys and girls, respectively. Conclusions Important differences exist among the individual, social, and environmental factors related to MVPA between boys and girls. Boys' levels of activity appear to be influenced by factors closely linked to unstructured and social types of activities whereas girls' activities relate to internal and external barriers as well as their proximity to their schools. The prospective contribution of these important individual, social, and environmental factors to changes in MVPA among children and adolescents remains to be determined.

Factors Influencing Physical Activity Behavior among Iranian Women with Type 2 Diabetes Using the Extended Theory of Reasoned Action.

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Didarloo, Alireza; Shojaeizadeh, Davoud; Ardebili, Hassan Eftekhar; Niknami, Shamsaddin; Hajizadeh, Ebrahim; Alizadeh, Mohammad

2011-10-01

Findings of most studies indicate that the only way to control diabetes and prevent its debilitating effects is through the continuous performance of self-care behaviors. Physical activity is a non-pharmacological method of diabetes treatment and because of its positive effects on diabetic patients, it is being increasingly considered by researchers and practitioners. This study aimed at determining factors influencing physical activity among diabetic women in Iran, using the extended theory of reasoned action in Iran. A sample of 352 women with type 2 diabetes, referring to a Diabetes Clinic in Khoy, Iran, participated in the study. Appropriate instruments were designed to measure the desired variables (knowledge of diabetes, personal beliefs, subjective norms, perceived self-efficacy, behavioral intention and physical activity behavior). The reliability and validity of the instruments were examined and approved. Statistical analyses of the study were conducted by inferential statistical techniques (independent t-test, correlations and regressions) using the SPSS package. The findings of this investigation indicated that among the constructs of the model, self efficacy was the strongest predictor of intentions among women with type 2 diabetes and both directly and indirectly affected physical activity. In addition to self efficacy, diabetic patients' physical activity also was influenced by other variables of the model and sociodemographic factors. Our findings suggest that the high ability of the theory of reasoned action extended by self-efficacy in forecasting and explaining physical activity can be a base for educational intervention. Educational interventions based on the proposed model are necessary for improving diabetics' physical activity behavior and controlling disease.

Giving Children a Voice: Exploring Qualitative Perspectives on Factors Influencing Recess Physical Activity

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Pawlowski, Charlotte Skau; Schipperijn, Jasper; Tjørnhøj-Thomsen, Tine; Troelsen, Jens

2018-01-01

Facilitators and barriers to recess physical activity are not well understood. To date, research on recess physical activity has predominantly focused on quantitative measures typically focusing on a narrow set of predefined factors, often constructed by adults. To really understand the factors affecting recess physical activity it is crucial to…

Factors Influencing Physical Fitness Evaluation.

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Haarer, Barbara G.

This annotated bibliography focuses on works that examine areas in which the physical educator can improve the administration of physical fitness tests in the elementary and secondary schools. The first part contains annotations that examine modifications of existing components which measure aspects of muscular and cardiovascular endurance. The…

Factors Influencing Physical Activity Behavior among Iranian Women with Type 2 Diabetes Using the Extended Theory of Reasoned Action

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alireza Didarloo

2011-10-01

Full Text Available BackgroundFindings of most studies indicate that the only way to control diabetes and prevent its debilitating effects is through the continuous performance of self-care behaviors. Physical activity is a non-pharmacological method of diabetes treatment and because of its positive effects on diabetic patients, it is being increasingly considered by researchers and practitioners. This study aimed at determining factors influencing physical activity among diabetic women in Iran, using the extended theory of reasoned action in Iran.MethodsA sample of 352 women with type 2 diabetes, referring to a Diabetes Clinic in Khoy, Iran, participated in the study. Appropriate instruments were designed to measure the desired variables (knowledge of diabetes, personal beliefs, subjective norms, perceived self-efficacy, behavioral intention and physical activity behavior. The reliability and validity of the instruments were examined and approved. Statistical analyses of the study were conducted by inferential statistical techniques (independent t-test, correlations and regressions using the SPSS package.ResultsThe findings of this investigation indicated that among the constructs of the model, self efficacy was the strongest predictor of intentions among women with type 2 diabetes and both directly and indirectly affected physical activity. In addition to self efficacy, diabetic patients' physical activity also was influenced by other variables of the model and sociodemographic factors.ConclusionOur findings suggest that the high ability of the theory of reasoned action extended by self-efficacy in forecasting and explaining physical activity can be a base for educational intervention. Educational interventions based on the proposed model are necessary for improving diabetics' physical activity behavior and controlling disease.

Influence of cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity levels on cardiometabolic risk factors during menopause transition: A MONET study

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Joseph Abdulnour

2016-12-01

Full Text Available To determine the influence of cardiorespiratory fitness (hereafter “fitness” and physical activity levels on cardiometabolic risk factors in premenopausal women going through the menopause transition. An ancillary study including 66 premenopausal women who participated to a 5-year observational, longitudinal study (2004 to 2009 in Ottawa on the effects of menopause transition on body composition and cardiometabolic risk factors. Women underwent a graded exercise test on treadmill to measure peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak at year 1 and 5 and physical activity levels were measured using accelerometers. Cardiometabolic risk factors included: waist circumference, fasting plasma lipids, glucose and insulin levels, HOMA-IR score, c-reactive protein, apolipoprotein B (apoB and resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Change in fitness was not associated with changes in cardiometabolic risk factors. The changes in total physical activity levels on the other hand showed a significant negative association with apoB levels. Three-way linear mixed model repeated measures, showed lower values of waist circumference, fasting triglycerides, insulin levels, HOMA-IR score, apoB and diastolic blood pressure in women with a fitness ≥30.0 mlO2 kg−1 min−1 compared to women with a fitness <30.0 mlO2 kg−1 min−1 (P < 0.05. However, only fasting triglycerides was lower in women with physical activity levels ≥770.0 Kcal/day (P < 0.05. Between fitness and physical activity levels, fitness was associated with more favorable values of cardiometabolic risk factors in women followed for 5 years during the menopause transition.

Gender differences in introductory university physics performance: The influence of high school physics preparation and affect

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Hazari, Zahra Sana

The attrition of females studying physics after high school is a concern to the science education community. Most undergraduate science programs require introductory physics coursework. Thus, success in introductory physics is necessary for students to progress to higher levels of science study. Success also influences attitudes; if females are well-prepared, feel confident, and do well in introductory physics, they may be inclined to study physics further. This quantitative study using multilevel modeling focused on determining factors from high school physics preparation (content, pedagogy, and assessment) and the affective domain that influenced female and male performance in introductory university physics. The study controlled for some university/course level characteristics as well as student demographic and academic background characteristics. The data consisted of 1973 surveys from 54 introductory physics courses within 35 universities across the US. The results highlight high school physics and affective experiences that differentially influenced female and male performance. These experiences include: learning requirements, computer graphing/analysis, long written problems, everyday world examples, community projects, cumulative tests/quizzes, father's encouragement, family's belief that science leads to a better career, and the length of time students believed that high school physics would help in university physics. There were also experiences that had a similar influence on female and male performance. Positively related to performance were: covering fewer topics for longer periods of time, the history of physics as a recurring topic, physics-related videos, and test/quiz questions that involved calculations and/or were drawn from standardized tests. Negatively related to performance were: student-designed projects, reading/discussing labs the day before performing them, microcomputer based laboratories, discussion after demonstrations, and family

Parental Influence on Physical Activity of Children with Disabilities

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Siebert, Erin A.; Hamm, Jessica; Yun, Joonkoo

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify parental influences on physical activity behaviours of children with disabilities. One hundred and forty-eight parents of children with disabilities responded to a survey about factors related to parent and child physical activity, parental support and belief in their child's abilities regarding physical…

What hinders healthcare professionals in promoting physical activity towards cancer patients? The influencing role of healthcare professionals' concerns, perceived patient characteristics and perceived structural factors.

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Haussmann, Alexander; Gabrian, Martina; Ungar, Nadine; Jooß, Stefan; Wiskemann, Joachim; Sieverding, Monika; Steindorf, Karen

2018-05-09

Despite a large body of evidence showing that physical activity (PA) is beneficial to patients with cancer, healthcare professionals (HCPs) are promoting it too scarcely. Factors that hinder HCPs from promoting PA have remained understudied so far. Using a qualitative approach, this study aimed at a comprehensive description of influencing factors for HCPs' PA promotion behaviour and at identifying the reasons and mechanisms behind them. Semi-structured interviews with 30 HCPs were undertaken with a focus on concerns, patient characteristics and structural factors. Answers were analysed using thematic analysis. Results revealed that HCPs had concerns regarding a physical overexertion and psychological stress for patients with cancer. A patient's physical condition and the assumed interest in PA, often derived from former PA, turned out to be the most crucial patient characteristics influencing if PA is addressed. Structural factors relevant for PA promotion pertained to in-house structures, HCPs' workload, timing and coordination, information material for HCPs and patients and availability of exercise programs. In conclusion, this study revealed undetected concerns of HCPs and underlined the relevance of patient characteristics and structural conditions for HCPs' PA promotion towards patients with cancer. A broader perspective is needed to assess these factors in their influence on HCPs' PA promotion. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Physical capacity influences the response of insulin-like growth factor and its binding proteins to training

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosendal, Lars; Langberg, Henning; Flyvbjerg, Allan

2002-01-01

The influence of initial training status on the response of circulating insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and its binding proteins (IGFBP) to prolonged physical training was studied in young men. It was hypothesized that highly standardized training would result in more extensive changes...... in the circulating IGF system in untrained subjects because of lower fitness level. Seven untrained (UT) and 12 well-trained (WT) individuals performed 11 wk of intense physical training (2-4 h daily). Fasting serum samples were analyzed for total and free IGF-I and -II, for IGFBP-1 to -4, as well as for IGFBP-3...... proteolysis. Eleven weeks of physical training resulted in decreased levels of total IGF-I, free IGF-I, and IGFBP-4 in both the UT and WT groups. In the UT group, IGFBP-2 increased, IGFBP-3 decreased [from 4,255 +/- 410 (baseline) to 3,896 +/- 465 (SD) microg/l (week 4); P

Developing a systems-based framework of the factors influencing dietary and physical activity behaviours in ethnic minority populations living in Europe - a DEDIPAC study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Holdsworth, Michelle; Nicolaou, Mary; Langøien, Lars Jørun; Osei-Kwasi, Hibbah Araba; Chastin, Sebastien F. M.; Stok, F. Marijn; Capranica, Laura; Lien, Nanna; Terragni, Laura; Monsivais, Pablo; Mazzocchi, Mario; Maes, Lea; Roos, Gun; Mejean, Caroline; Powell, Katie; Stronks, Karien

2017-01-01

Some ethnic minority populations have a higher risk of non-communicable diseases than the majority European population. Diet and physical activity behaviours contribute to this risk, shaped by a system of inter-related factors. This study mapped a systems-based framework of the factors influencing

Factors Influencing Implementation of a Preschool-Based Physical Activity Intervention

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Lau, Erica Y.; Saunders, Ruth P.; Beets, Michael W.; Cai, Bo; Pate, Russell R.

2017-01-01

Examining factors that influence implementation of key program components that underlie an intervention's success provides important information to inform the development of effective dissemination strategies. We examined direct and indirect effects of preschool capacity, quality of prevention support system and teacher characteristics on…

Influencing Factors on the Overestimation of Self-Reported Physical Activity: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Low Back Pain Patients and Healthy Controls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Schaller

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. The aim of the present study was to determine the closeness of agreement between a self-reported and an objective measure of physical activity in low back pain patients and healthy controls. Beyond, influencing factors on overestimation were identified. Methods. 27 low back pain patients and 53 healthy controls wore an accelerometer (objective measure for seven consecutive days and answered a questionnaire on physical activity (self-report over the same period of time. Differences between self-reported and objective data were tested by Wilcoxon test. Bland-Altman analysis was conducted for describing the closeness of agreement. Linear regression models were calculated to identify the influence of age, sex, and body mass index on the overestimation by self-report. Results. Participants overestimated self-reported moderate activity in average by 42 min/day (p=0.003 and vigorous activity by 39 min/day (p<0.001. Self-reported sedentary time was underestimated by 122 min/day (p<0.001. No individual-related variables influenced the overestimation of physical activity. Low back pain patients were more likely to underestimate sedentary time compared to healthy controls. Discussion. In rehabilitation and health promotion, the application-oriented measurement of physical activity remains a challenge. The present results contradict other studies that had identified an influence of age, sex, and body mass index on the overestimation of physical activity.

Influence of solvent evaporation rate and formulation factors on solid dispersion physical stability.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jian X; Yang, Mingshi; Berg, Frans van den; Pajander, Jari; Rades, Thomas; Rantanen, Jukka

2011-12-18

New chemical entities (NCEs) often show poor water solubility necessitating solid dispersion formulation. The aim of the current study is to employ design of experiments in investigating the influence of one critical process factor (solvent evaporation rate) and two formulation factors (PVP:piroxicam ratio (PVP:PRX) and PVP molecular weight (P(MW))) on the physical stability of PRX solid dispersion prepared by the solvent evaporation method. The results showed the rank order of an increase in factors contributing to a decrease in the extent of PRX nucleation being evaporation rate>PVP:PRX>P(MW). The same rank order was found for the decrease in the extent of PRX crystal growth in PVP matrices from day 0 up to day 12. However, after 12days the rank became PVP:PRX>evaporation rate>P(MW). The effects of an increase in evaporation rate and PVP:PRX ratio in stabilizing PRX were of the same order of magnitude, while the effect from P(MW) was much smaller. The findings were confirmed by XRPD. FT-IR showed that PRX recrystallization in the PVP matrix followed Ostwald's step rule, and an increase in the three factors all led to increased hydrogen bonding interaction between PRX and PVP. The present study showed the applicability of the Quality by Design approach in solid dispersion research, and highlights the need for multifactorial analysis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The importance of psychological and social factors in influencing the uptake and maintenance of physical activity after stroke: a structured review of the empirical literature.

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Morris, Jacqui; Oliver, Tracey; Kroll, Thilo; Macgillivray, Steve

2012-01-01

Background. People with stroke are not maintaining adequate engagement in physical activity (PA) for health and functional benefit. This paper sought to describe any psychological and social factors that may influence physical activity engagement after stroke. Methods. A structured literature review of studies indexed in MEDLINE, CinAHL, P&BSC, and PsycINFO using search terms relevant to stroke, physical disabilities, and PA. Publications reporting empirical findings (quantitative or qualitative) regarding psychological and/or social factors were included. Results. Twenty studies from 19 publications (9 surveys, 1 RCT, and 10 qualitative studies) were included. Seventeen studies reported findings pertinent to psychological factors and fourteen findings pertinent to social factors. Conclusion. Self-efficacy, physical activity beliefs, and social support appear particularly relevant to physical activity behaviour after stroke and should be included in theoretically based physical interventions. The Transtheoretical Model and the Theory of Planned Behaviour are candidate behavioural models that may support intervention development.

Social-ecological influences on interpersonal support in people with physical disability.

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Devereux, Paul G; Bullock, Charles C; Gibb, Zebbedia G; Himler, Heidi

2015-10-01

People with physical disability report lower amounts of emotional and informational social support compared with other populations but it is unclear how influences at the broader societal level impact support in this population. To address this question, Berkman and Glass's social-ecological model was used to examine the influence of upstream factors on interpersonal support in people with physical disability. It was predicted that these factors would influence support even after controlling for the traditional measures linked to social support. 331 adult participants with physical disability (43% female; mean age = 42.7; 88% White) completed an online cross-sectional survey measuring types and sources of social support, social integration, disability impact in social domains, environmental barriers, and relevant psychosocial variables such as depression. A hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that level of disability, perceived tangible support, social integration, depressive symptoms, environmental barriers, occupational independence, and having family or friends as primary support sources were significantly associated with perceived support at the final step (R(2) = .60, F(22, 255) = 17.68, p disability than typical measures studied in the literature. Improving environmental factors will help improve social support. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cognitive, sensory and physical factors enabling driving safety in older adults.

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Anstey, Kaarin J; Wood, Joanne; Lord, Stephen; Walker, Janine G

2005-01-01

We reviewed literature on cognitive, sensory, motor and physical factors associated with safe driving and crash risk in older adults with the goal of developing a model of factors enabling safe driving behaviour. Thirteen empirical studies reporting associations between cognitive, sensory, motor and physical factors and either self-reported crashes, state crash records or on-road driving measures were identified. Measures of attention, reaction time, memory, executive function, mental status, visual function, and physical function variables were associated with driving outcome measures. Self-monitoring was also identified as a factor that may moderate observed effects by influencing driving behavior. We propose that three enabling factors (cognition, sensory function and physical function/medical conditions) predict driving ability, but that accurate self-monitoring of these enabling factors is required for safe driving behaviour.

Explaining the role of personal, social and physical environment factors on employed women's physical activity: a structural equation analysis.

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Bakhtari Aghdam, Fatemeh; Baghiani Moghaddam, Mohammad Hossein; Asghari Jafarabadi, Mohammad; Allahverdipour, Hamid; Dabagh Nikookheslat, Saed; Noorizadeh, Roghaieh

2013-05-13

PA is a multi-factorial behavior that is affected by interpersonal, intra personal, environmental and social factors. In this study we applied explanatory model to determine the total, indirect and direct impact of physical environment, personal factors and social support on PA among employed women. This study was a correlational cross-sectional study which was conducted to model total, indirect and direct impact of environmental, psychological and social factors on PA. A total of 200 women were chosen from Tabriz University by using convenience sampling method. Data about demographic characteristics, psychological variables, social and physical environment were gathered by using self-reported questionnaire and also the PA was measured by using the International PA Questionnaire and pedometer. personal factors, physical and social environment, showed direct effects on PA. Social factors could be seen to have indirect effects on PA through their influence on personal factors such as pros, cons and self-efficacy; also physical environment had indirect effects on PA through social environment. The total effects of physical and social environment on PA type were respectively 0.17, 0.16 on walking, 0.05, 0.07 on moderate activity and 0.15, 0.18 on vigorous activity. Findings from this study indicated that social factors had indirect effects on walking, moderate and vigorous activity, especially through the effects on these factors of self-efficacy, physical environment, pros and cons, and the interactive role of individual, environmental and social impacts on PA. The current study identifies that psychological, physical and social factors could be shown to have direct and indirect influences on all forms of activity. The barriers of PA were the most predictor of this behavior, and based on results, it can be concluded that decreasing the barriers along with improving social and physical environment can lead to increasing PA and health promotion.

Individual, social environmental, and physical environmental influences on physical activity among black and white adults: a structural equation analysis.

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McNeill, Lorna Haughton; Wyrwich, Kathleen W; Brownson, Ross C; Clark, Eddie M; Kreuter, Matthew W

2006-02-01

Social ecological models suggest that conditions in the social and physical environment, in addition to individual factors, play important roles in health behavior change. Using structural equation modeling, this study tested a theoretically and empirically based explanatory model of physical activity to examine theorized direct and indirect effects of individual (e.g., motivation and self-efficacy), social environmental (e.g., social support), and physical environmental factors (e.g., neighborhood quality and availability of facilities). A community-based sample of adults (N = 910) was recruited from 2 public health centers (67% female, 43% African American, 43% motivation for physical activity, perceived social support, self-efficacy, and perceptions of the physical environment. Results indicated that (a) perceptions of the physical environment had direct effects on physical activity, (b) both the social and physical environments had indirect effects on physical activity through motivation and self-efficacy, and (c) social support influenced physical activity indirectly through intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. For all forms of activity, self-efficacy was the strongest direct correlate of physical activity, and evidence of a positive dose-response relation emerged between self-efficacy and intensity of physical activity. Findings from this research highlight the interactive role of individual and environmental influences on physical activity.

A gender perspective on factors that influence outdoor recreational physical activity among the elderly

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Sjögren Katarina

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Physical activity (PA is part of a healthy lifestyle and prevents many chronic health problems, in addition to promoting mental health. PA performed outdoors has been found particularly good for promoting one's well-being. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which outdoor recreational PA was carried out during 1 year, and the factors influencing such activities from a gender perspective among persons ≥ 60 years of age. Methods This study included 999 individuals 60-96 years of age living in the south eastern part of Sweden. Data collection was carried out during the years of 2001-2003. We measured the amount of regular light and/or intense outdoor recreational PA performed during the last year and determined the probability of performing PA as a function of 10 variables covering individual and socioeconomic factors. Results Our results suggest that being independent physically and healthy enough to manage one's personal hygiene and having access to areas for country walks were the most important factors associated with the probability of engaging in outdoor recreational PA for both men and women. Despite the level of performance being almost equal for the sexes as two-thirds of both had performed outdoor recreational PA during the preceding year more factors, i.e., living alone, being unable to cover an unexpected cost, fear of being violated, and fear of falling, were associated with the possibilities of engaging in outdoor recreational PA among women. Also increasing age seems to affect activities among women negatively to a higher extent than men. Conclusion Men and women seem to have different opportunities and needs with respect to performing PA. These considerations do not seem to be sufficiently taken into account today and improvements could be made concerning e.g., health-promoting activities suggested to the elderly by healthcare personnel and spatial planning within society. Promoting outdoor

An integrative review: work environment factors associated with physical activity among white-collar workers.

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Lin, Yun-Ping; McCullagh, Marjorie C; Kao, Tsui-Sui; Larson, Janet L

2014-02-01

The purpose of this review is to synthesize the research evidence for the role of the work environment-workplace physical activity policies and resources and job strain factors-in explaining physical activity in white-collar workers. White-collar workers are at risk for developing a sedentary lifestyle, which contributes to all-cause mortality. Understanding how work environment can influence worker physical activity is important for the development of effective interventions. We reviewed 15 research articles that describe the relationship between work environment factors and physical activity in predominantly white-collar workers. Relatively consistent evidence was found for the effects of supportive workplace policies and resources. Weak evidence was found for the effects of job strain. Both work environment factors have the potential to influence physical activity but require further exploration to fully understand their contribution to physical activity in white-collar workers. Limitations and implications are discussed.

The environment and physical activity: The influence of psychosocial, perceived and built environmental factors

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Bullen Chris

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract This study sought to integrate perceived and built environmental and individual factors into the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB model to better understand adolescents' physical activity. Methods Participants (n = 110 aged 12 to 17 years (M = 14.6 ± 1.55 were recruited from two large metropolitan high schools in Auckland, New Zealand, were included in the analysis. Participants completed measures of the revised TPB and the perceived environment. Individual factors such as ethnicity and level of deprivation were also collected. Geographical Information Systems (GIS software was used to measure the physical environment (walkability, access to physical activity facilities. Physical activity was assessed using the ActiGraph accelerometer and the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A. Data from the various sources were combined to develop an integrated model integrated for statistical analysis using structural equation modeling. Results The TPB model variables (intention and perceived behavioral control explained 43% of the variance of PAQ-A. Unique and individual contributions were made by intention and PBC and home ownership of home equipment. The model explained 13% of time spent in moderate and vigorous physical activity (Actigraph. Unique and individual contribution was made by intention. Conclusion Social cognitive variables were better predictors of both subjective and objective physical activity compared to perceived environmental and built environment factors. Implications of these findings are discussed.

The influencing factors on place attachment in neighborhood of Kampung Melayu

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Lestari, W. M.; Sumabrata, J.

2018-03-01

Place attachment on neighborhood differs according to place characteristics and person characteristics. By dividing the research area of Kelurahan Kampung Melayu into flood area and non-flood area, this research aims at analyzing place attachment on neighborhood and analyzing factors influencing the place attachment. This research using quantitative approach using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Self-administered questionnaires using likert scale were distributed randomly to 400 residents. Result of the research shows that residents tend to have place attachment to their neighborhood. Factors influencing place attachment on residents born in the neighborhood with length of stay 10 years or longer and having house are family factor for residents living in non-flood area and physical factor as well as social factor for residents in flood area. This research concludes that place attachment on neighborhood is formed because dimension of place is interpreted not merely physically but also socially, namely the existence of family ties and social relationship with people in the neighborhood.

Influence of physical factors on sexual function and pituitary gland-gonads system. Chapter 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

In the Chapter 3 it is noted, that different physical factors even with low intensity (vibration, noise, electromagnetic oscillations of s.h.f. and u.h.f range, laser radiation, temperature changes) predictably lead to spermatogenesis dysfunctions and functional shift in hypothalamus-pituitary gland-gonads system with examined animals and man. The sexual function of men changing in the result of contact with unfavourable physical factors arise early and quite often they preceding the manifestation of occupational diseases pattern

Development of scales to assess children's perceptions of friend and parental influences on physical activity

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Brockman Rowan

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Many children do not meet physical activity guidelines. Parents and friends are likely to influence children's physical activity but there is a shortage of measures that are able to capture these influences. Methods A new questionnaire with the following three scales was developed: 1 Parental influence on physical activity; 2 Motives for activity with friends scale; and 3 Physical activity and sedentary group normative values. Content for each scale was informed by qualitative work. One hundred and seventy three, 10-11 year old children completed the new questionnaire twice, one week apart. Participants also wore an accelerometer for 5 days and mean minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity, light physical activity and sedentary time per day were obtained. Test-retest reliability of the items was calculated and Principal Component analysis of the scales performed and sub-scales produced. Alphas were calculated for main scales and sub-scales. Correlations were calculated among sub-scales. Correlations between each sub-scale and accelerometer physical activity variables were calculated for all participants and stratified by sex. Results The Parental influence scale yielded four factors which accounted for 67.5% of the variance in the items and had good (α > 0.7 internal consistency. The Motives for physical activity scale yielded four factors that accounted for 66.1% and had good internal consistency. The Physical activity norms scale yielded 4 factors that accounted for 67.4% of the variance, with good internal consistency for the sub-scales and alpha of .642 for the overall scale. Associations between the sub-scales and physical activity differed by sex. Although only 6 of the 11 sub-scales were significantly correlated with physical activity there were a number of associations that were positively correlated >0.15 indicating that these factors may contribute to the explanation of children's physical activity

Radio immune analysis of endocrine system state at exposure to different physical factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rozdyil's'ka, O.M.; Rozdtil's'kij, S.Yi.; Bratchuk, O.M.; Yakimova, T.P.

1999-01-01

Radio immune analysis allows to define more exactly the mechanisms of physical factors action and may be used for validation of new therapeutic techniques. The ultra-high frequency magneto therapy, sinusoid modulated current and direct current influence the state of the endocrine system differently but within the physiological norm. The most prominent action of the physical factor is observed at trans cerebral mode

Contingency Factors Influencing Implementation of Physical Asset Management Practices

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Maletič Damjan

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this empirical study is to examine the role of two contingency factors, i.e. uncertainty and competitiveness in relation to physical asset management (PAM practices as well as to maintenance key performance indicators. The research is based on a premise that PAM, which was defined by risk management practices, performance assessment practices, life cycle management practices, and policy & strategy practices, has become an indispensable element of strategic thinking of asset owners as well as maintenance and asset managers. The purpose of this study is to advance the understanding of how organizations that face high or low level of uncertainty and competitiveness respond in terms of PAM deployment.

Social and Physical Environmental Factors Influencing Adolescents’ Physical Activity in Urban Public Open Spaces: A Qualitative Study Using Walk-Along Interviews

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Van Hecke, Linde; Deforche, Benedicte; Van Dyck, Delfien; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Veitch, Jenny; Van Cauwenberg, Jelle

2016-01-01

Most previous studies examining physical activity in Public Open Spaces (POS) focused solely on the physical environment. However, according to socio-ecological models the social environment is important as well. The aim of this study was to determine which social and physical environmental factors affect adolescents’ visitation and physical activity in POS in low-income neighbourhoods. Since current knowledge on this topic is limited, especially in Europe, qualitative walk-along interviews were used to obtain detailed and context-specific information. Participants (n = 30, aged 12–16 years, 64% boys) were recruited in POS in low-income neighbourhoods in Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp (Belgium). Participants were interviewed while walking in the POS with the interviewer. Using this method, the interviewer could observe and ask questions while the participant was actually experiencing the environment. All audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and analysed using Nvivo 10 software and thematic analysis was used to derive categories and subcategories using a grounded theory approach. The most important subcategories that were supportive of visiting POS and performing physical activity in POS were; accessibility by foot/bicycle/public transport, located close to home/school, presence of (active) friends and family, cleanliness of the POS and features, availability of sport and play facilities, large open spaces and beautiful sceneries. The most important subcategories that were unsupportive of visiting POS and physical activity in POS were; presence of undesirable users (drug users, gangs and homeless people), the behaviour of other users and the cleanliness of the POS and features. Social factors appeared often more influential than physical factors, however, it was the combination of social and physical factors that affected adolescents’ behaviour in POS. Easily accessible POS with high quality features in the proximity of adolescents’ home or school may

Social and Physical Environmental Factors Influencing Adolescents' Physical Activity in Urban Public Open Spaces: A Qualitative Study Using Walk-Along Interviews.

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Linde Van Hecke

Full Text Available Most previous studies examining physical activity in Public Open Spaces (POS focused solely on the physical environment. However, according to socio-ecological models the social environment is important as well. The aim of this study was to determine which social and physical environmental factors affect adolescents' visitation and physical activity in POS in low-income neighbourhoods. Since current knowledge on this topic is limited, especially in Europe, qualitative walk-along interviews were used to obtain detailed and context-specific information. Participants (n = 30, aged 12-16 years, 64% boys were recruited in POS in low-income neighbourhoods in Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp (Belgium. Participants were interviewed while walking in the POS with the interviewer. Using this method, the interviewer could observe and ask questions while the participant was actually experiencing the environment. All audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and analysed using Nvivo 10 software and thematic analysis was used to derive categories and subcategories using a grounded theory approach. The most important subcategories that were supportive of visiting POS and performing physical activity in POS were; accessibility by foot/bicycle/public transport, located close to home/school, presence of (active friends and family, cleanliness of the POS and features, availability of sport and play facilities, large open spaces and beautiful sceneries. The most important subcategories that were unsupportive of visiting POS and physical activity in POS were; presence of undesirable users (drug users, gangs and homeless people, the behaviour of other users and the cleanliness of the POS and features. Social factors appeared often more influential than physical factors, however, it was the combination of social and physical factors that affected adolescents' behaviour in POS. Easily accessible POS with high quality features in the proximity of adolescents' home or school

Social and Physical Environmental Factors Influencing Adolescents' Physical Activity in Urban Public Open Spaces: A Qualitative Study Using Walk-Along Interviews.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Hecke, Linde; Deforche, Benedicte; Van Dyck, Delfien; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Veitch, Jenny; Van Cauwenberg, Jelle

2016-01-01

Most previous studies examining physical activity in Public Open Spaces (POS) focused solely on the physical environment. However, according to socio-ecological models the social environment is important as well. The aim of this study was to determine which social and physical environmental factors affect adolescents' visitation and physical activity in POS in low-income neighbourhoods. Since current knowledge on this topic is limited, especially in Europe, qualitative walk-along interviews were used to obtain detailed and context-specific information. Participants (n = 30, aged 12-16 years, 64% boys) were recruited in POS in low-income neighbourhoods in Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp (Belgium). Participants were interviewed while walking in the POS with the interviewer. Using this method, the interviewer could observe and ask questions while the participant was actually experiencing the environment. All audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and analysed using Nvivo 10 software and thematic analysis was used to derive categories and subcategories using a grounded theory approach. The most important subcategories that were supportive of visiting POS and performing physical activity in POS were; accessibility by foot/bicycle/public transport, located close to home/school, presence of (active) friends and family, cleanliness of the POS and features, availability of sport and play facilities, large open spaces and beautiful sceneries. The most important subcategories that were unsupportive of visiting POS and physical activity in POS were; presence of undesirable users (drug users, gangs and homeless people), the behaviour of other users and the cleanliness of the POS and features. Social factors appeared often more influential than physical factors, however, it was the combination of social and physical factors that affected adolescents' behaviour in POS. Easily accessible POS with high quality features in the proximity of adolescents' home or school may stimulate

Influence of friends on children's physical activity: a review.

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Maturo, Claire C; Cunningham, Solveig A

2013-07-01

We examined evidence for friendship influences on children's physical activity (PA) through systematic searches of online databases in May 2012. We identified 106 studies (25 qualitative) published in English since 2000 that analyzed indicators of friendship influences (e.g., communication about PA, friends' PA, and PA with friends) among persons younger than 19 years. Children's PA was positively associated with encouragement from friends (43 of 55 studies indicating a positive relationship), friends' own PA (30/35), and engagement with friends in PA (9/10). These findings are consistent with friends influencing PA, but most studies did not isolate influence from other factors that could explain similarity. Understanding friendship influences in childhood can facilitate the promotion of lifelong healthy habits. PA with friends should be considered in health promotion programs.

A longitudinal examination of the influence of maturation on physical self-perceptions and the relationship with physical activity in early adolescent girls.

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Knowles, Ann-Marie; Niven, Ailsa G; Fawkner, Samantha G; Henretty, Joan M

2009-06-01

This longitudinal study investigated the influence of maturation on physical self-perceptions and the relationship with physical activity in early adolescent girls (N=150; mean age=12.79+/-0.31). Physical characteristics were measured and participants completed the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children, the Children and Youth Physical Self-Perception Profile and the Pubertal Development Scale on two occasions 12 months apart. The results demonstrated a decrease in overall physical activity levels over 12 months which was not influenced by maturational status or physical characteristics. Additional analysis indicated that physical self-perceptions partially accounted for the explained variance in physical activity change, with physical condition being an important individual predictor of physical activity. Further analysis indicated that body mass was an important individual predictor of changes in perceptions of body attractiveness and physical self-worth. At this age maturation has a limited influence on the physical activity behaviours of early adolescent girls and although the variance in physical activity was partly accounted for by physical self-perceptions, this was a relatively small contribution and other factors related to this drop in physical activity need to be considered longitudinally.

Study of surface phenomena in biomaterials: The influence of physical factors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sachelarie, Liliana, E-mail: lisachero@yahoo.com; Vasiliu, Mihaela Papusa; Ciobanu, Catalina

2015-10-15

This study's purpose is pointing out the phenomenon that occurs at time of interaction between the tissue with implant. The materials used are Ti and its alloys. The oral tissue must be compatible with the materials used in surgical implant to human body. The bio-materials surface behavior is influenced by physical characteristics. The methods we use show a number of bio-compatibility aspects. The success of an implant in a hard tissue depends not only on the initial attachment and the osteogenic cells consecutive proliferation, but also on their capacity to create a new bone.

Physical activity as a health factor modifying heart rate variability (HRV

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Nowosielska-Swadzba Danuta

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The aim of the research was the evaluation of the selected HRV factors of the training volleyball players in two training periods and non-training people. Materials and methods : The study involved 8 leading volleyball players aged 20-23 and 13 non-training persons aged 19-26. The study of the training players was conducted twice: in the pre-competition and in the competition period. The study for the non-training persons was conducted once. The selected factors of the spectral analysis have been evaluated: TP [ms 2], share of LF and HF power [n.u], LF/HF indicator and time analysis factors: RR [ms], HR [1/min], RMSSD [ms]. Results : Statistically significant differences appeared only in the selected time analysis factors (RR, HR, between the group of the training and non-training persons. Other differences in the evaluated parameters were not statistically significant. Conclusions : Physical activity influences on the HRV growth. HRV measurement may serve for the control of the changes taking place in the AUN under the influence of the physical activity.

Physical activity behaviors and influences among Chinese-American children aged 9-13 years: A qualitative study

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Low physical activity is a major health issue among Chinese Americans. This study explored Chinese–American children's physical activity behaviors and influencing factors. Twenty-five children of Chinese or Taiwanese descent were interviewed to understand their favorite sports or physical activities...

College factors that influence drinking.

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Presley, Cheryl A; Meilman, Philip W; Leichliter, Jami S

2002-03-01

The purpose of this article is to examine the aspects of collegiate environments, rather than student characteristics, that influence drinking. Unfortunately, the existing literature is scant on this topic. A literature review of articles primarily published within the last 10 years, along with some earlier "landmark" studies of collegiate drinking in the United States, was conducted to determine institutional factors that influence the consumption of alcohol. In addition, a demonstration analysis of Core Alcohol and Drug Survey research findings was conducted to further elucidate the issues. Several factors have been shown to relate to drinking: (1) organizational property variables of campuses, including affiliations (historically black institutions, women's institutions), presence of a Greek system, athletics and 2- or 4-year designation; (2) physical and behavioral property variables of campuses, including type of residence, institution size, location and quantity of heavy episodic drinking; and (3) campus community property variables, including pricing and availability and outlet density. Studies, however, tend to look at individual variables one at a time rather than in combination (multivariate analyses). Some new analyses, using Core Alcohol and Drug Survey data sets, are presented as examples of promising approaches to future research. Given the complexities of campus environments, it continues to be a challenge to the field to firmly establish the most compelling institutional and environmental factors relating to high-risk collegiate drinking.

Environmental influences on physical activity in rural Midwestern adults: a qualitative approach.

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Chrisman, Matthew; Nothwehr, Faryle; Yang, Ginger; Oleson, Jacob

2015-01-01

Qualitative research can be used to examine multiple factors associated with physical activity and help practitioners identify language used by the rural adult population when discussing this behavior. Three focus groups were conducted among 19 residents of multiple towns in a rural Midwestern county to examine the language and influences on rural physical activity. Focus group members were asked to define physical activity, exercise, community, and neighborhood. They were asked about the activities they engaged in and facilitators and barriers to those activities. A guidebook was developed to capture major themes and common patterns that emerged in the responses to the topics discussed. The data were reviewed for repeated statements and points that were agreed on by multiple participants. Important factors associated with physical activity include the importance of social support and modeling physical activity behavior. Also, the influence of pets and children was important for engaging these adults in physical activity. The focus group members engaged in walking and bicycling in their neighborhood streets and community trails, and desired to see community buildings be open to the public for exercise. This study revealed contextual issues and culturally relevant language for practitioners to use in tailoring physical activity measurement tools or designing interventions for a rural adult population. Social support (specifically, seeing others being active and using pets as motivators for being active) and policy attitudes may be targeted for interventions to increase physical activity in rural adults. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

Socio-economic factors and psycho-physical well-being as ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of socio-economic factors and psycho-physical well-being on the popularity of sauna usage among male university students. The research was conducted in 2012 on 550 first-year male university students aged 19 to 20 years (20.23±0.83yrs). The participants were asked to ...

Gender Differences in Introductory University Physics Performance: The Influence of High School Physics Preparation and Affect

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Hazari, Zahra

2006-12-01

The attrition of females studying physics after high school has been a continuing concern for the physics education community. If females are well prepared, feel confident, and do well in introductory college physics, they may be inclined to study physics further. This quantitative study uses HLM to identify factors from high school physics preparation (content, pedagogy, and assessment) and the affective domain that predict female and male performance in introductory college physics. The study includes controls for student demographic and academic background characteristics, and the final dataset consists of 1973 surveys from 54 introductory college physics classes. The results highlight high school physics and affective experiences that differentially predict female and male performance. These experiences include: learning requirements, computer graphing/analysis, long written problems, everyday world examples, community projects cumulative tests/quizzes, father's encouragement, family's belief that science leads to a better career, and the length of time students believe that high school physics would help in university physics. There were also experiences that similarly predict female and male performance. The results paint a dynamic picture of the factors from high school physics and the affective domain that influence the future physics performance of females and males. The implication is that there are many aspects to the teaching of physics in high school that, although widely used and thought to be effective, need reform in their implementation in order to be fully beneficial to females and/or males in college.

Factors influencing societal response of nanotechnology: an expert stakeholder analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, Nidhi; Fischer, Arnout R. H.; Lans, Ivo A. van der; Frewer, Lynn J.

2012-01-01

Nanotechnology can be described as an emerging technology and, as has been the case with other emerging technologies such as genetic modification, different socio-psychological factors will potentially influence societal responses to its development and application. These factors will play an important role in how nanotechnology is developed and commercialised. This article aims to identify expert opinion on factors influencing societal response to applications of nanotechnology. Structured interviews with experts on nanotechnology from North West Europe were conducted using repertory grid methodology in conjunction with generalized Procrustes analysis to examine the psychological constructs underlying societal uptake of 15 key applications of nanotechnology drawn from different areas (e.g. medicine, agriculture and environment, chemical, food, military, sports, and cosmetics). Based on expert judgement, the main factors influencing societal response to different applications of nanotechnology will be the extent to which applications are perceived to be beneficial, useful, and necessary, and how 'real' and physically close to the end-user these applications are perceived to be by the public.

Factors influencing societal response of nanotechnology: an expert stakeholder analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Nidhi; Fischer, Arnout R. H.; van der Lans, Ivo A.; Frewer, Lynn J.

2012-05-01

Nanotechnology can be described as an emerging technology and, as has been the case with other emerging technologies such as genetic modification, different socio-psychological factors will potentially influence societal responses to its development and application. These factors will play an important role in how nanotechnology is developed and commercialised. This article aims to identify expert opinion on factors influencing societal response to applications of nanotechnology. Structured interviews with experts on nanotechnology from North West Europe were conducted using repertory grid methodology in conjunction with generalized Procrustes analysis to examine the psychological constructs underlying societal uptake of 15 key applications of nanotechnology drawn from different areas (e.g. medicine, agriculture and environment, chemical, food, military, sports, and cosmetics). Based on expert judgement, the main factors influencing societal response to different applications of nanotechnology will be the extent to which applications are perceived to be beneficial, useful, and necessary, and how 'real' and physically close to the end-user these applications are perceived to be by the public.

Environmental, psychological, and social influences on physical activity among Japanese adults: structural equation modeling analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishii, Kaori; Shibata, Ai; Oka, Koichiro

2010-08-05

An understanding of the contributing factors to be considered when examining how individuals engage in physical activity is important for promoting population-based physical activity. The environment influences long-term effects on population-based health behaviors. Personal variables, such as self-efficacy and social support, can act as mediators of the predictive relationship between the environment and physical activity. The present study examines the direct and indirect effects of environmental, psychological, and social factors on walking, moderate-intensity activity excluding walking, and vigorous-intensity activity among Japanese adults. The participants included 1,928 Japanese adults aged 20-79 years. Seven sociodemographic attributes (e.g., gender, age, education level, employment status), psychological variables (self-efficacy, pros, and cons), social variables (social support), environmental variables (home fitness equipment, access to facilities, neighborhood safety, aesthetic sensibilities, and frequency of observing others exercising), and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire were assessed via an Internet-based survey. Structural equation modeling was conducted to determine associations between environmental, psychological, and social factors with physical activity. Environmental factors could be seen to have indirect effects on physical activity through their influence on psychological and social variables such as self-efficacy, pros and cons, and social support. The strongest indirect effects could be observed by examining the consequences of environmental factors on physical activity through cons to self-efficacy. The total effects of environmental factors on physical activity were 0.02 on walking, 0.02 on moderate-intensity activity excluding walking, and 0.05 on vigorous-intensity activity. The present study indicates that environmental factors had indirect effects on walking, moderate-intensity activity excluding walking and

Environmental, psychological, and social influences on physical activity among Japanese adults: structural equation modeling analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ishii Kaori

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background An understanding of the contributing factors to be considered when examining how individuals engage in physical activity is important for promoting population-based physical activity. The environment influences long-term effects on population-based health behaviors. Personal variables, such as self-efficacy and social support, can act as mediators of the predictive relationship between the environment and physical activity. The present study examines the direct and indirect effects of environmental, psychological, and social factors on walking, moderate-intensity activity excluding walking, and vigorous-intensity activity among Japanese adults. Methods The participants included 1,928 Japanese adults aged 20-79 years. Seven sociodemographic attributes (e.g., gender, age, education level, employment status, psychological variables (self-efficacy, pros, and cons, social variables (social support, environmental variables (home fitness equipment, access to facilities, neighborhood safety, aesthetic sensibilities, and frequency of observing others exercising, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire were assessed via an Internet-based survey. Structural equation modeling was conducted to determine associations between environmental, psychological, and social factors with physical activity. Results Environmental factors could be seen to have indirect effects on physical activity through their influence on psychological and social variables such as self-efficacy, pros and cons, and social support. The strongest indirect effects could be observed by examining the consequences of environmental factors on physical activity through cons to self-efficacy. The total effects of environmental factors on physical activity were 0.02 on walking, 0.02 on moderate-intensity activity excluding walking, and 0.05 on vigorous-intensity activity. Conclusions The present study indicates that environmental factors had indirect effects on

Psychosocial factors for influencing healthy aging in adults in Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, KyungHun; Lee, YunJung; Gu, JaSung; Oh, Hee; Han, JongHee; Kim, KwuyBun

2015-03-07

Healthy aging includes physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being in later years. The purpose of this study is to identify the psychosocial factors influencing healthy aging and examining their socio-demographic characteristics. Perceived health status, depression, self-esteem, self-achievement, ego-integrity, participation in leisure activities, and loneliness were identified as influential factors in healthy aging. 171 Korean adults aged between 45 and 77 years-old participated in the study. Self-reporting questionnaires were used, followed by descriptive statistics and multiple regressions as inferential statistical analyses. There were significant differences between participants' general characteristics: age, education, religion, housing, hobby, and economic status. The factors related to healthy aging had positive correlation with perceived health status, self-esteem, self-achievements, and leisure activities, and negative correlation with depression and loneliness. The factors influencing healthy aging were depression, leisure activities, perceived health status, ego integrity, and self-achievements. These factors were able to explain 51.9%. According to the results, depression is the factor with the greatest influence on healthy aging. Perceived health status, ego integrity, self-achievement, self-esteem, participation of leisure activities were also influential on healthy aging as beneficial factors.

Influence of Friends on Children’s Physical Activity: A Review

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Maturo, Claire C.

2013-01-01

We examined evidence for friendship influences on children's physical activity (PA) through systematic searches of online databases in May 2012. We identified 106 studies (25 qualitative) published in English since 2000 that analyzed indicators of friendship influences (e.g., communication about PA, friends’ PA, and PA with friends) among persons younger than 19 years. Children's PA was positively associated with encouragement from friends (43 of 55 studies indicating a positive relationship), friends' own PA (30/35), and engagement with friends in PA (9/10). These findings are consistent with friends influencing PA, but most studies did not isolate influence from other factors that could explain similarity. Understanding friendship influences in childhood can facilitate the promotion of lifelong healthy habits. PA with friends should be considered in health promotion programs. PMID:23678914

Influences of Caregivers' Cultural Norms, Values, Beliefs and Experiences on Caregiver Physical Aggression

OpenAIRE

Lin, Joyce

2016-01-01

The negative impact of physical violence against children is well established, but cultural norms surrounding appropriate acts of violence vary and aspects of one’s culture influence these behaviors. Given that the U.S. is multicultural, it is critical to examine which aspects of immigrants’ cultures are risky or protective for physical discipline. However, researchers who study the links between culture and physical punishment typically focus on one culture and the factors identified in one ...

Attitudes, norms and controls influencing lifestyle risk factor management in general practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

McKenzie Suzanne H

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background With increasing rates of chronic disease associated with lifestyle behavioural risk factors, there is urgent need for intervention strategies in primary health care. Currently there is a gap in the knowledge of factors that influence the delivery of preventive strategies by General Practitioners (GPs around interventions for smoking, nutrition, alcohol consumption and physical activity (SNAP. This qualitative study explores the delivery of lifestyle behavioural risk factor screening and management by GPs within a 45–49 year old health check consultation. The aims of this research are to identify the influences affecting GPs' choosing to screen and choosing to manage SNAP lifestyle risk factors, as well as identify influences on screening and management when multiple SNAP factors exist. Methods A total of 29 audio-taped interviews were conducted with 15 GPs and one practice nurse over two stages. Transcripts from the interviews were thematically analysed, and a model of influencing factors on preventive care behaviour was developed using the Theory of Planned Behaviour as a structural framework. Results GPs felt that assessing smoking status was straightforward, however some found assessing alcohol intake only possible during a formal health check. Diet and physical activity were often inferred from appearance, only being assessed if the patient was overweight. The frequency and thoroughness of assessment were influenced by the GPs' personal interests and perceived congruence with their role, the level of risk to the patient, the capacity of the practice and availability of time. All GPs considered advising and educating patients part of their professional responsibility. However their attempts to motivate patients were influenced by perceptions of their own effectiveness, with smoking causing the most frustration. Active follow-up and referral of patients appeared to depend on the GPs' orientation to preventive care, the

Attitudes, norms and controls influencing lifestyle risk factor management in general practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Ampt, Amanda J; Amoroso, Cheryl; Harris, Mark F; McKenzie, Suzanne H; Rose, Vanessa K; Taggart, Jane R

2009-08-26

With increasing rates of chronic disease associated with lifestyle behavioural risk factors, there is urgent need for intervention strategies in primary health care. Currently there is a gap in the knowledge of factors that influence the delivery of preventive strategies by General Practitioners (GPs) around interventions for smoking, nutrition, alcohol consumption and physical activity (SNAP). This qualitative study explores the delivery of lifestyle behavioural risk factor screening and management by GPs within a 45-49 year old health check consultation. The aims of this research are to identify the influences affecting GPs' choosing to screen and choosing to manage SNAP lifestyle risk factors, as well as identify influences on screening and management when multiple SNAP factors exist. A total of 29 audio-taped interviews were conducted with 15 GPs and one practice nurse over two stages. Transcripts from the interviews were thematically analysed, and a model of influencing factors on preventive care behaviour was developed using the Theory of Planned Behaviour as a structural framework. GPs felt that assessing smoking status was straightforward, however some found assessing alcohol intake only possible during a formal health check. Diet and physical activity were often inferred from appearance, only being assessed if the patient was overweight. The frequency and thoroughness of assessment were influenced by the GPs' personal interests and perceived congruence with their role, the level of risk to the patient, the capacity of the practice and availability of time. All GPs considered advising and educating patients part of their professional responsibility. However their attempts to motivate patients were influenced by perceptions of their own effectiveness, with smoking causing the most frustration. Active follow-up and referral of patients appeared to depend on the GPs' orientation to preventive care, the patient's motivation, and cost and accessibility of

Zimbabwean Female Participation in Physics: Factors of Identity Formation Considered as Contributing to Developing an Orientation to Physics by Female Students

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Gudyanga, Anna

2016-01-01

The study investigated the Zimbabwean female participation in physics, with special emphasis on the factors of identity formation considered as contributing to developing an orientation to physics by female students. The main study from which this paper was taken explored the influence of identity formation on the Zimbabwean Advanced Level…

Factors that influence women's dispositions toward science

Science.gov (United States)

Atria, Catherine Graczyk

Females have been underrepresented in the study of science and science careers for decades although advancements have been made in closing this gender gap, the gap persists particularly in the physical sciences. Variables which influence a woman's desire to pursue and maintain a science course of study and career must be discovered. The United States lags behind other industrialized countries in the fields of science, math, and engineering. Females comprise an estimated half of the population; their potential contributions cannot be ignored or overlooked. This retrospective research study explores the personal experiences of ten women enrolled in science majors, with science related career plans. The goal of this study is to describe the factors that influence the participants' interest in science. The findings, the effect of science coursework, science teachers' personality and manner, other influential educational personnel, role models and mentors, external influences exclusive of school, parental influence, locus of control and positive attitudes toward science confirm what other researchers have found.

Factors Influencing of Social Conflict

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Suwandi Sumartias

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Social conflicts that occur in several areas in Indonesia lately, one of them is caused by the weakness of law certainty. This is feared to threaten the integration of the Republic of Indonesia. This study aims to determine the factors that affect social conflict in Manis Lor village in Kuningan district. The method used the explanatory quantitative methods, the statistical test Path Analysis. The study population was a formal and informal community leaders (village chief, clergy, and youth, and the people who involved in a conflict in Manis Lor village Kuningan regency. The result shows a There is no significant influence between social identity factors with social conflict anarchist. b There is significant influence between socio-economic factors with social conflict anarchists. c There is no significant influence between the credibility factor anarchist leaders with social conflict. d There is no significant influence between the motive factor with anarchist social conflict. e There is significant influence between personality factors/beliefs with anarchist social conflict. f There is significant influence of behavioral factors anarchist communication with social conflict.

Factors influencing the quality of life of haemodialysis patients according to symptom cluster.

Science.gov (United States)

Shim, Hye Yeung; Cho, Mi-Kyoung

2018-05-01

To identify the characteristics in each symptom cluster and factors influencing the quality of life of haemodialysis patients in Korea according to cluster. Despite developments in renal replacement therapy, haemodialysis still restricts the activities of daily living due to pain and impairs physical functioning induced by the disease and its complications. Descriptive survey. Two hundred and thirty dialysis patients aged >18 years. They completed self-administered questionnaires of Dialysis Symptom Index and Kidney Disease Quality of Life instrument-Short Form 1.3. To determine the optimal number of clusters, the collected data were analysed using polytomous variable latent class analysis in R software (poLCA) to estimate the latent class models and the latent class regression models for polytomous outcome variables. Differences in characteristics, symptoms and QOL according to the symptom cluster of haemodialysis patients were analysed using the independent t test and chi-square test. The factors influencing the QOL according to symptom cluster were identified using hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Physical and emotional symptoms were significantly more severe, and the QOL was significantly worse in Cluster 1 than in Cluster 2. The factors influencing the QOL were spouse, job, insurance type and physical and emotional symptoms in Cluster 1, with these variables having an explanatory power of 60.9%. Physical and emotional symptoms were the only influencing factors in Cluster 2, and they had an explanatory power of 37.4%. Mitigating the symptoms experienced by haemodialysis patients and improving their QOL require educational and therapeutic symptom management interventions that are tailored according to the characteristics and symptoms in each cluster. The findings of this study are expected to lead to practical guidelines for addressing the symptoms experienced by haemodialysis patients, and they provide basic information for developing nursing

Influence of the physical environment on treatment effect in exercise therapy for knee or hip pain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sandal, Louise Fleng

treatment outcomes in other health-care settings, such as rehabilitation and exercise therapy settings. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the role of the physical environment as a contributor to context effects in the treatment response from exercise therapy as treatment for muskuloskeletal pain......Context effects are defined as the effects of a given treatment, not directly caused by the treatment itself, but, rather, caused by the context in which the treatment is delivered. The patient-practitioner relationship is a known context factor, but it is hard to standardize across health-care...... settings. The physical environment is easier to standardize and may act as a context factor and influence treatment outcomes. Studies from hospital environments have shown that the physical environment influences health outcomes, patients, and clinicians. It is unknown if the physical environment affects...

The Contribution of Home, Neighbourhood and School Environmental Factors in Explaining Physical Activity among Adolescents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haerens, L.; Deforche, B.; Cardon, G.; Bourdeaudhuij, I.D.; Craeynest, M.; Maes, L.

2010-01-01

The present study aimed at investigating the influence of home, neighbourhood and school environmental factors on adolescents' engagement in self-reported extracurricular physical activity and leisure time sports and on MVPA objectively measured by accelerometers. Environmental factors were assessed using questionnaires. Gender specific hierarchical regression analyses were conducted, with demographic variables entered in the first block, and environmental, psychosocial factors and interactions terms entered in the second block. Participation in extracurricular activities at school was positively related to the number of organized activities and the provision of supervision. Perceived accessibility of neighborhood facilities was not related to engagement in leisure time sports, whereas the availability of sedentary and physical activity equipment was. Findings were generally supportive of ecological theories stating that behaviors are influenced by personal and environmental factors that are constantly interacting.

Contextual factors influencing leisure physical activity of urbanized indigenous adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Lo, Feng-En; Tsai, Feng-Chou; Lee, Ming-Been; Tsai, Liang-Ting; Lyu, Shu-Yu; Yang, Chih-Chien

2015-11-01

Indigenous populations suffer from disparities in socioeconomic resources and health status. One approach to addressing these disparities is by targeting modifiable risk factors such as leisure physical activity (LPA). This study investigated and compared factors related to LPA among urbanized indigenous and nonindigenous adolescent students. This cross-sectional survey comprised fifth to ninth grade indigenous and nonindigenous students (n = 733). The nonindigenous students were matched with indigenous students on sex and academic achievement and used as a reference group. Data were collected through telephone interviews using structured questionnaires. Major items included: demographic characteristics; average time spent watching television per bout; participation in LPA; and stress and depression experiences. With the exception of the duration of television watching per bout, Chi-square and independent t tests demonstrated that there were no significant differences between indigenous and nonindigenous adolescents in the selected LPA-related factors. Multiple logistic regression analysis including terms investigating interaction between ethnicity and the contextual factors included in this study indicated that the following factors were correlated with LPA participation: age [odds ratio (OR) = 0.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.71-0.94], male sex (OR = 1.77, 95%CI = 1.19-2.61), total hours spent watching television in the past 2 weeks (OR = 0.79, 95%CI = 0.63-0.99), life satisfaction (OR = 2.25, 95%CI = 1.04-4.90), and exercise enjoyment (OR = 3.40, 95%CI = 1.71-6.74). However, neither indigenous status (OR = 1.03, 95%CI = 0.19-5.79) nor any of the interaction terms reached the significant level. No significant ethnic differences were found in LPA participation. LPA was significantly correlated with age, male sex, total time spent watching television, life satisfaction, and enjoyment of exercise. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

An exploration study on factors influencing Iranian food industry

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Arash Hosseinzadeh

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The proposed study of this paper present an empirical investigation to detect important factors impacting on food market using factor analysis. The proposed study designed a questionnaire, distributed among 207 customers who were regular customers of two food chains in city of Tehran, Iran named Shahrvand and Hyperstar. The results of our survey indicate that six major factors including brand loyalty, physical characteristics, pricing effects, performance characteristics, brand relationship and brand position influence food industry, significantly. In terms of the first factor, brand loyalty, “Trust”, “Packaging design characteristics”, “Competitive pricing strategy”, “Stability in quality”, “External relationships” and “Meeting expectations” are important factors in different categories.

Nursing students' learning dynamics and influencing factors in clinical contexts.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jung Jae; Clarke, Charlotte L; Carson, Maggie N

2018-03-01

Clinical placements are essential for students to develop clinical skills to qualify as nurses. However, various difficulties encountered by nursing students during their clinical education detract from developing clinical competencies. This constructivist grounded theory study aims to explore nursing students' experiences in clinical nursing education, and to identify the factors that influence the clinical education students receive. Twenty-one individual and six group semi-structured interviews were conducted with sixteen fourth year nursing students and four registered nurses. This research identified six factors that influence nursing students' clinical education: interpersonal, socio-cultural, instructional, environmental, emotional and physical factors. The research has developed a dynamic model of learning in clinical contexts, which offers opportunities to understand how students' learning is influenced multifactorially during clinical placements. The understanding and application of the model can improve nursing instructional design, and subsequently, nursing students' learning in clinical contexts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors influencing societal response of nanotechnology: an expert stakeholder analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gupta, Nidhi, E-mail: nidhi.gupta@wur.nl; Fischer, Arnout R. H., E-mail: arnout.fischer@wur.nl; Lans, Ivo A. van der, E-mail: Ivo.vanderLans@wur.nl [Wageningen University, Marketing and Consumer Behaviour Group (Netherlands); Frewer, Lynn J., E-mail: lynn.frewer@newcastle.ac.uk [Newcastle University, School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (United Kingdom)

2012-05-15

Nanotechnology can be described as an emerging technology and, as has been the case with other emerging technologies such as genetic modification, different socio-psychological factors will potentially influence societal responses to its development and application. These factors will play an important role in how nanotechnology is developed and commercialised. This article aims to identify expert opinion on factors influencing societal response to applications of nanotechnology. Structured interviews with experts on nanotechnology from North West Europe were conducted using repertory grid methodology in conjunction with generalized Procrustes analysis to examine the psychological constructs underlying societal uptake of 15 key applications of nanotechnology drawn from different areas (e.g. medicine, agriculture and environment, chemical, food, military, sports, and cosmetics). Based on expert judgement, the main factors influencing societal response to different applications of nanotechnology will be the extent to which applications are perceived to be beneficial, useful, and necessary, and how 'real' and physically close to the end-user these applications are perceived to be by the public.

[Discuss on effect of physical environmental factors on nature of Chinese materia medica].

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Shihuan; Yang, Hongjun; Huang, Luqi

2010-01-01

Nature of Chinese materia medica is the nucleus in the theory of Chinese material medica, according to the recognition of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which is the character of the drug related on curative effect. Nature and efficacy of a drug is through the medical material, then, physical environment, including the temperature, humidity, atmospheric water, wind, topography, soil, micro-organism, and so on, influence the growth and development of the medical meterial. In this paper, we researched the explanation on nature of Chinese materia medica in the medical books of past dynasties, combined with the modem research, analyzed the relationship between generative reception and physical environmental factors, and discussed the effect of physical environmental factors on nature of Chinese materia medica. We indicated that the formation of Chinese materia medical nature is that the drug receptive the change of physical environmental factors, and resulted by the synthetic action of the factors, such as climate, soil, biology, topography, etc.

Participation restrictions in ambulatory amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients: Physical and psychological factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Groenestijn, Annerieke C; Schröder, Carin D; Kruitwagen-Van Reenen, Esther T; Van Den Berg, Leonard H; Visser-Meily, Johanna M A

2017-11-01

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of participation restrictions in ambulatory patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and to identify physical and psychological contributory factors. In this cross-sectional study, self-reported participation restrictions of 72 ambulatory ALS patients were assessed using the social health status dimension (SIPSOC) of the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP-68). Associations between SIPSOC and physical functioning, psychological factors, and demographic factors were analyzed using hierarchical regression analyses. Ninety-two percent of the patients reported participation restrictions; 54.9% could be explained by physical functioning; psychological factors accounted for 8.1% of the variance. Lung capacity, functional mobility, fatigue, and helplessness were independently associated with participation restrictions. Ambulatory ALS patients have participation restrictions, which may be influenced if early ALS care is directed toward lung capacity, functional mobility, fatigue, and feelings of helplessness. Muscle Nerve 56: 912-918, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Factors influencing healthcare worker's participation in physical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

African Journal for Physical Activity and Health Sciences ... in one public hospital in South Africa: Do healthcare workers have barriers to exercise? ... Binary logistic regression was used to determine the association between barriers, attitude, ...

The impact of physical activity on cumulative cardiovascular disease risk factors among Malaysian adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Rasiah, Rajah; Thangiah, Govindamal; Yusoff, Khalid; Manikam, Rishya; Chandrasekaran, Sankara Kumar; Mustafa, Rujhan; Bakar, Najmin Binti Abu

2015-12-16

Numerous studies have shown the importance of physical activity in reducing the morbidity and mortality rates caused by cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, most of these studies emphasise little on the cumulative effect of CVD risk factors. Hence, this study investigates the association between physical exercise and cumulative CVD risk factors among adults in three different age groups. Using a sample of 7276 respondents drawn from community centers, the REDISCOVER team gathered information on physical activity, CVD risk factors (obesity, diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, tobacco use) and socioeconomic and demographic variables in Malaysia. Because the study required medical examination, a convenience sampling frame was preferred in which all volunteers were included in the study. Fasting blood samples and anthropometric (height, weight and more) measurements were collected by trained staffs. Socio-demographic and physical activity variables were recorded through questionnaires. A Chi-square test was performed to identify the bivariate association between the covariates (socioeconomic variables, demographic variables and physical activity) and outcome variable. The association between the main exposure, physical activity, and the outcome variable, cumulative CVD risk factors, was assessed using an ordinal logistic regression model, controlling for socioeconomic status and demographic influences in three different age groups, 35-49, 50-64 and 65 and above. The mean age of participants is 51.8 (SD = 9.4). Respondents in the age groups of 35-49 (aORmoderate = 0.12; 95 % CI: 0.02 - 0.53 ) and 65 and above (aORhigh = 0.58; 95 % CI: 0.24, 0.78) showed a statistically significant inverse relationship between physical activity and cumulative CVD risk factors. However, this relationship was not significant among respondents in the 50-64 age group suggesting the possible influence of other variables, such as stress and environment. The

Perceived influence of intrinsic/extrinsic factors on participation in life activities after spinal cord injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Cobb, John E; Leblond, Jean; Dumont, Frédéric S; Noreau, Luc

2018-04-03

Various types of limitations on community participation are experienced by people with spinal cord injury (SCI). To determine: 1) the perceived influence of six intrinsic/extrinsic factors (i.e. physical impairment, emotional condition, thinking skills, environment, lack of assistance, discrimination) on participation in 26 life activities, 2) if this influence varied based on extent of participation, and 3) if personal or environmental characteristics influenced perceptions. Secondary analysis of a cohort (SCI Community Survey, n = 1508) using the SCI Person-Perceived Participation in Daily Activities Questionnaire. Frequency tables, Fisher's exact tests and correspondence analyses. Respectively, 79.6% and 38.5% of respondents perceived that their physical impairment and the natural and/or built environment were the main factors that limited participation across all activities. Considering participation between three groups (no participation; less than wanted; as much as wanted), significant differences (p intrinsic/extrinsic factors on participation was not significantly influenced by other personal or environmental characteristics. A majority of people with SCI perceived that their participation is limited by one or more of intrinsic/extrinsic factors. Perceptions regarding which factors influence participation differ between activities and these perceptions appear related to the extent of participation suggesting that those who actively participate could be the most sensitive to limitations in certain activities. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Influence of Social Factors on Life Satisfaction in Old Age

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Boris Miha Kaučič

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Research question (RQ: What is the connection between social factors and life satisfaction in old age? Purpose: The purpose of this research was to establish the influence of social factors on life satisfaction in old age. Method: The quantitative research method was used, a causal non-experimental method. As sampling data technique we used the technique of a survey questionnaire in ten statistical regions. For the analysis of causal effects and conditional associations we used the advanced statistical propensity score methods (Rubin, 2006. From the statistical set a simple random sample was chosen, we decided on proportionate stratification. For measuring life satisfaction we used Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener, to which we added questions in order to study social factors. The research included 656 older adults aged 65 years and above, living in the home environment or in social care institutions. Results: Closely connected to life satisfaction in old age is the living conditions index (housing conditions, environment, financial situation, safety, whereas the lifestyle index (physical activity, nutrition, smoking, alcohol consumption is less closely connected. Discussion: Life satisfaction in old age is importantly influenced by social factors – suitable living conditions and less influenced by a healthy lifestyle, both of which allow for a quality life also in old age. Society: The research has an important influence on the society, as too little attention is being devoted to the phenomenon of ageing. By alerting the public we wish to contribute towards the detabuisation of ageing and ageism. For the stable healthcare system it is important that older adults remain healthy, independent and satisfied. Originality: The originality of the research is in the studying of social factor in the holistic model of satisfaction with life in the old age, which also includes physical, psychological and spiritual factors. Limitations

School Physical Education and Gender: Influences from outside the school at participation in classes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juliana Fagundes Jaco

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Participation in physical education classes is a complex issue; many factors lead students to participate in classroom activities in different ways. This research examines how the way to take part in the class is influenced by experiences outside of school. In this way, seeks to analyze how the actions and family discourses influence the different interests of girls and boys, such as the participation in physical activities outside of school. Also, examines the influence of the participating inside of the school, and how expectations and understandings of bodily practices for boys and girls influence different ways to participate in classes when comparing the male and female gender. For this, held semi-structured interviews and classroom observations into four groups of the eighth year of two public schools in the city of Campinas-SP. The notes of this research indicated that the experience and knowledge of the body and body practice outside of school have the big influence on the ways of participating in classes. The cultural environment of the students gave different experiences and understandings for boys and girls in the knowledge that circulate in physical education classes and contributed in different ways to participate in class. Keywords: Physical Education, Gender, Participation

[Physical factors influencing the floristic relationships of pinyon pine (Pinaceae) from San Luis Potosi, Mexico].

Science.gov (United States)

Romero, Angélica; Luna, Mario; García, Edmundo

2014-06-01

In plant communities, the species distribution patterns and their relationships with environmental factors are of central importance in ecology. In San Luis Potosí of Mexico, woodlands of Pinus cembroides and P. johannis are sympatric, but P. cembroides tends to be located in South and Southwest slopes, in more disturbed sites; unlike, P. johannis, is mostly distributed in mesic areas, in North and Northeast slopes. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of some physical factors on the floristic similarity of pinyon pine P. cembroides and P. johannis. The study area was located in the Sierra San Miguelito, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. We selected 40 sampling units spread over an area of 50km2. In each unit, we laid out two 20m long lines perpendicular to each other, in which we recorded cover data of the plant species intercepted. We developed two data matrices, the first one including cover values of 91 species, and the second one, considering seven topographical, climatic, and solar radiation variables. We applied cluster analysis and ordination to explore the influence of environmental variables on the floristic differentiation of pinyon pine woodlands. Clustering showed six groups, the first three characterized by P. cembroides. The ordination showed that variance represented by the first three axes was 65.9%. Axis 1 was positively correlated with altitude and negatively with mean annual temperature; axes two and three, showed low correlation with the variables tested. P. cembroides woodlands and accompanying flora tend to be located in lower altitude, higher mean annual temperature, and mainly in South-Southwestern slopes. In contrast, stands of P. johannis, mixed stands of P. johannis-P. cembroides, and Quercus potosina, were usually founded in greater altitudes, mean annual temperature slightly lower, and North-Northeastern exposure. The sites of these monospecific and mixed woodlands with associated species, indicators of environmental variables

The influences of the physical-chemical factors on the free-volume relations in polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartos, J.; Kristiak, J.; Kristiakova, K.; Sausa, O.; Bandzuch, P.

1995-01-01

The positron annihilation spectroscopy was used to the study of different physical-chemical factors on the free-volume microstructure of the model polymeric systems [amorphous 1,4-cis-poly(butadiene), amorphous a-tactic and semi-crystal iso-tactic poly(propylene), polycarbonate

Factors influencing the implementation of organized physical activity and fruit and vegetable snacks in the HOP'N after-school obesity prevention program.

Science.gov (United States)

Hastmann, Tanis J; Bopp, Melissa; Fallon, Elizabeth A; Rosenkranz, Richard R; Dzewaltowski, David A

2013-01-01

To identify barriers and facilitators for improving the after-school organized physical activity (PA) and snack quality. After-school staff (Year 1, n = 20; Year 2, n = 17) participated in qualitative, semistructured interviews about the implementation of an after-school obesity prevention intervention. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded for common themes, and analyzed using NVivo software. Several factors influencing implementation of PA and fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption were revealed. Facilitators for PA included: staff training, equipment/gym space, and scheduling organized PA. Physical activity barriers included prioritizing PA and lack of school administration support. Fruit and vegetable facilitators included requesting healthier snacks. Fruit and vegetable barriers included cost and low priority of snack. The success of improving after-school PA and FV snack quality is dependent on many factors, including several organizational system and staff variables. Future research should focus on systemic changes in the after-school environment to increase the priority of daily PA and a healthy snack. Copyright © 2013 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of lifestyle factors on mammographic density in postmenopausal women.

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Judith S Brand

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Mammographic density is a strong risk factor for breast cancer. Apart from hormone replacement therapy (HRT, little is known about lifestyle factors that influence breast density. METHODS: We examined the effect of smoking, alcohol and physical activity on mammographic density in a population-based sample of postmenopausal women without breast cancer. Lifestyle factors were assessed by a questionnaire and percentage and area measures of mammographic density were measured using computer-assisted software. General linear models were used to assess the association between lifestyle factors and mammographic density and effect modification by body mass index (BMI and HRT was studied. RESULTS: Overall, alcohol intake was positively associated with percent mammographic density (P trend  = 0.07. This association was modified by HRT use (P interaction  = 0.06: increasing alcohol intake was associated with increasing percent density in current HRT users (P trend  = 0.01 but not in non-current users (P trend  = 0.82. A similar interaction between alcohol and HRT was found for the absolute dense area, with a positive association being present in current HRT users only (P interaction  = 0.04. No differences in mammographic density were observed across categories of smoking and physical activity, neither overall nor in stratified analyses by BMI and HRT use. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing alcohol intake is associated with an increase in mammography density, whereas smoking and physical activity do not seem to influence density. The observed interaction between alcohol and HRT may pose an opportunity for HRT users to lower their mammographic density and breast cancer risk.

[The influence of psychosocial factors on mental well-being and physical complaints before and after undergoing an in-patient abortion].

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Barnow, S; Ball, J; Döring, K; Lucht, M; Freyberger, H J; Fischer, W

2001-01-01

In this study, 57 women were examined in terms of the influence of different psychosocial factors on their subsequent mental well-being and physical complaints one day before, one day after, and 3 months after undergoing an in-patient abortion. Furthermore a control group of 40 in-patients (women with pregnancy related problems) were included in the study. The results show that prior to the abortion, most women reported a multitude of psychological and physical problems. However, it was also shown that for the majority of the women interviewed, mental well-being and physical complaints improved significantly one day and 3 months after the abortion. While feelings such as relief predominated immediately postoperatively, after 3 months, participants reported feeling cheerful and interested in activities. Further, it was demonstrated that women whose general mood was more pronouncedly anxious-depressive one day prior to operation later (after 3 months) reported many complaints and worse well-being. It appears that these women were not able to experience the abortion as a problem solutions. Finally, the great importance of the quality of their relationship and cohesion was demonstrated in the decision to abort, while pregnancy counselling was found to have no effect.

Important factors influencing the return to work after stroke.

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Wang, Ying-Chih; Kapellusch, Jay; Garg, Arun

2014-01-01

As the field of rehabilitation shifts its focus towards improving functional capacity instead of managing disability, return to work (RTW) and return to the community emerge as key goals in a person's recovery from major disabling illness such as stroke. To compile important factors believed to influence RTW after a stroke. Based on a comprehensive literature review, we clustered similar factors and organized these factors based on the International Classification of Function, Disability and Health (ICF) framework: body functions or structure, activity participation, environmental factors and personal and psychosocial factors. Overall, stroke severity, as assessed by the degree of residual disability such as weakness, neurological deficit or impairments (speech, cognition, apraxia, agnosia), has been shown to be the most consistent negative predictor of RTW. Many factors such as the number of working years remaining until retirement, depression, medical history, and occupation need to be taken into consideration for stroke survivors, as they can influence RTW decision making. Stroke survivors who are flexible and realistic in their vocational goal and emotionally accept their disability appear more likely to return to work. There are many barriers to employment for stroke survivors ranging from physical and cognitive impairments to psychosocial and environmental factors.

Factors That Influence Park Use and Physical Activity in Predominantly Hispanic and Low-Income Neighborhoods.

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Dolash, Karry; He, Meizi; Yin, Zenong; Sosa, Erica T

2015-04-01

Park features' association with physical activity among predominantly Hispanic communities is not extensively researched. The purpose of this study was to assess factors associated with park use and physical activity among park users in predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods. Data were collected across 6 parks and included park environmental assessments to evaluate park features, physical activity observations to estimate physical activity energy expenditure as kcal/kg/ minute per person, and park user interviews to assess motivators for park use. Quantitative data analysis included independent t tests and ANOVA. Thematic analysis of park user interviews was conducted collectively and by parks. Parks that were renovated had higher physical activity energy expenditure scores (mean = .086 ± .027) than nonrenovated parks (mean = .077 ± .028; t = -3.804; P motivation to be physically active, using the play spaces in the park, parks as the main place for physical activity, and social support for using parks. Renovations to park amenities, such as increasing basketball courts and trail availability, could potentially increase physical activity among low-socioeconomic-status populations.

[Factors influencing self-perception of overweight people].

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Makara-Studzińska, Marta; Podstawka, Danuta; Goclon, Karolina

2013-11-01

Shaping of self-perception is among others influenced by physical, interpersonal, emotional, and cultural factors. In self-perception of overweight people an important role is played by interpersonal factors, which include the opinions of others and the relationship with the surrounding. The evaluation of the body image is also affect by sociocultural factors including the media, which create an unrealistic and impossible to achieve ideal of beauty. Contemporary ideal of beauty, where a slim figure is dominant, more frequently contributes to the occurrence of discrimination and stigmatization of overweight people. This phenomenon causes negative self-perception leading to the occurrence of such emotional problems as low self-esteem, lack of confidence, depression and anxiety disorders. Overweight children and adolescents are also frequently stigmatized and discriminated because of their body weight, which results in the development of a negative body image that may lead to low self-esteem and symptoms of depression.

Factors that influence pa of adult inhabitants in the Olomouc region

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Svatopluk Horák

2011-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Regular physical activity has significant benefits for health. For instance, it can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoporosis, help control weight, and promote psychological well-being. There are many factors that can influence physical activity; socioeconomic status, family, size of place of residence, environmental conditions etc AIM: The aim of the study was to analyze physical activity and inactivity of adult population in the Olomouc region in terms of size of residence, type of housing, body weight status, smoking and participation in organized physical activity. METHODS: 1011 randomly selected residents of the Olomouc region (448 males and 563 females aged 41.14 ± 8.63 years participated in this study. To obtain selected indicators of physical activity, we used the ANEWS questionnaire which was distributed by university students in Spring and Fall periods from 2005 to 2009. For healthy adults aged 18 to 65 years, the goal recommended by the WHO is to achieve a minimum of 30 minutes of moderateintensity physical activity 5 days a week or at least 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity 3 days a week. RESULTS: The most physically active were males aged 36-45 years. From the selected correlates, those with the highest influence on total weekly PA were the size of residence and type of house. On the other hand, factors that did not affect total weekly PA were smoking, participation in organized PA and body mass index. The most commonly performed type of PA is cycling; followed in males with soccer and tennis and in women with aerobic dance and fitness walking. CONCLUSION: In the Olomouc region there is a need to preserve and develop the conditions to perform PA. Due to the landscape in the Olomouc region and due to the popularity of cycling, we recommend focus on this type of PA.

Human factors influencing decision making

OpenAIRE

Jacobs, Patricia A.

1998-01-01

This report supplies references and comments on literature that identifies human factors influencing decision making, particularly military decision making. The literature has been classified as follows (the classes are not mutually exclusive): features of human information processing; decision making models which are not mathematical models but rather are descriptive; non- personality factors influencing decision making; national characteristics influencing decision makin...

Physical activity, evaluation of menopause, life satisfaction and influence tactics in marriage of perimenopausal women

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Eugenia Mandal

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Background Domination of the biomedical approach to menopause may imply creation of negative attitudes to the phenomenon, and at the same time negatively affect women’s life satisfaction and behaviour in the family. It is assumed that physical activity may be a defensive factor, as this type of activity may reduce the intensity of menopause symptoms. The aim of the research was to determine the relation between menopause evaluation, life satisfaction and tactics of influence employed in marriage by women who differ in involvement in physical exercise. Participants and procedure The research was conducted among 90 women, at the age of 45-55: 45 physically active women and 45 women who do not engage in any physical activity. The following research methods were used: the Menopause Evaluation Scale, the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS and the Questionnaire of Influence in Close Relations of Women and Men. Results Positive evaluation of menopause was related to involvement in physical exercise as well as to a stronger tendency to use positive strategies of exerting influence on one’s spouse. The research also showed a slight correlation between life satisfaction and involvement in physical exercise. Negative evaluation of menopause was related to avoiding physical activity. Conclusions Physical activity is more frequently related to a positive attitude towards menopause and the use of more positive tactics of exerting influence on one’s spouse, and slightly positively conducive to one’s life satisfaction level.

A Survey of Psychological, Motivational, Family and Perceptions of Physics Education Factors that Explain 15-Year-Old Students' Aspirations to Study Physics in Post-Compulsory English Schools

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Mujtaba, Tamjid; Reiss, Michael J.

2014-01-01

This paper investigates the factors that influence 15-year-old students' intentions to study physics post-16, when it is no longer compulsory. The analysis is based on the year 10 (age, 15 years) responses of 5,034 students from 137 England schools as learners of physics during the academic year 2008-2009. Factor analyses uncovered a range of…

Experiences that influence a student's choice on majoring in physics

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Dobbin, Donya Rae

Currently the production of college graduates with science and engineering degrees is insufficient to fill the increasing number of jobs requiring these skills. This study focuses on physics majors with an in-depth examination of student transitions from high school to college. Many different areas of influence could affect a student's decision to major in physics. The first phase of this study addresses all of the potential areas of influence identified from the literature. The goal was to identify common influences that might be used to increase students' interest in majoring in physics. Subjects (N=35) from the first phase were recruited from physics majors at diverse Michigan colleges and universities. The second phase of this study explored, in more depth, important areas of influence identified in the first phase of the study. Subjects (N=94) from the second phase were recruited from diverse colleges and universities in Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio. The interviews were also conducted via email. Approximately half of the students in the study decided to major in physics while still in high school. Their reasons relate to many of the areas of influence. For example, high school physics teachers were cited as a strong influence in many students' decisions to major in physics. Influential physics teachers were described as being helpful, encouraging and interesting. The teachers also need to be their students' number one cheerleader and not their number one critic. Some areas of influence were found to be different for males vs. females. A high percentage of all physics majors had influential adults with careers in physical or biological science fields. This percentage was even larger for female physics majors. Female students also showed a greater initial interest in astronomy than the male students. Thus, high school and college physics teachers should seek to expose students to science-related careers and adults with these careers. Astronomy is also an

Physical activity reduces the influence of genetic effects on BMI and waist circumference: a study in young adult twins.

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Mustelin, L; Silventoinen, K; Pietiläinen, K; Rissanen, A; Kaprio, J

2009-01-01

Both obesity and exercise behavior are influenced by genetic and environmental factors. However, whether obesity and physical inactivity share the same genetic vs environmental etiology has rarely been studied. We therefore analyzed these complex relationships, and also examined whether physical activity modifies the degree of genetic influence on body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). The FinnTwin16 Study is a population-based, longitudinal study of five consecutive birth cohorts (1975-1979) of Finnish twins. Data on height, weight, WC and physical activity of 4343 subjects at the average age of 25 (range, 22-27 years) years were obtained by a questionnaire and self-measurement of WC. Quantitative genetic analyses based on linear structural equations were carried out by the Mx statistical package. The modifying effect of physical activity on genetic and environmental influences was analyzed using gene-environment interaction models. The overall heritability estimates were 79% in males and 78% in females for BMI, 56 and 71% for WC and 55 and 54% for physical activity, respectively. There was an inverse relationship between physical activity and WC in males (r = -0.12) and females (r=-0.18), and between physical activity and BMI in females (r = -0.12). Physical activity significantly modified the heritability of BMI and WC, with a high level of physical activity decreasing the additive genetic component in BMI and WC. Physically active subjects were leaner than sedentary ones, and physical activity reduced the influence of genetic factors to develop high BMI and WC. This suggests that the individuals at greatest genetic risk for obesity would benefit the most from physical activity.

Longitudinal examination of social and environmental influences on motivation for physical activity.

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Richards, Elizabeth A; McDonough, Meghan; Fu, Rong

2017-10-01

Physical activity behavior is influenced by numerous factors including motivation, social interactions, and the walkability of the environment. To examine how social contexts and environmental features affect physical activity motivational processes across time. Participants (N=104) completed 3 monthly online surveys assessing self-determination theory constructs, social partners in physical activity, neighborhood walkability, and weekly physical activity. Longitudinal path analysis examined the degree to which physical activity was predicted by individual goals, orientation, and autonomy support and whether these associations were meditated by motivation and moderated by the social and environmental contexts of physical activity. The effect of controlled exercise orientations on physical activity was mediated by autonomous motivation. This association was stronger among those who perceived less crime in their neighborhoods. To improve the ability to tailor physical activity counseling it is important to understand how each person views exercise situations and to understand his/her social and neighborhood environments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Objectively measured physical environmental neighbourhood factors are not associated with accelerometer-determined total sedentary time in adults

OpenAIRE

Compernolle, Sofie; De Cocker, Katrien; Mackenbach, Joreintje D.; Van Nassau, Femke; Lakerveld, Jeroen; Cardon, Greet; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse

2017-01-01

Background: The physical neighbourhood environment may influence adults' sedentary behaviour. Yet, most studies examining the association between the physical neighbourhood environment and sedentary behaviour rely on self-reported data of either the physical neighbourhood environment and/or sedentary behaviour. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between objectively measured physical environmental neighbourhood factors and accelerometer-determined total sedentary time in...

Frustration influences impact of history and disciplinary attitudes on physical discipline decision making.

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Russa, Mary B; Rodriguez, Christina M; Silvia, Paul J

2014-01-01

Although intergenerational patterns of punitive physical punishment garner considerable research attention, the mechanisms by which historical, cognitive, and contextual factors interplay to influence disciplinary responding remains poorly understood. Disciplinary attitudes have been shown to mediate the association between disciplinary history and disciplinary responding. The present study investigated whether frustration influences these mediation effects. Half of a sample of 330 undergraduates was randomly assigned to frustration induction. Structural equation modeling confirmed that, for participants in the frustration condition, the relation between disciplinary history and physical discipline decision-making was fully mediated by attitudes approving physical discipline. In contrast, for respondents in the no-frustration condition, the pathway from disciplinary history to discipline decision-making was only partially mediated by attitudes. Under conditions of frustration, attitudes may become a more central means by which personal disciplinary history is associated with disciplinary decision-making. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Natural factors influencing sleep].

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Jurkowski, Marek K; Bobek-Billewicz, Barbara

2007-01-01

Sleep is a universal phenomenon of human and animal lives, although the importance of sleep for homeo-stasis is still unknown. Sleep disturbances influence many behavioral and physiologic processes, leading to health complications including death. On the other hand, sleep improvement can beneficially influence the course of healing of many disorders and can be a prognostic of health recovery. The factors influencing sleep have different biological and chemical origins. They are classical hormones, hypothalamic releasing and inhibitory hormones, neuropeptides, peptides and others as cytokines, prostaglandins, oleamid, adenosine, nitric oxide. These factors regulate most physiologic processes and are likely elements integrating sleep with physiology and physiology with sleep in health and disorders.

Influence of physical fitness on cardio-metabolic risk factors in European children. The IDEFICS study.

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Zaqout, M; Michels, N; Bammann, K; Ahrens, W; Sprengeler, O; Molnar, D; Hadjigeorgiou, C; Eiben, G; Konstabel, K; Russo, P; Jiménez-Pavón, D; Moreno, L A; De Henauw, S

2016-07-01

The aim of the study was to assess the associations of individual and combined physical fitness components with single and clustering of cardio-metabolic risk factors in children. This 2-year longitudinal study included a total of 1635 European children aged 6-11 years. The test battery included cardio-respiratory fitness (20-m shuttle run test), upper-limb strength (handgrip test), lower-limb strength (standing long jump test), balance (flamingo test), flexibility (back-saver sit-and-reach) and speed (40-m sprint test). Metabolic risk was assessed through z-score standardization using four components: waist circumference, blood pressure (systolic and diastolic), blood lipids (triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein) and insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment). Mixed model regression analyses were adjusted for sex, age, parental education, sugar and fat intake, and body mass index. Physical fitness was inversely associated with clustered metabolic risk (P<0.001). All coefficients showed a higher clustered metabolic risk with lower physical fitness, except for upper-limb strength (β=0.057; P=0.002) where the opposite association was found. Cardio-respiratory fitness (β=-0.124; P<0.001) and lower-limb strength (β=-0.076; P=0.002) were the most important longitudinal determinants. The effects of cardio-respiratory fitness were even independent of the amount of vigorous-to-moderate activity (β=-0.059; P=0.029). Among all the metabolic risk components, blood pressure seemed not well predicted by physical fitness, while waist circumference, blood lipids and insulin resistance all seemed significantly predicted by physical fitness. Poor physical fitness in children is associated with the development of cardio-metabolic risk factors. Based on our results, this risk might be modified by improving mainly cardio-respiratory fitness and lower-limb muscular strength.

Exploring Factors that Influence Domestic Tourists' Satisfaction with Budget Hotel Services in Egypt

OpenAIRE

Hossam Samy

2016-01-01

This paper aims to explore the primary factors that affect the perception of domestic tourists towards the service quality of budget hotels in Egypt. The factors were divided into three main constructs: physical quality, service quality and value for money. The primary findings reveal that the budget hotel location, cleanliness, maintenance, comfort level, hotel staff service, value for money room rates and food and beverage values are among the significant factors that influence domestic tou...

Musculoskeletal alterations associated factors physical and environmental in dental students.

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Fals Martínez, Juntzo; González Martínez, Farith; Orozco Páez, Jennifer; Correal Castillo, Sandra Patricia; Pernett Gómez, Cindy Vanessa

2012-12-01

To describe the musculoskeletal disorders and association with physical and environmental in students of Dentistry. Cross sectional study. Simple random sampling was conducted obtaining a proportional sample of 182 students per semester. Collecting information from physical and environmental exposures related to different clinical practice and this was assessed by a structured survey questionnaire type. The valuation muscle was performed by visual analysis with Scan-test. To assess factors related to working position, the instrument was used RULA. For the analysis of the association were used odds ratios with confidence intervals of 95%. For the multivariate analysis using logistic regression. 58.2% of students had pain tenderness in upper trapezius and 45.6% in area cervical. Lateral movements in the cervical found pain in 35.7%, with the bending cervical 35.1% related to all these factors own dental practice and not to other factors external. The onset of muscle pain in this population is influenced by multiple variables, most of them, related to dental practice of students to interact with each other can trigger symptoms at neck and back.

The Influence of Physical Fatigue on Work on a Production Line

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Kołodziej Sabina

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to determine the factors having impacts on the physical fatigue of employees and to analyse its influence on work on a production line. In order to carry out these objectives, a comprehensive research was conducted in a medium enterprise producing processed fruit and vegetable products. Air temperature and humidity tests, employee survey, production line productivity measurements, and other observations were performed. Large variations in temperature and humidity were observed during the analysed period. Analysing the survey results, attention was paid to the declared length of sleeping of employees after each shift, the time when they feel fatigue and the factors that, according to respondents, have the greatest impact on the work performed. Attempts were made to determine the wellbeing of employees and to indicate the disturbing symptoms. Special attention was paid to the negative phenomena felt by respondents. The main factors affecting the physical fatigue of employees were identified and described. We sought to explain the impacts of physical fatigue on work on the production line. Improvements, which should help to reduce fatigue and improve working conditions, have been proposed. The analysis provided interesting information that could be used in various food manufacturing companies.

Factors that influence on the decisions of battered women

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Juana Robledo Martín

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Violence towards and against women consists in any kind of violation of woman’s personality, her physical integrity or her freedom of movement. Nowadays, gender-based violence is considered a state and public health problem as well as a social concerning subject.Objective: To identify the factors that influence on the decisions that battered women make.Methodology: The study population are battered women who live in Madrid province and who are being attended in the Municipal Points of the Regional Observatory against the Gender Violence.The information was collected by performing focus groups and deep interviews.Results: There are several factors which influence on the decisions that battered women make, like the existence or not of children they have to take care of, the economic dependence and the ignorance of the woman, in some cases, of the existence of this ill-treatment, but over all, we could even say beyond all these, there is one that is the most important, common and we could say it is the main axis that determine their behaviour. This factor is fear.Discussion: When attending these women we may be aware of the psychological situation they are, and we should be able to identify if the woman is asking us for help when she comes to us and try to identify and treat this factor that influences the decisions the woman we attend makes.

Theoretical difference between impact factor and influence factor

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Đilda Pečarić

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Bibliometric constructions of "knowledge maps" and "cognitive structures of science" do not differentiate between impact and influence factors. The difference can be constructedaccording to different meaning and interpretation of the terms reference and citation. Reference is "acknowledgment which one author gives to another", whereas citation is "acknowledgment which one document receives from another". Development of Information Science according to period and subject area is analyzed on the corpus of citation literature retrieved from doctoral dissertations in Information Science from 1978 to 2007 at Croatian universities. The research aim is to indicate the difference between document impact factor and author's influence factor (i.e. reference ability to produce effects on actions, behavior, and opinions of authors of doctoral theses. The influence factor serves to distinguish the key role of cited authors in time and according to the duration of the influence (the average age for cited papers of dominant authors in different periods is between eight and ten years. The difference between linear and interactive communication seems vital for the interpretation of cited half-life, i.e. the attitude of one science community towards used information resources and cognitive heritage. The analyzed corpus of 22,210 citations can be divided into three communication phases according to influence factor criteria: in the phase of dialogue and interactive communication 25% of bibliographic units are cited in the first four years; in the second phase another 25% of units are cited from the fifth to the ninth year; after ten years, in the dominant linear communication phase, approximately 30% of units are cited.

Influence of physical culture and sports on health status of pupils of industrial city

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Kapranov S.V.

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The aim was to study in the city with large enterprises of ferrous metallurgy and coke health of schoolchildren under the influence of physical education and sports. The research of blood pressure and heart rate (HR were 295 pupils aged 15-17 years, 390 - anthropometric study of body length, body weight, chest circumference and head, while the 584 teenagers - the prevalence of dental caries. HR assessment is made by comparing with the age norms, and indicators of physical development of pupils - centile method. It is shown that under the influence of employment morning gymnastics school students marked normalization of their heart rate. Waiver of physical exercise leads to a decrease in students in body length and circumference of the chest. Classes in morning exercises and sports are the factors antirisk caries among high school students. Proposed preventive recommendations.

Influence of Physical Activity and Nutrition on Obesity-Related Immune Function

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Chun-Jung Huang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Research examining immune function during obesity suggests that excessive adiposity is linked to impaired immune responses leading to pathology. The deleterious effects of obesity on immunity have been associated with the systemic proinflammatory profile generated by the secretory molecules derived from adipose cells. These include inflammatory peptides, such as TNF-α, CRP, and IL-6. Consequently, obesity is now characterized as a state of chronic low-grade systemic inflammation, a condition considerably linked to the development of comorbidity. Given the critical role of adipose tissue in the inflammatory process, especially in obese individuals, it becomes an important clinical objective to identify lifestyle factors that may affect the obesity-immune system relationship. For instance, stress, physical activity, and nutrition have each shown to be a significant lifestyle factor influencing the inflammatory profile associated with the state of obesity. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to comprehensively evaluate the impact of lifestyle factors, in particular psychological stress, physical activity, and nutrition, on obesity-related immune function with specific focus on inflammation.

Factors influencing the occupational injuries of physical therapists in Taiwan: A hierarchical linear model approach.

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Tao, Yu-Hui; Wu, Yu-Lung; Huang, Wan-Yun

2017-01-01

The evidence literature suggests that physical therapy practitioners are subjected to a high probability of acquiring work-related injuries, but only a few studies have specifically investigated Taiwanese physical therapy practitioners. This study was conducted to determine the relationships among individual and group hospital-level factors that contribute to the medical expenses for the occupational injuries of physical therapy practitioners in Taiwan. Physical therapy practitioners in Taiwan with occupational injuries were selected from the 2013 National Health Insurance Research Databases (NHIRD). The age, gender, job title, hospitals attributes, and outpatient data of physical therapy practitioners who sustained an occupational injury in 2013 were obtained with SAS 9.3. SPSS 20.0 and HLM 7.01 were used to conduct descriptive and hierarchical linear model analyses, respectively. The job title of physical therapy practitioners at the individual level and the hospital type at the group level exert positive effects on per person medical expenses. Hospital hierarchy moderates the individual-level relationships of age and job title with the per person medical expenses. Considering that age, job title, and hospital hierarchy affect medical expenses for the occupational injuries of physical therapy practitioners, we suggest strengthening related safety education and training and elevating the self-awareness of the risk of occupational injuries of physical therapy practitioners to reduce and prevent the occurrence of such injuries.

[Influence of autonomy support, social goals and relatedness on amotivation in physical education classes].

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno Murcia, Juan A; Parra Rojas, Nicolás; González-Cutre Coll, David

2008-11-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze some factors that influence amotivation in physical education classes. A sample of 399 students, of ages 14 to 16 years, was used. They completed the Perceived Autonomy Support Scale in Exercise Settings (PASSES), the Social Goal Scale-Physical Education (SGS-PE), the factor of the Basic Psychological Needs in Exercise Scale (BPNES) adapted to physical education and the amotivation> factor of the Perceived Locus of Causality Scale (PLOC). The psychometric properties of the PASSES were analyzed, as this scale had not been validated to the Spanish context. In this analysis, the scale showed appropriate validity and reliability. The results of the structural equation model indicated that social responsibility and social relationship goals positively predicted perception of relatedness, whereas the context of autonomy support did not significantly predict it. In turn, perception of relatedness negatively predicted amotivation. The findings are discussed with regard to enhancing students' positive motivation.

Demotivating factors influencing rubber production workers

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Mohammad Reza Iravani

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Motivation is one of the most important factors influencing workers' productivity. An increase in workers' motivation could add more value to organizations' structure and influence the profitability, significantly. In this paper, we study different factors on demotivating workers using questionnaire consist of various questions. The questionnaire is distributed among some employees who work for rubber production units located in Esfahan, Iran. The results of this survey indicate that discrimination on annual job compensation, entrusting responsibilities and unpleasant relationship with family partner are some of the most important factors influencing employees' motivation. While financial factors play important role on increasing employees' motivation, non-financial factors are considered more important.

Factors that influence exercise activity among women post hip fracture participating in the Exercise Plus Program

OpenAIRE

Resnick, Barbara; Orwig, Denise; D?Adamo, Christopher; Yu-Yahiro, Janet; Hawkes, William; Shardell, Michelle; Golden, Justine; Zimmerman, Sheryl; Magaziner, Jay

2007-01-01

Using a social ecological model, this paper describes selected intra- and interpersonal factors that influence exercise behavior in women post hip fracture who participated in the Exercise Plus Program. Model testing of factors that influence exercise behavior at 2, 6 and 12 months post hip fracture was done. The full model hypothesized that demographic variables; cognitive, affective, physical and functional status; pain; fear of falling; social support for exercise, and exposure to the Exer...

Factors influencing women's decisions to purchase specific ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

aimed at identifying the factors that influence women's decisions to purchase specific .... influence of all the factors influencing their decision to purchase a selected .... one free” promotions seemed to have had the greatest influence on this ...

Motivational factors and stages of change for physical activity among college students in Amman, Jordan.

Science.gov (United States)

Madanat, Hala; Merrill, Ray M

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate physical activity levels across the five stages of change for physical activity and to identify motivational factors for physical activity according to these stages of change among college students in Amman, Jordan. Analyses were based on a cross-sectional survey of 431 students, with a mean age of 21.1 (SD=0.16) and 67.5% female. Based on the recommendation that physical activity requires at least 30 minutes of physical activity 3 or more days per week, men were more likely than women to classify themselves in later stages: 7.3% vs. 9.5% in the precontemplation stage, 17.4% vs. 14.7% in the contemplation stage, 50.0% vs. 63.5% in the preparation stage, 9.4% vs. 5.6% in the action stage, and 15.9% vs. 6.7% in the maintenance stage [X2(4) = 14.04, p = 0.0072]. Seven potential motivational items for physical activity were assessed using factor analysis: experience better self-worth, prevent chronic disease, relieve stress, stay in shape, longevity, recreation/fun, and social benefits. Two factor groupings were identified from these items. The first factor included the first five items, labeled as "Physical and Mental". The second factor included the last two items, labeled as "Social and Recreational." "Physical and Mental" items compared with "Social and Recreational" items were most likely to motivate physical activity across the stages of change for physical activity. The strongest motivator of physical activity was to stay in shape. The weakest motivator of physical activity was for social reasons. The influence of the intermediate motivational factors was slightly affected by the students' stage of change for physical activity. Motivators for physical activity did not differ according to sex. These results provide important information about the motivational factors for physical activity for college-aged students in Jordan that can be useful in developing effective physical activity intervention programs.

The influence of psychosocial factors at work and life style on health and work ability among professional workers.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Berg, T I J; Alavinia, S M; Bredt, F J; Lindeboom, D; Elders, L A M; Burdorf, A

2008-08-01

The purpose of this article is to explore the associations of psychosocial factors at work, life style, and stressful life events on health and work ability among white-collar workers. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among workers in commercial services (n = 1141). The main outcome variables were work ability, measured by the work ability index (WAI), and mental and physical health, measured by the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12). Individual characteristics, psychosocial factors at work, stressful life events, and lifestyle factors were determined by a questionnaire. Maximum oxygen uptake, weight, height, and biceps strength were measured during a physical examination. Work ability of white-collar workers in commercial services industry was strongly associated with psychosocial factors at work such as teamwork, stress handling, and self-development and, to a lesser extent, with stressful life events, lack of physical activity, and obesity. Determinants of mental health were very similar to those of work ability, whereas physical health was influenced primarily by life style factors. With respect to work ability, the influence of unhealthy life style seems more important for older workers, than for their younger colleagues. Among white-collar workers mental and physical health were of equal importance to work ability, but only mental health and work ability shared the same determinants. The strong associations between psychosocial factors at work and mental health and work ability suggest that in this study population health promotion should address working conditions rather than individual life style factors.

A systematic review of grandparents' influence on grandchildren's cancer risk factors.

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Stephanie A Chambers

Full Text Available Many lifestyle patterns are established when children are young. Research has focused on the potential role of parents as a risk factor for non communicable disease in children, but there is limited investigation of the role of other caregivers, such as grandparents. The aim of this review was to identify and synthesise evidence for any influence grandparents' care practices may have on their grandchildren's long term cancer risk factors. A systematic review was carried out with searches across four databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO as well as searches of reference lists and citing articles, and Google Scholar. Search terms were based on six areas of risk that family care could potentially influence-weight, diet, physical activity, tobacco, alcohol and sun exposure. All study designs were included, as were studies that provided an indication of the interaction of grandparents with their grandchildren. Studies were excluded if grandparents were primary caregivers and if children had serious health conditions. Study quality was assessed using National Institute for Health and Care Excellence checklists. Grandparent impact was categorised as beneficial, adverse, mixed or as having no impact. Due to study heterogeneity a meta-analysis was not possible. Qualitative studies underwent a thematic synthesis of their results. Results from all included studies indicated that there was a sufficient evidence base for weight, diet, physical activity and tobacco studies to draw conclusions about grandparents' influence. One study examined alcohol and no studies examined sun exposure. Evidence indicated that, overall, grandparents had an adverse impact on their grandchildren's cancer risk factors. The theoretical work in the included studies was limited. Theoretically underpinned interventions designed to reduce these risk factors must consider grandparents' role, as well as parents', and be evaluated robustly to inform the evidence base

Interchange rotation factors and player characteristics influence physical and technical performance in professional Australian Rules football.

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Dillon, Patrick A; Kempton, Thomas; Ryan, Samuel; Hocking, Joel; Coutts, Aaron J

2018-03-01

To examine the effects of match-related and individual player characteristics on activity profile and technical performance during rotations in professional Australian football. Longitudinal observational study. Global positioning system data and player rating scores were collected from 33 professional Australian football players during 15 Australian football League matches. Player rating scores were time aligned with their relative total and high-speed running (HSR) distance (>20kmh -1 ) for each on ground rotation. Individual players' maximal aerobic running speed (MAS) was determined from a two-kilometre trial. A multilevel linear mixed model was used to examine the influence of rotations on physical activity profiles and skill execution during match play. Rotation duration and accumulated distance resulted in a trivial-to-moderate reduction in relative total and HSR distances as well as relative rating points. The number of disposals in a rotation had a small positive effect on relative total and HSR distances and a large positive effect on relative rating points. MAS was associated with a moderate-to-large increase in relative total distance, but had a large negative effect on relative rating points. Previous rotation time, stoppages and the number of rotations in the quarter had a trivial-to-small negative effect on relative total and HSR distances. A greater speed (mmin -1 ) was associated with a trivial increase in rating points during a rotation, while there was a trivial decrease in relative total distance as rating points increased. The complex relationship between factors that influence activity profile and technical performance during rotations in Australian football needs to be considered when interpreting match performance. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The "Romsas in Motion" Community Intervention: Mediating Effects of Psychosocial Factors on Forward Transition in the Stages of Change in Physical Activity

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Lorentzen, Catherine; Ommundsen, Yngvar; Jenum, Anne Karen; Holme, Ingar

2009-01-01

This study examines whether a community-based physical activity intervention influenced movement in stages of change in physical activity in an adult population, whether any such effect was mediated by psychosocial influences, and whether any such mediations were moderated by sociodemographic or anthropometric factors. The 3-year-long…

Influencing factors of the 6-min walk distance in adult Arab populations: a literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Joobeur, Samah; Rouatbi, Sonia; Latiri, Imed; Sfaxi, Raoudha; Ben Saad, Helmi

2016-05-01

Background Walk tests, especially the 6-min walk-test (6MWT), are commonly used in order to evaluate submaximal exercise capacity. The primary outcome of the 6MWT is the 6-min walk-distance (6MWD). Numerous demographic, physiological and anthropometric factors can influence the 6MWD in healthy adults. Objective The purpose of the present review is to highlight and discuss the 6MWD influencing factors in healthy of the healthy adult Arab populations. Methods It is a review including a literature search, from 1970 to September 31th 2015 using the PubMed, the Science Direct databases and the World Wide Web on Google search engine. Reference lists of retrieved English/French articles were searched for any additional references. Results Six studies, conducted in Tunisia (n=2), Saudi Arabia (n=3) and Algeria (n=1) were included. All studies were conducted according to the 2002-American-thoracic-society guidelines for the 6MWT. In addition to anthropometric data (sex, age, height, weight, body mass index, lean mass), the following data were recognized as 6MWD influencing factors: schooling and socioeconomic levels, urban origin, parity, physical activity score or status, metabolic equivalent task for moderate activity, spirometric data, end-walk heart-rate, resting diastolic blood pressure, dyspnoea Borg value and niqab-wearing. Conclusion The 6MWD influencing factors in adult Arab populations are numerous and include some specific predictors such as parity, physical activity level and niqab-wearing.

Do placebo expectations influence perceived exertion during physical exercise?

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Hendrik Mothes

Full Text Available This study investigates the role of placebo expectations in individuals' perception of exertion during acute physical exercise. Building upon findings from placebo and marketing research, we examined how perceived exertion is affected by expectations regarding a the effects of exercise and b the effects of the exercise product worn during the exercise. We also investigated whether these effects are moderated by physical self-concept. Seventy-eight participants conducted a moderate 30 min cycling exercise on an ergometer, with perceived exertion (RPE measured every 5 minutes. Beforehand, each participant was randomly assigned to 1 of 4 conditions and watched a corresponding film clip presenting "scientific evidence" that the exercise would or would not result in health benefits and that the exercise product they were wearing (compression garment would additionally enhance exercise benefits or would only be worn for control purposes. Participants' physical self-concept was assessed via questionnaire. Results partially demonstrated that participants with more positive expectations experienced reduced perceived exertion during the exercise. Furthermore, our results indicate a moderator effect of physical self-concept: Individuals with a high physical self-concept benefited (in terms of reduced perceived exertion levels in particular from an induction of generally positive expectations. In contrast, individuals with a low physical self-concept benefited when positive expectations were related to the exercise product they were wearing. In sum, these results suggest that placebo expectations may be a further, previously neglected class of psychological factors that influence the perception of exertion.

An empirical investigation on factors influencing customer selection of ADSL services

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Naser Azad

2013-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we present an empirical investigation on various factors affecting ADSL service selection in city of Tehran, Iran. The proposed model of this paper uses a standard questionnaire and distributes it among randomly selected customers who have some experiences on internet based ADSL products. The study implements factor analysis as well as weighted regression technique to perform the study. There are eight hypotheses associated with the proposed study of this paper, which indicates the effects of product marketing, place and time of marketing mix, process-marketing mix, productivity and quality of marketing mix, people, promotion and education and physical evidence on customer choice. The results of factor analysis have confirmed the impacts of the first four factors but the effects of the other factor were not confirmed. In other words, the results of the survey have indicated that product marketing, place and time of marketing mix, process-marketing mix and productivity and quality of marketing mix influence customer choice. However, the other four components including people, promotion, price and physical evidence do not play essential role on customer choice.

Factors Influencing Physical Activity among Postpartum Iranian Women

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Roozbahani, Nasrin; Ghofranipour, Fazlollah; Eftekhar Ardabili, Hassan; Hajizadeh, Ebrahim

2014-01-01

Background: Postpartum women are a population at risk for sedentary living. Physical activity (PA) prior to pregnancy may be effective in predicting similar behaviour in the postpartum period. Objective: To test a composite version of the extended transtheoretical model (TTM) by adding "past behaviour" in order to predict PA behaviour…

A grounded theory of how social support influences physical activity in adolescent girls

Science.gov (United States)

Fawkner, Samantha

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Purpose: Adolescent girls are not sufficiently active to achieve health benefits. Social support from friends and family has been positively associated with physical activity in adolescent girls; however it is unclear how social support influences physical activity behaviour. This study aimed to develop a grounded theory of how social support influences physical activity in adolescent girls. Methods: A qualitative, constructivist grounded theory approach was adopted. Individual interviews explored adolescent girls’ perspectives of how significant others’ influenced their physical activity through providing social support, and through modelling physical activity. Results: Participants perceived social support to influence physical activity behaviour through performance improvements, self-efficacy, enjoyment, motivation and by enabling physical activity. Improvements in performance and self-efficacy were also linked to motivation to be active. Girls perceived modelling to influence behaviour through providing opportunities for them to be physically active, and by inspiring them to be active. Conclusion: The grounded theory outlines adolescent girls’ perceptions of how significant others influence their physical activity and provides a framework for future research examining the role of social support on physical activity. PMID:29405881

A grounded theory of how social support influences physical activity in adolescent girls.

Science.gov (United States)

Laird, Yvonne; Fawkner, Samantha; Niven, Ailsa

2018-12-01

Adolescent girls are not sufficiently active to achieve health benefits. Social support from friends and family has been positively associated with physical activity in adolescent girls; however it is unclear how social support influences physical activity behaviour. This study aimed to develop a grounded theory of how social support influences physical activity in adolescent girls. A qualitative, constructivist grounded theory approach was adopted. Individual interviews explored adolescent girls' perspectives of how significant others' influenced their physical activity through providing social support, and through modelling physical activity. Participants perceived social support to influence physical activity behaviour through performance improvements, self-efficacy, enjoyment, motivation and by enabling physical activity. Improvements in performance and self-efficacy were also linked to motivation to be active. Girls perceived modelling to influence behaviour through providing opportunities for them to be physically active, and by inspiring them to be active. The grounded theory outlines adolescent girls' perceptions of how significant others influence their physical activity and provides a framework for future research examining the role of social support on physical activity.

Factors Influencing Substance Abuse among Undergraduate ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study investigated the factors influencing substance abuse amongundergraduate students in Osun State; Nigeria. A sample of 1, 200undergraduate students were randomly selected from three tertiaryinstitution in Osun State. Factors Influencing Substance Abuse Questionnaire (FISA) was developed by the researcher ...

Correspondence between objective and perceived walking times to urban destinations: Influence of physical activity, neighbourhood walkability, and socio-demographics

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Dewulf Bart

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Doing regular physical activity has positive effects on health. Several environmental factors are identified as important correlates of physical activity. However, there seems to be a difference between perceived and objective measures of the environment. This study examines the influence of physical activity, neighbourhood walkability, and socio-demographic characteristics on the correspondence between self-reported and objectively measured walking time to urban destinations of adults in the city of Ghent (Belgium. Methods Previously collected survey data was used from 1164 respondents in the city of Ghent who reported walking times to various closest destinations in the neighbourhood of residence. These were compared with corresponding walking times that were objectively measured through geographical information systems. Physical activity was recorded over a 7-day period using accelerometers. Neighbourhood walkability was assessed on the basis of residential density, connectivity, and land-use mix. Results We observed a relatively poor agreement between objective and perceived walking times. Stronger agreements were noted amongst the most physically active group, while low-level walkers tended to overestimate walking time. Surprisingly, however, people residing in a low-walkable neighbourhood underestimated walking times more frequently relative to those in high-walkable neighbourhoods. Conclusions Researchers investigating the influence of environmental attributes on physical activity behavior should thus be cautious when using only self-reported environmental data, since these are a priori influenced by physical activity levels and various socio-demographic factors.

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE EVOLUTION OF YOUTH TRAVEL

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Student Claudia MOISĂ

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Youth travel is an important part of global tourism, consequently, getting to know the evolution of this form of tourism requires an approach of the aspects regarding the permissive and restrictive factors that influence the youth travel dynamic worldwide. In terms of the factors that influence youth travel, we highlighted these two categories of factors (permissive and restrictive and, within each category, we tried to singularize the influence of every factor over youth travel.

Factors of physical activity among Chinese children and adolescents: a systematic review.

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Lu, Congchao; Stolk, Ronald P; Sauer, Pieter J J; Sijtsma, Anna; Wiersma, Rikstje; Huang, Guowei; Corpeleijn, Eva

2017-03-21

Lack of physical activity is a growing problem in China, due to the fast economic development and changing living environment over the past two decades. The aim of this review is to summarize the factors related to physical activity in Chinese children and adolescents during this distinct period of development. A systematic search was finished on Jan 10 th , 2017, and identified 2200 hits through PubMed and Web of Science. English-language published studies were included if they reported statistical associations between factors and physical activity. Adapted criteria from the Strengthening The Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement and evaluation of the quality of prognosis studies in systematic reviews (QUIPS) were used to assess the risk of bias of the included studies. Related factors that were reported in at least three studies were summarized separately for children and adolescents using a semi-quantitative method. Forty two papers (published 2002-2016) were included. Most designs were cross-sectional (79%), and most studies used questionnaires to assess physical activity. Sample size was above 1000 in 18 papers (43%). Thirty seven studies (88%) showed acceptable quality by methodological quality assessment. Most studies reported a low level of physical activity. Boys were consistently more active than girls, the parental physical activity was positively associated with children and adolescents' physical activity, children in suburban/rural regions showed less activity than in urban regions, and, specifically in adolescents, self-efficacy was positively associated with physical activity. Family socioeconomic status and parental education were not associated with physical activity in children and adolescents. The studies included in this review were large but mostly of low quality in terms of study design (cross-sectional) and methods (questionnaires). Parental physical activity and self-efficacy are promising targets for future

[Quality of life and related influencing factors in Chinese adults].

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Deng, Q; Wang, L M; Zhang, M

2016-02-01

To evaluate the quality of life (QOL) and influencing factors on Chinese adults. 83 666 subjects from 2010 Chronic Non-communicable Disease and Risk Factor Surveillance Project in China were included in this study. Questionnaire was used to collect information on general condition and health status. WHOQOL-BREF was adopted as an instrument to measure the QOL on all the subjects.t test was used to compare QOL from different groups. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to assess the association of QOL with BMI, by gender. Among all the 83 666 subjects, mean scores of physical,psychological, social relationship and environment domains appeared as (73.97 ± 13.84), (66.65 ± 14.21), (65.76 ± 14.08) and (56.59 ± 15.15), respectively. Age, residential areas (urban/rural), education levels and marital status all showed significant impact on scores of the four domains (Peducation level (Peducation levels, marital status and chronic diseases could significantly influence the QOL of Chinese adults.

The influence of the macro-environment on physical activity: a multilevel analysis of 38 countries worldwide

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bosdriesz, Jizzo R.; Witvliet, Margot I.; Visscher, Tommy L. S.; Kunst, Anton E.

2012-01-01

Background: As indicated by the ANGELO framework and similar models, various environmental factors influence population levels of physical activity (PA). To date attention has focused on the micro-level environment, while evidence on the macro-level environment remains scarce and mostly limited to

Interaction of Physical Exposures and Occupational Factors on Sickness Absence in Automotive Industry Workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Valirad, Fateme; Ghaffari, Mostafa; Abdi, Alireza; Attarchi, Mirsaeed; Mircheraghi, Seyed Farzin; Mohammadi, Saber

2015-04-23

Increased sickness absence in recent years has been a trouble making issue in industrial society. Identify the causes of sickness absence and its influencing factors, is an important step to control and reduce its associated complications and costs. The aim of this study was to evaluate main factors associated with the incidence of sickness absence. In 2012, a cross-sectional study on 758 employees of a car accessories producing company was applied and relevant information about the number of days and episodes of sickness absence, Disease resulting in absence from work, personal features, occupational factors and physical exposures were collected. To determine risk factors associated with sickness absence, Logistic regression analysis was used. The most common diseases leading to sickness absence in order of frequency were Respiratory diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, gastrointestinal diseases and injuries at work. Musculoskeletal disorders increased the danger of long term absence by 4/33 times. Blue collar and shift works were the most important occupational factors associated with the incidence of sickness absence. The main physical factors that affect incidence of sickness absence were frequent bending-twisting and heavy lifting. Identifying controllable factors of sickness absence and trying to prevent and modify them such as compliance of ergonomic principals to decrease physical can be effective in reducing sickness absence.

Setting-related influences on physical inactivity of older adults in residential care settings: a review.

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Douma, Johanna G; Volkers, Karin M; Engels, Gwenda; Sonneveld, Marieke H; Goossens, Richard H M; Scherder, Erik J A

2017-04-28

Despite the detrimental effects of physical inactivity for older adults, especially aged residents of residential care settings may spend much time in inactive behavior. This may be partly due to their poorer physical condition; however, there may also be other, setting-related factors that influence the amount of inactivity. The aim of this review was to review setting-related factors (including the social and physical environment) that may contribute to the amount of older adults' physical inactivity in a wide range of residential care settings (e.g., nursing homes, assisted care facilities). Five databases were systematically searched for eligible studies, using the key words 'inactivity', 'care facilities', and 'older adults', including their synonyms and MeSH terms. Additional studies were selected from references used in articles included from the search. Based on specific eligibility criteria, a total of 12 studies were included. Quality of the included studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Based on studies using different methodologies (e.g., interviews and observations), and of different quality (assessed quality range: 25-100%), we report several aspects related to the physical environment and caregivers. Factors of the physical environment that may be related to physical inactivity included, among others, the environment's compatibility with the abilities of a resident, the presence of equipment, the accessibility, security, comfort, and aesthetics of the environment/corridors, and possibly the presence of some specific areas. Caregiver-related factors included staffing levels, the available time, and the amount and type of care being provided. Inactivity levels in residential care settings may be reduced by improving several features of the physical environment and with the help of caregivers. Intervention studies could be performed in order to gain more insight into causal effects of improving setting-related factors on

Fundamental movement skills and motivational factors influencing engagement in physical activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalaja, Sami; Jaakkola, Timo; Liukkonen, Jarmo; Watt, Anthony

2010-08-01

To assess whether subgroups based on children's fundamental movement skills, perceived competence, and self-determined motivation toward physical education vary with current self-reported physical activity, a sample of 316 Finnish Grade 7 students completed fundamental movement skills measures and self-report questionnaires assessing perceived competence, self-determined motivation toward physical education, and current physical activity. Cluster analysis indicated a three-cluster structure: "Low motivation/low skills profile," "High skills/low motivation profile," and "High skills/high motivation profile." Analysis of variance indicated that students in the third cluster engaged in significantly more physical activity than students of clusters one and two. These results provide support for previous claims regarding the importance of the relationship of fundamental movement skills with continuing engagement in physical activity. High fundamental movement skills, however, may represent only one element in maintaining adolescents' engagement in physical activity.

Weaning from mechanical ventilation: factors that influence intensive care nurses' decision-making.

Science.gov (United States)

Tingsvik, Catarina; Johansson, Karin; Mårtensson, Jan

2015-01-01

The aim of the study was to describe the factors that influence intensive care nurses' decision-making when weaning patients from mechanical ventilation. Patients with failing vital function may require respiratory support. Weaning from mechanical ventilation is a process in which the intensive care nurse participates in both planning and implementation. A qualitative approach was used. The data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews with 22 intensive care nurses. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using qualitative content analysis. One theme emerged: 'A complex nursing situation where the patient receives attention and which is influenced by the current care culture'. There was consensus that the overall assessment of the patient made by the intensive care nurse was the main factor that influenced the decision-making process. This assessment was a continuous process consisting of three factors: the patient's perspective as well as her/his physical and mental state. On the other hand, there was a lack of consensus about what other factors influenced the decision-making process. These factors included the care culture constituted by the characteristics of the team, the intensive care nurses' professional skills, personalities and ability to be present. The individual overall assessment of the patient enabled nursing care from a holistic perspective. Furthermore, the weaning process can be more effective and potential suffering reduced by creating awareness of the care culture's impact on the decision-making process. © 2014 British Association of Critical Care Nurses.

Parental influences on adolescent physical activity: a longitudinal study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayala Guadalupe X

2007-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Physical inactivity is increasing among adolescents in the U.S., especially among girls. Despite growing evidence that parents are an important influence on adolescent health, few longitudinal studies have explored the causal relationship between parental influence and physical activity. This study examines how the relationships between parental influences and adolescent physical activity differ by gender and tests whether these relationships are mediated by adolescents' self-esteem and depression. Methods Data are from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The sample includes 13,246 youth, grades 7 to 12, interviewed in 1995 and again 1 year later. Logit models were used to evaluate parental influences on achieving five or more bouts of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week [MVPA] and whether the relationship between parental influence and MVPA was mediated by adolescents' level of self-esteem and depression. Results Family cohesion, parent-child communication and parental engagement positively predicted MVPA for both genders one year later (odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for females, 1.09 [1.05–1.12], 1.13 [1.07–1.19], 1.25 [1.17–1.33] and males, 1.08 [1.04–1.11], 1.14 [1.07–1.23], 1.23 [1.14–1.33], respectively; however, parental monitoring did not (odds ratio and confidence intervals for females and males, 1.02 [.97–1.07]. For both females and males, self-esteem mediated the relationship between parental influence and physical activity. Depressive symptoms were only a mediator among males. Females reported higher levels of parent-child communication and lower family cohesion compared with males. There were no gender differences in levels of parental monitoring and engagement. Females had significantly lower levels of self-esteem and higher levels of depressive symptoms than males. Conclusion Strategies to promote physical activity among adolescents should focus on

You are what you choose to eat: factors influencing young adults' food selection behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Hebden, L; Chan, H N; Louie, J C; Rangan, A; Allman-Farinelli, M

2015-08-01

Young or 'emerging' adulthood (ages 18-24 years) is a life-stage characterised by rapid weight gain, particularly among those born in recent decades, when environments have become saturated with cheap, highly palatable, processed foods. Although intervening in the immediate food environments of emerging adults is indicated, little is known about the factors influencing their food selection. The present study aimed to: (i) measure the relative importance of different influences on foods selected by emerging adults for consumption from a tertiary education setting and (ii) examine whether these influences differ according to gender, adiposity status, perceived stress and dieting or physical activity behaviours. An online survey was administered with 112 emerging adults aged 19-24 years assessing demographics, perceived stress, dieting, physical activity and influences on food selection. Adiposity indicators (body mass index and waist circumference) were measured. Analyses compared the importance of influences on food selection by gender, adiposity, perceived stress, dieting and physical activity. Taste was the most important influence on food selection, followed by convenience (availability), cost, nutrition/health value, smell and stimulatory properties (alertness). Participants with an elevated waist circumference selected foods to help them cope with stress and control their weight. Those reporting a higher level of physical activity placed greater importance on nutritional/health value of foods but less importance on taste. Female dieters also placed less importance on taste and value for money. Health promotion strategies addressing tertiary education food environments of emerging adults should ensure the ready availability of tasty and nutritious foods at a low cost. © 2015 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

Physical and social factors determining quality of life for veterans with lower-limb amputation(s)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Jan; Ipsen, Thomas; Doherty, Patrick

2016-01-01

of the literature to summarize any evidence on the physical and social determinants for HRQoL in veterans with uni- or bilateral lower-limb amputation(s). Method MEDLINE, EMBASE, PEDro, CINAHL, Scopus and Cochrane databases were searched systematically for eligible studies. Inclusion criteria were: traumatic lower......-limb amputation(s), HRQoL outcome and veterans. Physical and social factors that influence HRQoL were extracted. Results The literature search identified 2073 citations, leading to the inclusion of 10 studies in the systematic review. Physical activity level, sport participation, level of amputation, back pain...

A place for play? The influence of the home physical environment on children's physical activity and sedentary behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Maitland, Clover; Stratton, Gareth; Foster, Sarah; Braham, Rebecca; Rosenberg, Michael

2013-08-17

The home environment is an important influence on the sedentary behaviour and physical activity of children, who have limited independent mobility and spend much of their time at home. This article reviews the current evidence regarding the influence of the home physical environment on the sedentary behaviour and physical activity of children aged 8-14 years. A literature search of peer reviewed articles published between 2005 and 2011 resulted in 38 observational studies (21 with activity outcomes, 23 with sedentary outcomes) and 11 experimental studies included in the review. The most commonly investigated behavioural outcomes were television watching and moderate to vigorous physical activity. Media equipment in the home and to a lesser extent the bedroom were positively associated with children's sedentary behaviour. Physical activity equipment and the house and yard were not associated with physical activity, although environmental measures were exclusively self-reported. On the other hand, physical activity equipment was inversely associated with sedentary behaviours in half of studies. Observational studies that investigated the influence of the physical and social environment within the home space, found that the social environment, particularly the role of parents, was important. Experimental studies that changed the home physical environment by introducing a television limiting device successfully decreased television viewing, whereas the influence of introducing an active video game on activity outcomes was inconsistent. Results highlight that the home environment is an important influence on children's sedentary behaviour and physical activity, about which much is still unknown. While changing or controlling the home physical environment shows promise for reducing screen based sedentary behaviour, further interventions are needed to understand the broader impact of these changes. Future studies should prioritise investigating the influence of the home

Wound repair and factors influencing healing in veterinary clinical medicine I.

OpenAIRE

Kudrnová, Adéla

2010-01-01

Wound healing in both human and veterinary medicine is essential physological process important for the survival of any species. Not only the internal (nutritional status, age, tissue hypoxia, etc.) and external (infections, medication, physical - chemical external influences, etc.) factors affect each stage of wound healing and its success, but also the overall treatment and choice of covering material. Wound healing is a natural process and sometimes takes place without any problems, themse...

Parental influences on child physical activity and screen viewing time: a population based study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wolfenden Luke

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Parents can influence their children's physical activity participation and screen time.This study examined the relative significance of perceived parental barriers and self-efficacy in relation to children's physical activity participation and screen time viewing. The associations between these factors and the behaviours were analysed. Methods Cross-sectional population survey in New South Wales, Australia of parents of pre-school (N = 764, younger (Kindergarten, Grades 2 and 4; N = 1557 and older children (Grades 6, 8 and 10; N = 1665. Parents reported barriers and self-efficacy to influence their child's physical activity and screen time behaviours in a range of circumstances. Differences were examined by child's sex and age group, household income, maternal education and location of residence. The duration of physical activity and screen viewing was measured by parental report for pre-school and younger children and self-report for older children. Associations between parental factors and children's organised, non-organised and total activity and screen time were analysed. Results Cost, lack of opportunities for participation and transport problems were the barriers most often reported, particularly by low income parents and those in rural areas. The number of barriers was inversely related to children's time spent in organised activity, but not their non-organised activity. Higher parental self-efficacy was positively associated with organised physical activity in the younger and older children's groups and the non-organised activity of older children. School-age children (younger and older groups were less likely to meet physical activity guidelines when parents reported ≥4 barriers (OR 3.76, 95% CI 1.25-11.34 and OR 3.72, 95% CI 1.71-8.11 respectively. Low parental self-efficacy was also associated with the likelihood of children exceeding screen time guidelines for each age group (pre-school OR 0.62, 95% CI 0

Survey of the Relationship Between Activity Energy Expenditure Metabolic Equivalents and Barrier Factors of Physical Activity in the Elderly in Kashan

OpenAIRE

Sadrollahi, Ali; Khalili, Zahra; Pour Nazari, Robab; Mohammadi, Majid; Ahmadi Khatir, Maryam; Mossadegh, Najima

2016-01-01

Background Physical activity in the elderly is influenced by aspects of aging that cause personal, mental, environmental, and social changes. Increases in factors that are barriers to activity cause physical energy expenditure to decrease. Objectives The aim of the present study was to survey the relationship between energy expenditure in metabolic equivalent units (MET) and factors that are barriers to physical activity in elderly people in Kashan, Iran Methods This is a descriptive analysis...

Factors that influence physical activity in the daily life of male patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Barriga, S; Rodrigues, F; Bárbara, C

2014-01-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease with great impact on the ability to carry out physical activity. To identify the main factors that affect physical activity in the daily life of patients with COPD. Physical activity in daily routine has been evaluated according to the London Chest Activity of Daily Living scale (LCADL) and the pedometer counting the number of steps per day, for a period of three days. Fifty-five male patients with a diagnosis of moderate to very severe COPD were included (aged 67±9.6 years; FEV1 50.8±14.7% predicted). Patients walked on average 4972 steps per day. Very severe COPD patients (n=12) walked much less than severe (n=21) and moderate (n=22) patients (respectively 3079.8 versus 4853.5 and 6118.1 steps per day, ppositive correlation with the distance covered in the six-minute walk test (6MWT), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), carbon monoxide diffusion capacity (DLCO), arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) and body mass index (BMI). The main factors that correlated with limited physical activity in daily life routine of this group of COPD patients were dyspnea and 6 min walking distance. These patients form a sedentary group, with a low rate of daily physical activity, which is more evident in patients with GOLD spirometry stage IV. Although pedometer is simpler and less accurate than other devices, it can be used to detect significant restraints daily life physical activity of COPD patients. Copyright © 2013 Sociedade Portuguesa de Pneumologia. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Critical success factors for physical activity promotion through community partnerships.

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Lucidarme, Steffie; Marlier, Mathieu; Cardon, Greet; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Willem, Annick

2014-02-01

To define key factors of effective evidence-based policy implementation for physical activity promotion by use of a partnership approach. Using Parent and Harvey's model for sport and physical activity community-based partnerships, we defined determinants of implementation based on 13 face-to-face interviews with network organisations and 39 telephone interviews with partner organisations. Furthermore, two quantitative data-sets (n = 991 and n = 965) were used to measure implementation. In total, nine variables were found to influence implementation. Personal contact was the most powerful variable since its presence contributed to success while its absence led to a negative outcome. Four contributed directly to success: political motive, absence of a metropolis, high commitment and more qualified staff. Four others resulted in a less successful implementation: absence of positive merger effects, exposure motive and governance, and dispersed leadership. Community networks are a promising instrument for the implementation of evidence-based policies. However, determinants of both formation and management of partnerships influence the implementation success. During partnership formation, special attention should be given to partnership motives while social skills are of utmost importance for the management.

Influence of physical therapists' kinesiophobic beliefs on lifting capacity in healthy adults

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jorna-Lakke, Sandra; Soer, Remko; Krijnen, Wim; van der Schans, Cees; Reneman, Michiel; Geertzen, Jan

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Physical therapists' recommendations to patients to avoid daily physical activity can be influenced by the therapists' kinesiophobic beliefs. Little is known about the amount of influence of a physical therapist's kinesiophobic beliefs on a patient's actual lifting capacity during a

[Socioeconomic, demographic, nutritional, and physical activity factors in the glycemic control of adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus].

Science.gov (United States)

Marques, Rosana de Morais Borges; Fornés, Nélida Schmid; Stringhini, Maria Luiza Ferreira

2011-04-01

To identify the association of socioeconomic, demographic, nutritional and of physical activity factors in the glycemic control of adolescents with T1DM. Sectional study of 71 adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Socioeconomic, demographic and anthropometric data were obtained. The glycemic control was classified by the index of glycated hemoglobin (A1C). Four 24-hours recalls of food consumption and physical activity were applied. The A1C was inadequate for the majority of the adolescents. The low educational level of the caregivers influenced the inadequate glycemic control. Patients with lower insulin dose presented better glycemic control. The food consumption was high of fat and poor of carbohydrate. Most of the patients were sedentary. Factors related to education, insulin and food consumption influenced the glycemic control.

Factors Influencing Pre-Service Teachers' Perception of Teaching Games for Understanding: A Constructivist Perspective

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Wang, Lijuan; Ha, Amy S.

2012-01-01

This study aims to examine the factors influencing pre-service Physical Education (PE) teachers' perception of a specific constructivist approach--Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) in Hong Kong. By adopting a qualitative approach, 20 pre-service PE teachers were recruited for individual semi-structured interviews. Deductive data analysis was…

Parkinson's disease severity and motor subtype influence physical capacity components

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Marcelo Pinto Pereira

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The severity of Parkinson's disease (PD and PD's motor subtypes influence the components of physical capacity. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of both PD severity and motor subtype in the performance of these components. Thirty-six PD patients were assigned into four groups: Tremor (TD initial and TD mild, akinetic-rigid (AR initial, and AR mild. Patients' strength, balance, coordination, mobility and aerobic capacity were evaluated and groups were compared using a two-way ANOVA (severity and subtype as factors. AR presents a poorer performance than TD in almost all tests. Also this performance was worsened with the advance of the disease in AR, contrary to TD. We conclude that AR and TD subgroups are different about their performance on physical capacity components, moreover, this performance worsens with the advance of the disease of the AR group, but not for TD.

The influence of physical and cognitive factors on reactive agility performance in men basketball players.

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Scanlan, Aaron; Humphries, Brendan; Tucker, Patrick S; Dalbo, Vincent

2014-01-01

This study explored the influence of physical and cognitive measures on reactive agility performance in basketball players. Twelve men basketball players performed multiple sprint, Change of Direction Speed Test, and Reactive Agility Test trials. Pearson's correlation analyses were used to determine relationships between the predictor variables (stature, mass, body composition, 5-m, 10-m and 20-m sprint times, peak speed, closed-skill agility time, response time and decision-making time) and reactive agility time (response variable). Simple and stepwise regression analyses determined the individual influence of each predictor variable and the best predictor model for reactive agility time. Morphological (r = -0.45 to 0.19), sprint (r = -0.40 to 0.41) and change-of-direction speed measures (r = 0.43) had small to moderate correlations with reactive agility time. Response time (r = 0.76, P = 0.004) and decision-making time (r = 0.58, P = 0.049) had large to very large relationships with reactive agility time. Response time was identified as the sole predictor variable for reactive agility time in the stepwise model (R(2) = 0.58, P = 0.004). In conclusion, cognitive measures had the greatest influence on reactive agility performance in men basketball players. These findings suggest reaction and decision-making drills should be incorporated in basketball training programmes.

Factors influencing knowledge and practice of exclusive ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors influencing knowledge and practice of exclusive breastfeeding in Nyando ... The overall objective of this study was to determine factors influencing the ... EBF and its benefits), pre lacteal feeds and exclusive breastfeeding consistency.

Assessment of spatial and physical neighborhood characteristics that influence sound quality and herewith well-being and health.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Devilee, Jeroen; Kempen, Elise van; Swart, Wim; Kamp, Irene van; Ameling, Caroline

2018-01-01

Environmental noise and health studies seldom address the positive effect of environments with high acoustic quality. Sound quality, in turn, is influenced by a large number of factors, including the spatial-physical characteristics of a neighborhood. In general, these characteristics cannot be

Exploring Factors that Influence Domestic Tourists’ Satisfaction with Budget Hotel Services in Egypt

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Hossam Samy

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to explore the primary factors that affect the perception of domestic tourists towards the service quality of budget hotels in Egypt. The factors were divided into three main constructs: physical quality, service quality and value for money. The primary findings reveal that the budget hotel location, cleanliness, maintenance, comfort level, hotel staff service, value for money room rates and food and beverage values are among the significant factors that influence domestic tourist satisfaction within predefined constructs. Primary Elements associated with the budget hotel stay were also ranked according to guest satisfaction.

The influence of self-efficacy and outcome expectations on the relationship between perceived environment and physical activity in the workplace

OpenAIRE

Plotnikoff Ronald C; Prodaniuk Tricia R; Spence John C; Wilson Phillip M

2004-01-01

Abstract Background Recent research and commentary contends that ecological approaches may be particularly useful for understanding and promoting physical activity participation in various settings including the workplace. Yet within the physical activity domain there is a lack of understanding of how ecological environment factors influence behaviour. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between perceived environment, social-cognitive variables, and physical activ...

Nutra-ergonomics: influence of nutrition on physical employment standards and the health of workers.

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Shearer, Jane; Graham, Terry E; Skinner, Tina L

2016-06-01

The importance of ergonomics across several scientific domains, including biomechanics, psychology, sociology, and physiology, have been extensively explored. However, the role of other factors that may influence the health and productivity of workers, such as nutrition, is generally overlooked. Nutra-ergonomics describes the interface between workers, their work environment, and performance in relation to their nutritional status. It considers nutrition to be an integral part of a safe and productive workplace that encompasses physical and mental health as well as the long-term wellbeing of workers. This review explores the knowledge, awareness, and common practices of nutrition, hydration, stimulants, and fortified product use employed prior to physical employment standards testing and within the workplace. The influence of these nutra-ergonomic strategies on physical employment standards, worker safety, and performance will be examined. Further, the roles, responsibilities, and implications for the applicant, worker, and the employer will be discussed within the context of nutra-ergonomics, with reference to the provision and sustainability of an environment conducive to optimize worker health and wellbeing. Beyond physical employment standards, workplace productivity, and performance, the influence of extended or chronic desynchronization (irregular or shift work) in the work schedule on metabolism and long-term health, including risk of developing chronic and complex diseases, is discussed. Finally, practical nutra-ergonomic strategies and recommendations for the applicant, worker, and employer alike will be provided to enhance the short- and long-term safety, performance, health, and wellbeing of workers.

Workplace violence and influencing factors among medical professionals in China.

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Wu, Siying; Zhu, Wei; Li, Huangyuan; Lin, Shaowei; Chai, Wenli; Wang, Xiaorong

2012-11-01

Workplace violence has attracted increasing public attention over the past few decades in China. This study was conducted to evaluate the frequency of workplace violence in healthcare settings by various job titles and hospital departments, and to explore the related risk factors among Chinese medical professionals. A total of 2,464 medical professionals in 12 hospitals of two provinces were surveyed by using a stratified cluster sampling method. The Chinese version of the Workplace Violence Scale was used to measure the frequencies of workplace violence, classified as physical assault, emotional abuse, threat of assault, verbal sexual harassment and sexual assault experienced by the subjects over the previous 12 months. A structured questionnaire was administered to collect information on potentially influencing factors for workplace violence. Multivariate analysis was applied to determine the risk factors for workplace violence. About 50% of study subjects reported at least one type of workplace violence. The rates of experiencing two episodes or more of physical assault, emotional abuse, threat of assault, verbal sexual harassment, and sexual assault were 11%, 26%, 12%, 3%, and 1%, respectively. Identified risk factors for workplace violence included working in the departments of psychiatry, emergency, pediatrics and surgery, male gender, divorce/widowed status, long working hours (≥10 hr/day), and night shift. The study suggested that workplace violence occurs commonly in Chinese healthcare settings. Effective intervention strategies targeting workplace violence should be formulated in terms of major risk factors. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A place for play? The influence of the home physical environment on children’s physical activity and sedentary behaviour

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

The home environment is an important influence on the sedentary behaviour and physical activity of children, who have limited independent mobility and spend much of their time at home. This article reviews the current evidence regarding the influence of the home physical environment on the sedentary behaviour and physical activity of children aged 8–14 years. A literature search of peer reviewed articles published between 2005 and 2011 resulted in 38 observational studies (21 with activity outcomes, 23 with sedentary outcomes) and 11 experimental studies included in the review. The most commonly investigated behavioural outcomes were television watching and moderate to vigorous physical activity. Media equipment in the home and to a lesser extent the bedroom were positively associated with children’s sedentary behaviour. Physical activity equipment and the house and yard were not associated with physical activity, although environmental measures were exclusively self-reported. On the other hand, physical activity equipment was inversely associated with sedentary behaviours in half of studies. Observational studies that investigated the influence of the physical and social environment within the home space, found that the social environment, particularly the role of parents, was important. Experimental studies that changed the home physical environment by introducing a television limiting device successfully decreased television viewing, whereas the influence of introducing an active video game on activity outcomes was inconsistent. Results highlight that the home environment is an important influence on children’s sedentary behaviour and physical activity, about which much is still unknown. While changing or controlling the home physical environment shows promise for reducing screen based sedentary behaviour, further interventions are needed to understand the broader impact of these changes. Future studies should prioritise investigating the influence of the

Factors that influencing veterinary drug’s metabolisation

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Cristina, Romeo T.

2007-12-01

Full Text Available The paper wants to make a recall for the vet practitioners, of the main veterinary drug's metabolism rate influencing factors. Among the most important physiological factors (pharmacokinetics, sanguine flow and urinary ones, plasmatic proteins binding, enzymatic induction and inhibition are essential. Between the animal’s bounded factors more important are: species, individuality, age, sex, pregnancy, alimentation, genetic factors, and health status and from exogenous factors, daily rhythm, influences of chemical compounds and of the stress are presented.

Health related quality of life and influencing factors among welders.

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Jingxiang Qin

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Occupational exposure to welding fumes is a serious occupational health problem all over the world. Welders are exposed to many occupational hazards; these hazards might cause some occupational diseases. The aim of the study was to assess the health related quality of life (HRQL of electric welders in Shanghai China and explore influencing factors to HRQL of welders. METHODS: 301 male welders (without pneumoconiosis and 305 non-dust male workers in Shanghai were enrolled in this study. Short Form-36 (SF-36 health survey questionnaires were applied in this cross-sectional study. Socio-demographic, working and health factors were also collected. Multiple stepwise regress analysis was used to identify significant factors related to the eight dimension scores. RESULTS: Six dimensions including role-physical (RP, bodily pain (BP, general health (GH, validity (VT, social function (SF, and mental health (MH were significantly worse in welders compared to non-dust workers. Multiple stepwise regress analysis results show that native place, monthly income, quantity of children, drinking, sleep time, welding type, use of personal protective equipment (PPE, great events in life, and some symptoms including dizziness, discomfort of cervical vertebra, low back pain, cough and insomnia may be influencing factors for HRQL of welders. Among these factors, only sleep time and the use of PPE were salutary. CONCLUSIONS: Some dimensions of HRQL of these welders have been affected. Enterprises which employ welders should take measures to protect the health of these people and improve their HRQL.

[Physical fitness in dependence on cardiovascular risk factors - an assessment of 20- to 30-year-old adults].

Science.gov (United States)

Sammito, S; Niebel, I

2013-01-01

Cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors are already common in the young adult population. The prevalence of obesity increases. More and more employees are not able to stand the physical demands at the workplace. In the course of increasing the statutory retirement age ("retirement with 67") more knowledge about the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and their influence on the physical fitness is necessary for a wise and goal-oriented primary prevention. A retrospective analysis of survey examinations from young German soldiers in terms of prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and their physical fitness was undertaken. The causes for rejection were analysed. In the group of 646 test persons (in average 23.4 years old) there were large rates of people with overweight (37.9%) and obesity (10.8%). Smoking (55.6%), hypercholesteremia (18.6%) and hypertriglyceridemia (13.3%) were also common. Apparent diseases were rare. With an increasing number of cardiovascular risk factors, the physical fitness was significantly lower. High liver enzymes, obesity and lacking physical fitness were reasons for rejection. Already in this young adult collective cardiovascular risk factors are widely spread. This reduces the physical fitness directly or indirectly. A goal-oriented primary prevention is already necessary in this collective of young employees to avoid later limitations in ability to work. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Influence of physical and psychosocial work environment throughout life and physical and cognitive capacity in midlife on labor market attachment among older workers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sundstrup, Emil; Hansen, Åse Marie; Mortensen, Erik Lykke

2016-01-01

position, chronic disease and long-term sickness absence prior to baseline. DISCUSSION: The project will generate new knowledge on risk factors for loss of labor market attachment. The results will potentially contribute in identifying factors that could be targeted in future interventions for maintaining......BACKGROUND: As average life span increases, elderly will account for an increasing proportion of the total population in most parts of the world. Thus, initiatives to retain older workers at the labor market are becoming increasingly important. This study will investigate the influence of physical...... and psychosocial work environment throughout working life and physical and cognitive capacity in midlife on labor market attachment among older workers. METHODS/DESIGN: Approximately 5000 participants (aged 50-60 years) from the Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank (CAMB) will be followed prospectively...

Social Influences and the Physical Activity Intentions of Parents of Young-Children Families: An Extended Theory of Planned Behavior Approach

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Hamilton, Kyra; White, Katherine M.

2012-01-01

Evidence within Australia and internationally suggests parenthood as a risk factor for inactivity; however, research into understanding parental physical activity is scarce. Given that active parents can create active families and social factors are important for parents' decision making, the authors investigated a range of social influences on…

Factors influencing customer satisfaction with reference and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper examines factors influencing customer satisfaction with reference and information services in an academic environment. The paper identifies types of reference services in libraries, factors influencing customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction with reference and information services and suggested the way forward ...

Reasons of chlorella strain's resistance to physical and chemical factors of environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Apasheva, L M; Bujiashvilie, D M; Naydich, V I; Shevchenko, V A

1979-07-01

Under environmental pollution it is necessary to study the reasons of an organism's resistance as well as the specificity of it. Some chlorella strains were under the influence of uv- and x-irradiation, heat treatment, cadmium salts, insecticide, and detergent. It was shown that cells which were resistant to physical factors were resistant to chemical intoxication, as well. The positive correlation between resistance of strains and the described influences and the levels of endogenic thiols was found. The second reason for higher resistance is an increase of free radicals' concentration. It is linked with increasing P/sub 700/ quantity of electron-transport chains that make possible higher levels of photosynthetic reactions of resistant cells.

Physical activity level of three generation families. Genetic and environmental factors

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Raquel Nichele de Chaves

2010-09-01

Full Text Available This study aims (1 to investigate the presence of familial aggregation in physical activity (PA levels and sedentary behavior (SB among members of three generations families and (2 to estimate the magnitude of additive genetic influences on PA and SB phenotypes. The sample consisted of 100 extended families covering three generations (n=1034, from the Lisbon area, Portugal. Phenotypes were assessed via the short version of the self-administered International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF. Measured phenotypes: total physical activity (TPA; vigorous (VPA; moderate (MPA; walking; time spent in sitting time (ST, watching television (WT and PA levels classification. Body mass index (BMI was calculated. Exploratory family analysis in all phenotypes was conducted in PEDSTATS software. The genetic component (h2 and shared environmental effect were estimated using maximum likelihood implemented in the SOLAR software package. All graphs were done in HLM software. Sex, age, sex*age, age2, sex*age2 and BMI were used as covariates. Significant level was set at 0,05. Genetic component estimates (h2 were as follows: TPA h2=0,28±0,06 (p<0.0001; VPA h2=0,35±0,06 (p<0.0001; MPA h2=0,29±0,06 (p<0.0001; walking h2=0,40±0,06 (p<0.0001; ST h2=0,29±0,06 (p<0.0001; WT h2=0,15±0,06 (p<0.003 and determination of the level physical activity h2=0,35±0,14 (p<0.007. Shared environmental effect was not significant. These results showed a low-to-moderate genetic contribution, between 15% to 40% of the total variability, in the PA and SB phenotypes. The genetic factors have low to moderate influence in this sample. Non-shared environmental factors appear to have the major contribution in these phenotypes.

Social influences on physical activity in Anglo- and Vietnamese-Australian adolescent males in a single sex school.

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Wilson, Andrew N; Dollman, James

2007-06-01

Understanding factors that influence physical activity levels of adolescents can assist the design of more effective interventions. Social support is a consistent correlate of youth physical activity but few studies have examined this in different cultural settings. Male adolescents (n=180, age=13.58+/-0.97 years) from a metropolitan single sex private school participated in this study. Habitual physical activity was estimated using the 3-day physical activity recall (3dPAR), and aspects of social support to be physically active using a specifically designed questionnaire. Comparisons were made between Anglo-Australians (n=118), whose parents were both born in Australia, and Vietnamese-Australians (n=62), whose parents were both born in Vietnam. There was a trend towards higher physical activity among Anglo-Australians, particularly on weekends. Anglo-Australians reported significantly more parental and peer support across most items pertaining to these constructs. Among the whole sample, social support variables explained 5-12% of the total explained variance in physical activity, with items pertaining to father and best friend support emerging as the strongest and most consistent predictors in multiple regression models. Among Anglo-Australians, the prediction models were relatively weak, explaining 0-9% of the total explained variance in physical activity. Prediction models for physical activity among Vietnamese-Australians were much stronger, explaining 11-32% of the total explained variance, with father's support variables contributing consistently to these models. The strong paternal influence on physical activity among Vietnamese-Australians needs to be confirmed in more diverse population groups, but results from this study suggest that interventions promoting physical activity among adolescent boys need to take into account cultural background as a moderator of widely reported social influences.

Correlates of Physical Activity in Asian Adolescents: A Literature Review

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Husna Hidayati

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Physical activity is important to prevent several chronic diseases in adulthood. Nowadays, young people do not regularly perform physical activity. Several factors may influence their decision. Most of studies were conducted in western countries. However the findings might not be generalized regarding the differences in culture and social condition. Therefore, reviewing the correlates of physical activity among adolescents in Asian countries is essential. Purpose: To update the state of knowledge on factors associated with adolescents’ physical activity in Asian countries. Methods: Literature review on existing articles retrieved from electronic databases was conducted. The review on factors of physical activity was set based on the setting of study, adolescents as participants of the study and the year of publication ranged from 2002-2011. Result: The findings compiled the evidence of relationships between physical activity and several influencing factors. Intrapersonal factors age, gender, socioeconomic status, parental education, and perceptions related to physical activity- perceived self efficacy, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers, interpersonal factors (family and peer influences and extra-personal factors (school policy and living arrangement were identified. Self efficacy was manifested as the strongest influencing factor in most studies. This review highlighted the cultural issues on physical activities of adolescents in Asian countries. Conclusion: This paper provided comprehensive knowledge related to factors influencing physical activity in Asian adolescents. The issue of cultural sensitivity should be considered in the future intervention program designed to improve physical activity of adolescents. Keyword: adolescent, physical activity, health Promotion, Asian countries

Selection of asset investment models by hospitals: examination of influencing factors, using Switzerland as an example.

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Eicher, Bernhard

2016-10-01

Hospitals are responsible for a remarkable part of the annual increase in healthcare expenditure. This article examines one of the major cost drivers, the expenditure for investment in hospital assets. The study, conducted in Switzerland, identifies factors that influence hospitals' investment decisions. A suggestion on how to categorize asset investment models is presented based on the life cycle of an asset, and its influencing factors defined based on transaction cost economics. The influence of five factors (human asset specificity, physical asset specificity, uncertainty, bargaining power, and privacy of ownership) on the selection of an asset investment model is examined using a two-step fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis. The research shows that outsourcing-oriented asset investment models are particularly favored in the presence of two combinations of influencing factors: First, if technological uncertainty is high and both human asset specificity and bargaining power of a hospital are low. Second, if assets are very specific, technological uncertainty is high and there is a private hospital with low bargaining power, outsourcing-oriented asset investment models are favored too. Using Qualitative Comparative Analysis, it can be demonstrated that investment decisions of hospitals do not depend on isolated influencing factors but on a combination of factors. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Influencing Factors of the Body Mass Index of Elementary Students in Southern Taiwan

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Li-Na Chou

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The body mass index (BMI of school children in Taiwan is markedly increasing. According to statistical data from the Taiwan Ministry of Education, the prevalence of obesity in school children from the southern part of the country is the highest in Taiwan. Thus, exploring the factors influencing BMI in elementary school children from southern Taiwan is crucial. This study investigated the influencing factors including physical activity levels, sedentary behaviors, dietary habits, and perceived body shape on the BMIs of elementary school children from southern Taiwan. A cross-sectional design was used, and the participants consisted of 3251 fifth-grade students (1628 boys, 50.1%; 1623 girls, 49.9%. The average BMI values for boys and girls were 19.69 and 18.70 (kg/cm respectively. Statistically significant associations were observed between BMI and sex, 31–60 min of daily vigorous or moderate physical activities levels, length of time spent watching television, time spent on video games or the computer, and intake of vegetable or meat gravy with rice (p < 0.001. Perceived body shape also affected the BMI of school children. The results of this study enable educational institutions in Taiwan to understand the factors affecting the BMI of school children and use this information as the basis for future healthy body weight policies.

Factoring in weather variation to capture the influence of urban design and built environment on globally recommended levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Katapally, Tarun Reddy; Rainham, Daniel; Muhajarine, Nazeem

2015-11-30

In curbing physical inactivity, as behavioural interventions directed at individuals have not produced a population-level change, an ecological perspective called active living research has gained prominence. However, active living research consistently underexplores the role played by a perennial phenomenon encompassing all other environmental exposures-variation in weather. After factoring in weather variation, this study investigated the influence of diverse environmental exposures (including urban design and built environment) on the accumulation of globally recommended moderate to vigorous physical activity levels (MVPA) in children. This cross-sectional observational study is part of an active living initiative set in the Canadian prairie city of Saskatoon. As part of this study, Saskatoon's neighbourhoods were classified based on urban street design into grid-pattern, fractured grid-pattern and curvilinear types of neighbourhoods. Moreover, diverse environmental exposures were measured including, neighbourhood built environment, and neighbourhood and household socioeconomic environment. Actical accelerometers were deployed between April and June 2010 (spring-summer) to derive MVPA of 331 10-14-year-old children in 25 1-week cycles. Each cycle of accelerometry was conducted on a different cohort of children within the total sample and matched with weather data obtained from Environment Canada. Multilevel modelling using Hierarchical Linear and Non-linear Modelling software was conducted by factoring in weather variation to depict the influence of diverse environmental exposures on the accumulation of recommended MVPA. Urban design, including diversity of destinations within neighbourhoods played a significant role in the accumulation of MVPA. After factoring in weather variation, it was observed that children living in neighbourhoods closer to the city centre (with higher diversity of destinations) were more likely to accumulate recommended MVPA. The findings

Early Life Factors and Adult Leisure Time Physical Inactivity Stability and Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinto Pereira, Snehal M; Li, Leah; Power, Chris

2015-09-01

Physical inactivity has a high prevalence and associated disease burden. A better understanding of influences on sustaining and changing inactive lifestyles is needed. We aimed to establish whether leisure time inactivity was stable in midadulthood and whether early life factors were associated with inactivity patterns. In the 1958 British birth cohort (n = 12,271), leisure time inactivity (frequency, less than once a week) assessed at 33 and 50 yr was categorized as "never inactive," "persistently inactive," "deteriorating," or "improving." Early life factors (birth to 16 yr) were categorized into three (physical, social, and behavioral) domains. Using multinomial logistic regression, we assessed associations with inactivity persistence and change of factors within each early life domain and the three domains combined with and without adjustment for adult factors. Inactivity prevalence was similar at 33 and 50 yr (approximately 31%), but 17% deteriorated and 18% improved with age. In models adjusted for all domains simultaneously, factors associated with inactivity persistence versus never inactive were prepubertal stature (8% lower risk/height SD), poor hand control/coordination (17% higher risk/increase on four-point scale), cognition (16% lower/SD in ability) (physical); parental divorce (25% higher), class at birth (7% higher/reduction on four-point scale), minimal parental education (16% higher), household amenities (2% higher/increase in 19-point score (high = poor)) (social); and inactivity (22% higher/reduction in activity on four-point scale), low sports aptitude (47% higher), smoking (30% higher) (behavioral). All except stature, parental education, sports aptitude, and smoking were associated also with inactivity deterioration. Poor hand control/coordination was the only factor associated with improved status (13% lower/increase on four-point scale) versus persistently inactive. Adult leisure time inactivity is moderately stable. Early life factors are

Influence of parity, type of delivery, and physical activity level on pelvic floor muscles in postmenopausal women.

Science.gov (United States)

Varella, Larissa Ramalho Dantas; Torres, Vanessa Braga; Angelo, Priscylla Helouyse Melo; Eugênia de Oliveira, Maria Clara; Matias de Barros, Alef Cavalcanti; Viana, Elizabel de Souza Ramalho; Micussi, Maria Thereza de Albuquerque Barbosa Cabral

2016-03-01

[Purpose] The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of parity, type of delivery, and physical activity level on pelvic floor muscles in postmenopausal women. [Subjects and Methods] This was an observational analytic cross-sectional study with a sample of 100 postmenopausal women, aged between 45 and 65 years, divided into three groups according to menopausal stage: hysterectomized and early and late postmenopause. Patients were assessed for sociodemographic and gyneco-obstetric factors and subjected to a muscle strength test and perineometry. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis and multiple regression were applied. [Results] The results showed homogeneity in sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics. There was no difference in pelvic floor muscle function among the three groups. Type of delivery, parity and physical activity level showed no influence on muscle function. [Conclusion] The findings demonstrate that parity, type of delivery, and physical activity level had no influence on pelvic floor muscle pressure in postmenopausal women. One hypothesis to explain these results is the fact that the decline in muscle function in postmenopausal women is related to the female aging process.

Does physical activity influence the relationship between low back pain and obesity?

Science.gov (United States)

Smuck, Matthew; Kao, Ming-Chih J; Brar, Nikhraj; Martinez-Ith, Agnes; Choi, Jongwoo; Tomkins-Lane, Christy C

2014-02-01

Evidence supporting an association between obesity and low back pain (LBP) continues to grow; yet little is known about the cause and effect of this relationship. Even less is known about the mechanisms linking the two. Physical activity is a logical suspect, but no study has demonstrated its role. This study was designed to examine the interrelationship between physical activity, obesity, and LBP. The specific aims were to determine if obesity is a risk factor for LBP in the U.S. population, measure the strength of any observed association, and evaluate the role of physical activity in modulating this association. A cross-sectional U.S. population-based study. A cohort of 6,796 adults from the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Demographic information, an in-depth health questionnaire, physical examination details, and 7-day free-living physical activity monitoring using accelerometry (ActiGraph AM-7164; ActiGraph, Pensacola, FL, USA). LBP status was determined by questionnaire response. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated during physical examination and divided here into four groups (normal weight physical activity were computed based on intensity cutoffs, percentile intensities, and bout. Demographics, social history, and comorbid health conditions were used to build adjusted weighted logistic regression models constructed using Akaike Information Criterion. All displayed estimates are significant at level Physical activity also modulates these risks. In the overall model, the best physical activity predictors of LBP are in the moderate and high intensity ranges with small effects (odds ratio 0.98 and 0.996 per standard deviation increase, respectively). When broken down by BMI, time spent in sedentary and moderate activity ranges demonstrate more robust influences on LBP status in the overweight, obese, and ultraobese groups. Increased BMI is a risk factor for back pain in Americans. More important, the role of physical activity in

Factors Influencing Endometrial Thickness in Postmenopausal Women

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Cut‑off values for endometrial thickness (ET) in asymptomatic postmenopausal woman have been standardized. However, there are no comprehensive studies to document how various factors can influence the ET after the age of menopause. Aim: To study the various factors influencing the ET in ...

Factors Influencing Livelihood Diversification among Rural Farmers ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This research study was set out to analyze factors influencing rural farmer's engagement in livelihood diversification in the study area. The specific objectives were; to identify the different levels of farmers' engagement in livelihood diversification, determine the socio-demographic factors or forces that influence farmers' ...

Physical activity and cardiovascular disease risk factors among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) risk factors are increasing at an unprecedented rate in developing countries. However, fewer studies have evaluated the role of physical activity in preventing CVD in these countries. We assessed level physical activity and its relationship with CVD risk factors among young and ...

Physical, Cognitive and Emotional Factors Contributing to Quality of Life, Functional Health and Participation in Community Dwelling in Chronic Kidney Disease

Science.gov (United States)

Seidel, Ulla K.; Gronewold, Janine; Volsek, Michaela; Todica, Olga; Kribben, Andreas; Bruck, Heike; Hermann, Dirk M.

2014-01-01

Background Quality of life (QoL) impairment is a well-known consequence of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The factors influencing QoL and late life functional health are poorly examined. Methods Using questionnaires combined with neuropsychological examinations, we prospectively evaluated physical, cognitive, and emotional factors influencing QoL, functional health and participation in community dwelling in 119 patients with CKD stages 3–5 including hemodialysis (61.5±15.7years; 63% men) and 54 control patients of the same age without CKD but with similar cardiovascular risk profile. Results Compared with control patients, CKD patients showed impairment of the physical component of QoL and overall function, assessed by the SF-36 and LLFDI, whereas disability, assessed by LLFDI, was selectively impaired in CKD patients on hemodialysis. Multivariable linear regressions (forced entry) confirmed earlier findings that CKD stage (β = −0.24; p = 0.012) and depression (β = −0.30; p = 0.009) predicted the QoL physical component. Hitherto unknown, CKD stage (β = −0.23; p = 0.007), cognition (β = 0.20; p = 0.018), and depression (β = −0.51; dwelling are influenced by physical, cognitive, and emotional factors, most prominently in coronary heart disease patients. PMID:24614180

Association between Hypothesized Parental Influences and Preschool Children's Physical Activity Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Loprinzi, Paul D.; Schary, David P.; Beets, Michael W.; Leary, Janie; Cardinal, Bradley J.

2013-01-01

Background: To date, most research investigating the influence of parents on children"s physical activity behavior has been conducted among school-aged children. As a result, we have a limited understanding of the mechanisms through which parents can influence their young children's physical activity behavior. The purpose of this study was to…

Barriers to Physical Activity on University Student

Science.gov (United States)

Jajat; Sultoni, K.; Suherman, A.

2017-03-01

The purpose of the research is to analyze the factors that become barriers to physical activity in university students based on physical activity level. An internet-based survey was conducted. The participants were 158 University students from Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. Barriers to Physical Activity Quiz (BPAQ) were used to assessed the factors that become barriers to physical activity in university students. IPAQ (short form) were used to assessed physical activity level. The results show there was no differences BPAQ based on IPAQ level. But when analyzed further based on seven factors barriers there are differences in factors “social influence and lack of willpower” based IPAQ level. Based on this it was concluded that the “influence from other and lack of willpower” an inhibiting factor on students to perform physical activity.

Physical risk factors for neck pain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ariëns, Geertje A M; Van Mechelen, Willem; Bongers, Paulien M.; Bouter, Lex M.; Van Der Wal, Gerrit

2000-01-01

To identify physical risk factors for neck pain, a systematic review of the literature was carried out. Based on methodological quality and study design, 4 levels of evidence were defined to establish the strength of evidence for the relationship between risk factors and neck pain. Altogether, 22

Factors influencing choice of oral hygiene products by dental ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Several factors, such as cost, branding, packaging and family influence, had been implicated as influencing the choice of toothpastes and toothbrushes by individuals. Media advertisement is also considered a very strong factor influencing consumer's choice. Aim: To assess the extent to which some factors ...

THE INFLUENCE OF THE SPORTS TRAINING ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOME SPECIFIC PHYSICAL ABILITIES OF THE FEMALE HANDBALL PLAYERS

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Dobrislav Vujović

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The sustained and systematic training processes related to the handball have various influences on creating those anthropological characteristics that can be influenced on the basis of exogenesis. A well organized, longer training process is a very important factor that can significantly influence on the quality and quantity of those characteristics of the players that are not being inborn. The objective of the paper is to show the influence of the programmed triennial handball training on the changing of the physical abilities of the female handball players of the Montenegrin national team.

Soil physical properties influencing the fitting parameters in Philip and Kostiakov infiltration models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mbagwu, J.S.C.

1994-05-01

Among the many models developed for monitoring the infiltration process those of Philip and Kostiakov have been studied in detail because of their simplicity and the ease of estimating their fitting parameters. The important soil physical factors influencing the fitting parameters in these infiltration models are reported in this study. The results of the study show that the single most important soil property affecting the fitting parameters in these models is the effective porosity. 36 refs, 2 figs, 5 tabs

ENERGY EFFICIENCY. TRENDS AND INFLUENCE FACTORS

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Zizi GOSCHIN

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Energy efficiency is correlated with many factors of influence: Gross National Income per capita, energy imports (% of energy use, renewable combustible and waste (% of total, energy use per capita, services as % of GDP and others. In this paper we are testing a model of piecewise linear regression with breakpoint in order to measure the influence of these factors on the variation of GDP per unit of energy use in Europe in the year 2003.

Influence of diabetes on physical function among the elderly persons

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Farzana Tabassum

2009-07-01

Full Text Available There is growing recognition that the complications associated with type-2 diabetes may translate into functional impairments in older people.This cross sectional study was conducted between January and June 2008 to determine the influence of diabetes on physical functions in an elderly (³55 years population. Fifty-five elderly diabetics attending the out-patient department of a diabetic centre were selected by convenient sampling and compared with fifty-five non-diabetic elderly persons of the near-by community. Their physical functions were assessed by Barthel Index, SF-36 Health Survey and Modified Physical Performance test. Diabetic elderly persons, on average, obtained lower scores in all these three tests. After removing the effect of socio-demographic variables, influence of diabetes on level of independence measured by Barthel Index did not persist. However, the difference in SF-36 health survey and Modified Physical Performance test scores between diabetics and non-diabetics remained significant after controlling for socio-demographic variables. The current study showed influence of diabetes on physical functions in the elderly. People should be motivated and guided properly to practice a healthy lifestyle in order to prevent and control diabetes and thus avoid complications of diabetes mellitus and disabilities in later life. Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2009; 3(2: 45-49

Parents' perception of their influence on their child's physical activity.

Science.gov (United States)

VanDerworp, Gwendolyn Kay; Ryan, Sarah-Jane

2016-03-01

Childhood physical activity (PA) has declined in the western world recently. To combat child inactivity, government programs have been organized to promote PA within families. It is important for physiotherapists to understand the influence parents perceive to have on their child's PA habits in order to better encourage a positive parental influence. The purpose of this study is to explore how parents perceive their influence on their child/children's PA through an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach. This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach with semi-structured interviews conducted with five participants. The interviews were analyzed using elements of IPA. Master themes developed with their corresponding subthemes: creating an environment of opportunity--logistics, opportunities through encouragement and PA within the family, barriers to PA--barriers created by parents and barriers created by external factors, and parent and child interactions--children communicating interest and disinterest in PA and parent's attitudes toward children's disinterest. The findings suggest that parents perceive themselves to have a greater positive influence on their children rather than negative. The barriers that parents create are not perceived to prevent their child's PA but rather restrict it. Many participants reported enjoying doing PA with their children and used PA as an opportunity for family time, indicating a dual purpose for PA. © The Author(s) 2014.

Comparing virtual with physical wedge for the transmission factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Kuei-Hua; Lin Jao-Perng; Chu Tieh-Chi; Liu Mu-Tai

2000-01-01

This paper investigates the discrepancies between virtual wedge and physical wedge at the standard wedge angles of 15, 30, 45, and 60 degrees. The dose distributions for virtual wedge and physics wedge were measured by using a commercial multichamber detector array. The transmission factors of each virtual wedge and physical wedge were measured for Siemens PRIMUS 3008 linear accelerator by single ion chamber. These factors were used to set-up the clinical treatment data tables for clinical dosimetry for virtual wedge utilization. The Wellhoefer IC15, 0.13cc chamber was installed on the chamber frame of Wellhoefer water phantom (48x48x40 cm 3 ). The surface of water was at 100 cm SSD. The output factor in water were measured on the central axis of each field at 5 cm depth for 6MV or 10 cm depth for 15MV X-ray on virtual wedge and physical wedge. Comparing virtual wedge with physical wedge for transmission factor as field size range from 4x4 to 25x25 cm 2 . We have measured the dose distributions using the chamber array for 25x25 cm 2 virtual wedge fields and physical wedge fields at wedge angles of 15deg to 60deg. The dose profiles at various depths were also measured using the chamber array. The transmission factors of each physical wedge were slowly increased as field sizes increase, and had different value for each wedge angle. The transmission factors of each virtual wedge were almost constant value as 1.0 for each wedge angle. The results show that the dose profiles including the penumbra dose measured by the chamber array for virtual wedge agree with those measured for the physical wedge. For transmission factors of virtual wedge were constant value as 1.0 for each angles, namely output without wedge is almost equal to output with wedge on the central axis. Virtual wedge has practical and dosimetric advantages over physical wedge. (author)

What factors influence mitigative capacity?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winkler, Harald; Baumert, Kevin; Blanchard, Odile; Burch, Sarah; Robinson, John

2007-01-01

This article builds on Yohe's seminal piece on mitigative capacity, which elaborates 'determinants' of mitigative capacity, also reflected in the IPCC's third assessment report. We propose a revised definition, where mitigative capacity is a country's ability to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions or enhance natural sinks. By 'ability' we mean skills, competencies, fitness, and proficiencies that a country has attained which can contribute to GHG emissions mitigation. A conceptual framework is proposed, linking mitigative capacity to a country's sustainable development path, and grouping the factors influencing mitigative capacity into three main sets: economic factors, institutional ones, and technology. Both quantitative and qualitative analysis of factors is presented, showing how these factors vary across countries. We suggest that it is the interplay between the three economic factors-income, abatement cost and opportunity cost-that shape mitigative capacity. We find that income is an important economic factor influencing mitigative capacity, while abatement cost is important in turning mitigative capacity into actual mitigation. Technology is a critical mitigative capacity, including the ability to absorb existing climate-friendly technologies or to develop innovative ones. Institutional factors that promote mitigative capacity include the effectiveness of government regulation, clear market rules, a skilled work force and public awareness. We briefly investigate such as high abatement cost or lack of political willingness that prevent mitigative capacity from being translated into mitigation

The Influence of the Physical Environment and Sociodemographic Characteristics on Children's Mode of Travel to and From School

Science.gov (United States)

Larsen, Kristian; Hess, Paul; Tucker, Patricia; Irwin, Jennifer; He, Meizi

2009-01-01

Objectives. We examined whether certain characteristics of the social and physical environment influence a child's mode of travel between home and school. Methods. Students aged 11 to 13 years from 21 schools throughout London, Ontario, answered questions from a travel behavior survey. A geographic information system linked survey responses for 614 students who lived within 1 mile of school to data on social and physical characteristics of environments around the home and school. Logistic regression analysis was used to test the influence of environmental factors on mode of travel (motorized vs “active”) to and from school. Results. Over 62% of students walked or biked to school, and 72% from school to home. The likelihood of walking or biking to school was positively associated with shorter trips, male gender, higher land use mix, and presence of street trees. Active travel from school to home was also associated with lower residential densities and lower neighborhood incomes. Conclusions. Our findings demonstrate that active travel is associated with environmental characteristics and suggest that school planners should consider these factors when siting schools in order to promote increased physical activity among students. PMID:19106422

Factors influencing general practitioners in the referral of elderly cancer patients

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Demeaux Jean-Louis

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A number of studies have identified advanced age as a barrier to accessing specialised oncological care. Many factors can influence the care provided for elderly patients after a diagnosis of cancer has been established or is suspected. Only one European study has analysed the decision processes leading general practitioners (GPs to refer elderly patients with cancer to oncologists. The objectives of the current study are to describe the factors that influence these decisions and to identify the particular factors and GP characteristics that are associated with systematic referral of these patients in South-West France. Methods This is a cross-sectional study on a representative sample of GPs in Aquitaine, South-West France. Questionnaire items were selected using a Delphi consensus approach and sent by post. Two logistic regression models were constructed to investigate GPs' decisions to refer these patients. Results The response rate obtained was 30%. Half of the general practitioners reported "always" referring their elderly cancer patients to oncologists. More than 75% reported being influenced by patient-related elements (patient and/or family wishes, comorbid factors, unsuitability of invasive investigations, physical and mental autonomy, by cancer-related elements (severity of symptoms, expected side-effects and an organisational element (whether the general practitioner was used to collaborating with oncologists. Logistic regression analysis showed that cancer site and organisational difficulties in patient management were significantly associated with the decision to refer elderly patients with early-stage cancer. For advanced stages, oncology training, patient age, organisational difficulties in patient management and stage of cancer were significantly associated with the decision to refer elderly patients. Conclusions Cancer-linked factors and organisational difficulties have been highlighted as influencing the

Factors Influencing Job Satisfaction Among Long-Term Care Staff.

Science.gov (United States)

Doran, Kelly; Resnick, Barbara; Swanberg, Jennifer

2017-11-01

We assessed the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and organizational factors that predicted job satisfaction among long-term care employees. Baseline data were used to describe characteristics that influence job satisfaction. Using a forced linear regression model, while controlling for age and job title, we assessed if higher physical activity levels, fewer symptoms of depression, stress, and/or anxiety (ie, decreased mood), less back pain, stronger social support, and reports of low work demands were associated with higher job satisfaction. Mood (β = -0.412, P = 0.003) explained 17% of the variance in job satisfaction. This information can be used to guide facility wide programs and interventions aimed at increasing job satisfaction among all long-term care staff.

Physical activity practice among children and adolescents with visual impairment--influence of parental support and perceived barriers.

Science.gov (United States)

Greguol, Márcia; Gobbi, Erica; Carraro, Attilio

2015-01-01

To analyze the practice of physical activity among children and adolescents with visual impairments (VI), regarding the possible influence of parental support and perceived barriers. Twenty-two young people with VIs (10 + 2.74 years old) and one of each of their parents were evaluated. They responded to the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C), Baecke Questionnaire, the Parental Support Scale and a questionnaire about perceived barriers to physical activity. The independent samples t-test, pearson correlation test and chi-square test were performed. Blind young people showed lower physical activity levels. There were significant correlations both between parents' physical activity and the support offered to children and between the PAQ-C results and the importance given by young people to physical activity, but only for those aged between 8 and 10 years old. The main perceived barriers were lack of security, motivation, professional training and information about available physical activity programs. The influence of parental support seems to be an important factor in the adoption of a physically active lifestyle for young people with VI. Parents and children should have more information about the benefits and opportunities of physical activity. Implications for Rehabilitation Young people with visual impairment should be encouraged by parents to practice physical activity. More information should be provided on the benefits of physical activity to both parents and children. Professional training should be available to help support this group become more active.

Neighborhood influences on recreational physical activity and survival after breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Keegan, Theresa H M; Shariff-Marco, Salma; Sangaramoorthy, Meera; Koo, Jocelyn; Hertz, Andrew; Schupp, Clayton W; Yang, Juan; John, Esther M; Gomez, Scarlett L

2014-10-01

Higher levels of physical activity have been associated with improved survival after breast cancer diagnosis. However, no previous studies have considered the influence of the social and built environment on physical activity and survival among breast cancer patients. Our study included 4,345 women diagnosed with breast cancer (1995-2008) from two population-based studies conducted in the San Francisco Bay Area. We examined questionnaire-based moderate/strenuous recreational physical activity during the 3 years before diagnosis. Neighborhood characteristics were based on data from the 2000 US Census, business listings, parks, farmers' markets, and Department of Transportation. Survival was evaluated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, with follow-up through 2009. Women residing in neighborhoods with no fast-food restaurants (vs. fewer fast-food restaurants) to other restaurants, high traffic density, and a high percentage of foreign-born residents were less likely to meet physical activity recommendations set by the American Cancer Society. Women who were not recreationally physically active had a 22% higher risk of death from any cause than women that were the most active. Poorer overall survival was associated with lower neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) (p(trend) = 0.02), whereas better breast cancer-specific survival was associated with a lack of parks, especially among women in high-SES neighborhoods. Certain aspects of the neighborhood have independent associations with recreational physical activity among breast cancer patients and their survival. Considering neighborhood factors may aide in the design of more effective, tailored physical activity programs for breast cancer survivors.

Adherence to physical activity recommendations and its associated factors: an interregional population-based study

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Ala'a Alkerwi

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Background. Though the influence of physical activity in preventing cardiovascular diseases is well documented, only a few comparative studies have determined the degree of adherence to physical activity recommendations among populations and identified the demographic, socioeconomic, behavioural and health-related factors associated with good compliance. Design and methods. Cross-sectional interregional NESCaV survey of 3133 subjects compared three populations, Luxembourg, Lorraine (France and Wallonia (Belgium, by using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Age and gender prevalence rates of physical activity were standardized to the European population. Results. The likelihood to meet the recommendations was higher in Luxembourg, after adjustment for age, gender, education, employment, weight status, morbidity score, health perception and level of importance attributed to the practice of physical activity (P<0.0001. The odds for meeting the recommendations were significantly higher among those with secondary than tertiary education. Compared to good self-health perception, subjects with poor or fair self-perceived health were less likely to meet the recommendations; this also applied to those attributing little or enough importance to physical activity compared with great importance. Conclusions. Region, education, self-perceived health and perception of importance of physical activity were emerged as independent determinants of meeting the recommendations. Awareness of the positive health effects of physical activity might thus be crucial for motivating the people to become more active. Further research is needed to explore potential region-specific factors which might explain the difference in population behaviours with respect to physical activity.

Clustering of leptin and physical activity with components of metabolic syndrome in Iranian population: an exploratory factor analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Esteghamati, Alireza; Zandieh, Ali; Khalilzadeh, Omid; Morteza, Afsaneh; Meysamie, Alipasha; Nakhjavani, Manouchehr; Gouya, Mohammad Mehdi

2010-10-01

Metabolic syndrome (MetS), manifested by insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, central obesity, and hypertension, is conceived to be associated with hyperleptinemia and physical activity. The aim of this study was to elucidate the factors underlying components of MetS and also to test the suitability of leptin and physical activity as additional components of this syndrome. Data of the individuals without history of diabetes mellitus, aged 25-64 years, from third national surveillance of risk factors of non-communicable diseases (SuRFNCD-2007), were analyzed. Performing factor analysis on waist circumference, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides (TG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) led to extraction of two factors which explained around 59.0% of the total variance in both genders. When TG and HDL-C were replaced by TG to HDL-C ratio, a single factor was obtained. In contrast to physical activity, addition of leptin was consistent with one-factor structure of MetS and improved the ability of suggested models to identify obesity (BMI≥30 kg/m2, Pphysical activity loaded on the first identified factor. Our study shows that one underlying factor structure of MetS is also plausible and the inclusion of leptin does not interfere with this structure. Further, this study suggests that physical activity influences MetS components via modulation of the main underlying pathophysiologic pathway of this syndrome.

Self-Efficacy Manipulation Influences Physical Activity Enjoyment in Chinese Adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Liang; Cheng, Shoubin; Lu, Jiaying; Zhu, Lele; Chen, Ling

2016-02-01

In this study, we examined the effect of the manipulation of exercise self-efficacy on the enjoyment of physical activity in a sample of 44 Chinese adolescents (age = 14.27 ± .87 y), including 22 boys and 22 girls. The participants were randomized into a low-efficacy or high-efficacy condition, and their self-efficacy beliefs for engaging in moderate-intensity physical activity were manipulated by providing false feedback after a submaximal exercise test. The participants' self-efficacy was measured and compared before and after the exercise test and the participants' enjoyment of physical activity was assessed after the exercise test. It was found that exercise self-efficacy was successfully manipulated in the expected direction in both conditions, which significantly influenced the participants' enjoyment of physical activity. After the exercise test, the participants in the low-efficacy condition reported lower enjoyment scores relative to the high-efficacy participants. These results suggest that self-efficacy may have an important influence on the enjoyment of physical activity among Chinese adolescents. We recommend that physical activity promotion programs should be tailored to enhance adolescents' self-efficacy beliefs and enjoyment of the experience of physical activity.

Longitudinal influence of musculo-skeletal injuries and extra physical education on physical fitness in schoolchildren

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rexen, C T; Ersbøll, A K; Wedderkopp, N

2016-01-01

The aims of this study were to investigate if (A) injuries and (B) increased physical education (PE) influenced the development of physical fitness in schoolchildren. Simultaneously, to investigate if a possible PE effect was modified by sport participation outside school hours....... This was a longitudinal controlled school-based study. Six schools with 270 min of PE (extra PE) and four schools with 90 min of PE were followed up for 2.5 years. In total, 1054 children were included for analysis (normal PE = 443, extra PE = 611). Development in fitness was analyzed using composite z-scores from six...... fitness tests measured four times. Information of injury and sport was derived from weekly automated mobile phone text messages surveying the presence of musculo-skeletal pain and organized sport participation. Injury and extra PE both influenced the development of physical fitness. Injury decreased...

What Predicts Exercise Maintenance and Well-Being? Examining The Influence of Health-Related Psychographic Factors and Social Media Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xin; Krishnan, Archana

2018-01-26

Habitual exercising is an important precursor to both physical and psychological well-being. There is, thus, a strong interest in identifying key factors that can best motivate individuals to sustain regular exercise regimen. In addition to the importance of psychographic factors, social media use may act as external motivator by allowing users to interact and communicate about exercise. In this study, we examined the influence of health consciousness, health-oriented beliefs, intrinsic motivation, as willingness to communicate about health on social media, social media activity on exercise, and online social support on exercise maintenance and well-being on a sample of 532 American adults. Employing structural equation modeling, we found that health-oriented beliefs mediated the effect of health consciousness on intrinsic motivation which in turn was a significant predictor of exercise maintenance. Exercise maintenance significantly predicted both physical and psychological well-being. Extrinsic motivators, as measured by willingness to communicate about health on social media, social media activity on exercise, and online social support did not however significantly influence exercise maintenance. These findings have implications for the design and implementation of exercise-promoting interventions by identifying underlying factors that influence exercise maintenance.

MARKETING MIX FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE DESIRE TO PURCHASE FRUIT BEVERAGES IN THE CITY OF BOGOR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iffatul Ulfah

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The objectives of this research were 1 to analyze marketing mix factors that influence the desire to purchase fruit beverages, 2 to formulate the marketing strategies of fruit beverages at restaurant based on fruit beverages in the city of Bogor. This research was conducted by using descriptive methods through survey approach. Data was collected in questionnaires, using non probability sample approach with convenience sampling technique. Variables measured  were 7P’s marketing mix factors, namely product, place, price, promotion, physical evidence, process and people. The analysis that were used were descriptive analysis and discriminant analysis. The result of this research shows that price and physical evidence were two factors that discriminate consumer behaviour. This means that the purchase intention (desire between consumers who buy and consumers who do not buy fruit beverages were affected by price and physical evidence factors. The discriminant function that discriminate consumers purchase intention is D = -3,339+0,619Physical+0,899Price and cut-off value -0,18624. This means that if discriminant value (Dis higher than -0,18624, the consumer belongs to the group of consumer who will buy the fruit beverages and vice versa.Keywords: consumer behaviour, purchase intention, marketing mix, discriminant analysis

Factors Influencing Colorectal Cancer Screening Participation

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Antonio Z. Gimeno García

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Colorectal cancer (CRC is a major health problem worldwide. Although population-based CRC screening is strongly recommended in average-risk population, compliance rates are still far from the desirable rates. High levels of screening uptake are necessary for the success of any screening program. Therefore, the investigation of factors influencing participation is crucial prior to design and launches a population-based organized screening campaign. Several studies have identified screening behaviour factors related to potential participants, providers, or health care system. These influencing factors can also be classified in non-modifiable (i.e., demographic factors, education, health insurance, or income and modifiable factors (i.e., knowledge about CRC and screening, patient and provider attitudes or structural barriers for screening. Modifiable determinants are of great interest as they are plausible targets for interventions. Interventions at different levels (patient, providers or health care system have been tested across the studies with different results. This paper analyzes factors related to CRC screening behaviour and potential interventions designed to improve screening uptake.

[Study on physical deviation factors on laser induced breakdown spectroscopy measurement].

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Xiong; Wang, Peng; Wang, Qi; Zhang, Qing; Zhang, Zhi-Min; Zhang, Hua-Ming

2013-10-01

In order to eliminate the deviation between the measured LIBS spectral line and the standard LIBS spectral line, and improve the accuracy of elements measurement, a research of physical deviation factors in laser induced breakdown spectroscopy technology was proposed. Under the same experimental conditions, the relationship of ablated hole effect and spectral wavelength was tested, the Stark broadening data of Mg plasma laser induced breakdown spectroscopy with sampling time-delay from 1.00 to 3.00 micros was also studied, thus the physical deviation influences such as ablated hole effect and Stark broadening could be obtained while collecting the spectrum. The results and the method of the research and analysis can also be applied to other laser induced breakdown spectroscopy experiment system, which is of great significance to improve the accuracy of LIBS elements measuring and is also important to the research on the optimum sampling time-delay of LIBS.

Factors Influencing the Phenotypic Expression of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Genetic Carriers.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-Sánchez, Inmaculada; Romero-Puche, Antonio José; García-Molina Sáez, Esperanza; Sabater-Molina, María; López-Ayala, José María; Muñoz-Esparza, Carmen; López-Cuenca, David; de la Morena, Gonzalo; Castro-García, Francisco José; Gimeno-Blanes, Juan Ramón

2018-03-01

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a disorder with variable expression. It is mainly caused by mutations in sarcomeric genes but the phenotype could be modulated by other factors. The aim of this study was to determine whether factors such as sex, systemic hypertension, or physical activity are modifiers of disease severity and to establish their role in age-related penetrance of HCM. We evaluated 272 individuals (mean age 49 ± 17 years, 57% males) from 72 families with causative mutations. The relationship between sex, hypertension, physical activity, and left ventricular hypertrophy was studied. The proportion of affected individuals increased with age. Men developed the disease 12.5 years earlier than women (adjusted median, 95%CI, -17.52 to -6.48; P < .001). Hypertensive patients were diagnosed with HCM later (10.8 years of delay) than normotensive patients (adjusted median, 95%CI, 6.28-17.09; P < .001). Individuals who performed physical activity were diagnosed with HCM significantly earlier (7.3 years, adjusted median, 95%CI, -14.49 to -1.51; P = .016). Sex, hypertension, and the degree of physical activity were not significantly associated with the severity of left ventricular hypertrophy. Adjusted survival both free from sudden death and from the combined event were not influenced by any of the exploratory variables. Men and athletes who are carriers of sarcomeric mutations are diagnosed earlier than women and sedentary individuals. Hypertensive carriers of sarcomeric mutations have a delayed diagnosis. Sex, hypertension, and physical activity are not associated with disease severity in carriers of HCM causative mutations. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Exploring the Factors That Influence Female Students' Decision to (Not) Enrol in Elective Physical Education: A Private School Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Kiley, Jill; Robinson, Daniel Bruce

2016-01-01

This article presents the results from a qualitative case study that examined the influencers upon a somewhat unique group of female students who opted out of elective physical education (PE). More specifically, this study focused upon female students attending an affluent private school, investigating why--when they transitioned from middle…

The influence of attitudes toward physical activity and sports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Tereza Araújo

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Attitude is one of the most important predictor variables in relation to behavioral intentions regarding physical activity. Thus, this study aims to determine the influence of attitudes towards physical activity. The study comprised a sample of 1129 individuals (507 men and 622 women age between 12 and 58 years ( = 18 sd = 4.03. To collect the data, the Scale of Attitudes Towards Physical Activity and Sports (Dosil, 2002 was based on the Portuguese version (Cid, Alves, & Dosil, 2008. The results show that attitudes towards physical activity and sports are more positive in younger male individuals, who do not attend higher education, who regularly engage in physical activity and whose parents engage in physical/sports activity themselves.

Physical activity level in Achilles tendinosis is associated with blood levels of pain-related factors: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagge, J; Gaida, J E; Danielson, P; Alfredson, H; Forsgren, S

2011-12-01

Physical activity affects the pain symptoms for Achilles tendinosis patients. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and their receptors have been detected in human Achilles tendon. This pilot study aimed to compare serum BDNF and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor I (sTNFRI) levels in Achilles tendinosis patients and healthy controls and to examine the influence of physical activity, and BMI and gender, on these levels. Physical activity was measured with a validated questionnaire, total physical activity being the parameter analyzed. Physical activity was strongly correlated with BDNF among tendinosis women [Spearman's rho (ρ)=0.90, Pwomen (ρ=-0.08, P=0.83), or among tendinosis and control men. Physical activity was significantly correlated with sTNFRI in the entire tendinosis group and among tendinosis men (ρ=0.65, P=0.01), but not in the entire control group or among control men (ρ=0.04, P=0.91). Thus, the physical activity pattern is related to the TNF and BDNF systems for tendinosis patients but not controls, the relationship being gender dependent. This is new information concerning the relationship between physical activity and Achilles tendinosis, which may be related to pain for the patients. This aspect should be further evaluated using larger patient materials. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

An Investigation into factors influencing the choice of business ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

There was significant difference between male and female career influencing factors. There was no significant difference regarding the influence exercised by parent in the students' choice of Business Education. There is significant difference between male and female in the influence exerted by external factors in their ...

Urban water consumption and its influencing factors in China

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fan, Liangxin; Gai, Lingtong; Tong, Yan; Li, Ruihua

2017-01-01

Factors that affect water consumption should be identified to develop effective public policies. However, factors influencing domestic water consumption in cities in China, particularly on a national scale, are unclear. In this study, urban water consumption and its influencing factors in 286

Physical activity and physical activity cognitions are potential factors maintaining fatigue in patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wouters, Eveline J. M.; van Leeuwen, Ninke; Bossema, Ercolie R.; Kruize, Aike A.; Bootsma, Hendrika; Bijlsma, Johannes W. J.; Geenen, Rinie

Background Fatigue is a prevalent and debilitating problem in Sjogren's syndrome. It has been suggested that physical activity and cognitions about physical activity can influence fatigue. Objective The aim of this study was to examine fatigue and physical activity levels in patients with Sjogren's

Does influence at work modify the relation between high occupational physical activity and risk of heart disease in women?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Allesøe, Karen; Holtermann, Andreas; Rugulies, Reiner

2017-01-01

.6 years by individual linkage to incident IHD in the Danish National Patient Registry. Information on OPA, influence at work, other occupational factors and known risk factors for IHD was collected by self-report in 1993. Results: During follow-up 869 nurses were hospitalised with incident IHD. Nurses......Purpose: To investigate whether influence at work modifies the association between demanding and strenuous occupational physical activity (OPA) and risk of ischaemic heart disease (IHD). Methods: A sample of 12,093 nurses aged 45–64 years from the Danish Nurse Cohort Study was followed for 20...... exposed to strenuous OPA and low influence at work had a 46% increased risk of IHD [hazard ratio (HR) 1.46 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–2.09)] compared to the reference group of nurses with moderate OPA and high influence at work. Nurses exposed to strenuous OPA and high influence at work were...

Factors Influencing Pregnancy Desires among HIV Positive Women ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors Influencing Pregnancy Desires among HIV Positive Women in Sibande District in Mpumalanga, South Africa. ... Gender and Behaviour ... The objective of the study is to present findings on factors influencing pregnancy desires amongst HIV positive women that have participated in Prevention of Mother to child ...

[Analysis of dietary pattern and diabetes mellitus influencing factors identified by classification tree model in adults of Fujian].

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, F L; Ye, Y; Yan, Y S

2017-05-10

Objective: To find out the dietary patterns and explore the relationship between environmental factors (especially dietary patterns) and diabetes mellitus in the adults of Fujian. Methods: Multi-stage sampling method were used to survey residents aged ≥18 years by questionnaire, physical examination and laboratory detection in 10 disease surveillance points in Fujian. Factor analysis was used to identify the dietary patterns, while logistic regression model was applied to analyze relationship between dietary patterns and diabetes mellitus, and classification tree model was adopted to identify the influencing factors for diabetes mellitus. Results: There were four dietary patterns in the population, including meat, plant, high-quality protein, and fried food and beverages patterns. The result of logistic analysis showed that plant pattern, which has higher factor loading of fresh fruit-vegetables and cereal-tubers, was a protective factor for non-diabetes mellitus. The risk of diabetes mellitus in the population at T2 and T3 levels of factor score were 0.727 (95 %CI: 0.561-0.943) times and 0.736 (95 %CI : 0.573-0.944) times higher, respectively, than those whose factor score was in lowest quartile. Thirteen influencing factors and eleven group at high-risk for diabetes mellitus were identified by classification tree model. The influencing factors were dyslipidemia, age, family history of diabetes, hypertension, physical activity, career, sex, sedentary time, abdominal adiposity, BMI, marital status, sleep time and high-quality protein pattern. Conclusion: There is a close association between dietary patterns and diabetes mellitus. It is necessary to promote healthy and reasonable diet, strengthen the monitoring and control of blood lipids, blood pressure and body weight, and have good lifestyle for the prevention and control of diabetes mellitus.

Social Factors Influencing Child Health in Ghana.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emmanuel Quansah

Full Text Available Social factors have profound effects on health. Children are especially vulnerable to social influences, particularly in their early years. Adverse social exposures in childhood can lead to chronic disorders later in life. Here, we sought to identify and evaluate the impact of social factors on child health in Ghana. As Ghana is unlikely to achieve the Millennium Development Goals' target of reducing child mortality by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015, we deemed it necessary to identify social determinants that might have contributed to the non-realisation of this goal.ScienceDirect, PubMed, MEDLINE via EBSCO and Google Scholar were searched for published articles reporting on the influence of social factors on child health in Ghana. After screening the 98 articles identified, 34 of them that met our inclusion criteria were selected for qualitative review.Major social factors influencing child health in the country include maternal education, rural-urban disparities (place of residence, family income (wealth/poverty and high dependency (multiparousity. These factors are associated with child mortality, nutritional status of children, completion of immunisation programmes, health-seeking behaviour and hygiene practices.Several social factors influence child health outcomes in Ghana. Developing more effective responses to these social determinants would require sustainable efforts from all stakeholders including the Government, healthcare providers and families. We recommend the development of interventions that would support families through direct social support initiatives aimed at alleviating poverty and inequality, and indirect approaches targeted at eliminating the dependence of poor health outcomes on social factors. Importantly, the expansion of quality free education interventions to improve would-be-mother's health knowledge is emphasised.

Factors that influence exercise activity among women post hip fracture participating in the Exercise Plus Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Resnick, Barbara; Orwig, Denise; D'Adamo, Christopher; Yu-Yahiro, Janet; Hawkes, William; Shardell, Michelle; Golden, Justine; Zimmerman, Sheryl; Magaziner, Jay

2007-01-01

Using a social ecological model, this paper describes selected intra- and interpersonal factors that influence exercise behavior in women post hip fracture who participated in the Exercise Plus Program. Model testing of factors that influence exercise behavior at 2, 6 and 12 months post hip fracture was done. The full model hypothesized that demographic variables; cognitive, affective, physical and functional status; pain; fear of falling; social support for exercise, and exposure to the Exercise Plus Program would influence self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and stage of change both directly and indirectly influencing total time spent exercising. Two hundred and nine female hip fracture patients (age 81.0 +/- 6.9), the majority of whom were Caucasian (97%), participated in this study. The three predictive models tested across the 12 month recovery trajectory suggest that somewhat different factors may influence exercise over the recovery period and the models explained 8 to 21% of the variance in time spent exercising. To optimize exercise activity post hip fracture, older adults should be helped to realistically assess their self-efficacy and outcome expectations related to exercise, health care providers and friends/peers should be encouraged to reinforce the positive benefits of exercise post hip fracture, and fear of falling should be addressed throughout the entire hip fracture recovery trajectory.

Tracing How Normative Messages May Influence Physical Activity Intention.

Science.gov (United States)

van Bavel, René; Esposito, Gabriele; Baranowski, Tom; Duch-Brown, Néstor

2017-04-01

Normative messages have been shown to increase intention to do physical activity. We traced how "positive" and "negative" normative messages influenced physical activity intention by comparing constructs of the model of goal-directed behavior with descriptive norms (MGDB + DNs) across control and treatment groups in an experiment. For this purpose, 16-24-year-old respondents (n = 1,200) in Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania were asked about their age, sex, and levels of physical activity before being exposed to positive and negative normative messages and completing a questionnaire with MGDB + DNs scales. Different MGDB + DNs constructs were influenced by the normative messages: compared with the control, the negative message group showed stronger attitudes (p = .003) and the positive message group showed higher positive anticipated emotions (p = .005). The positive message's effect is consistent with the literature on conformity to social norms. The negative message's effect lends itself to interpretations based on social identity and deviance regulation theories.

Does educational level influence the effects of smoking, alcohol, physical activity, and obesity on mortality? A prospective population study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schnohr, Christina; Højbjerre, Lise; Riegels, Mette

2004-01-01

in mortality risk. However, these risk factors seem to influence mortality equally at different educational levels. Therefore, social inequalities in mortality do not seem to be explained only by differences in effect of lifestyle risk factors, but are also related to the social rank or unexamined factors...... into three educational levels measured as basic schooling, and the effect of smoking habits, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and body mass index, respectively, on mortality was assessed. RESULTS: Those with the lowest level of education were most frequently heavy smokers, heavy drinkers, physically...... strata. Further, subjects who were either very lean or obese had increased risks of death compared with those of normal weight at all educational levels in both genders. CONCLUSIONS: The difference in distribution of the main known risk factors may be part of the explanation for the differences...

What Factors Determine the Uptake of A-level Physics?

Science.gov (United States)

Gill, Tim; Bell, John F.

2013-03-01

There has been much concern recently in the UK about the decline in the number of students studying physics beyond age 16. To investigate why this might be we used data from a national database of student qualifications and a multilevel modelling technique to investigate which factors had the greatest impact on the uptake of physics at Advanced Level (A-level) in a particular year. Each factor of interest was entered into a separate model, while accounting for prior attainment and gender (both well-known predictors of A-level uptake). We found that factors associated with greater probability of uptake included better attainment in physics (or combined science) and maths qualifications at age 16 in comparison to other subjects, and (for girls only) attending an independent or grammar school. While it is difficult to address these factors directly, the results imply that more needs to be done to improve relative performance at General Certificate of Secondary Education, perhaps by increasing the supply of specialist physics teachers at this level and to overcome the perception (especially among girls) that physics is a particularly difficult subject.

Modeling Factors with Influence on Sustainable University Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oana Dumitrascu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this paper is to present the factors with influence on the sustainable university management and the relationships between them. In the scientific approach we begin from a graphical model, according to which the extracurricular activities together with internal environmental factors influence students’ involvement in such activities, the university attractiveness, their academic performance and their integration into the socially-economic and natural environment (components related with sustainable development. The model emphasizes that individual performances, related to students’ participation in extracurricular activities, have a positive influence on the sustainability of university management. The results of the study have shown that the university sustainability may be influenced by a number of factors, such as students’ performance, students’ involvement in extracurricular activities or university’s attractiveness and can in turn influence implicitly also the sustainability of university management. The originality of the paper consists in the relationships study using the modeling method in general and informatics tools of modeling in particular, as well as through graphical visualization of some influences, on the sustainability university management.

The Influence of Ecological Factors on the Transmission and Stability of Avian Influenza Virus in the Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dyah Ayu Hewajuli

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Ecology is a science studying the correlation among organisms and some environmental factors. Ecological factors play an important role to transmit Avian Influenza (AI virus and influence its stability in the environment. Avian Influenza virus is classified as type A virus and belong to Orthomyxoviridae family. The virus can infect various vertebrates, mainly birds and mammals, including human. Avian Influenza virus transmission can occur through bird migration. The bird migration patterns usually occur in the large continent covers a long distance area within a certain periode hence transmit the virus from infected birds to other birds and spread to the environment. The biotic (normal flora microbes and abiotic (physical and chemical factors play important role in transmitting the virus to susceptible avian species and influence its stability in the environment. Disinfectant can inactivate the AI virus in the environment but its effectivity is influenced by the concentration, contact time, pH, temperature and organic matter.

FACTORS INFLUENCING SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siti Khasinah

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Motivation, attitude, age, intelligence, aptitude, cognitive style, and personality are considered as factors that greatly influence someone in the process of his or her second language acquisition. Experts state that those factors give a more dominant contribution in SLA to learners variedly, depend on who the learners are, their age, how they behave toward the language, their cognitive ability, and also the way they learn.

Influence of organizational factors on safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haber, S.B.; Metlay, D.S.; Crouch, D.A.

1990-01-01

There is a need for a better understanding of exactly how organizational management factors at a nuclear power plant (NPP) affect plant safety performance, either directly or indirectly, and how these factors might be observed, measured, and evaluated. The purpose of this research project is to respond to that need by developing a general methodology for characterizing these organizational and management factors, systematically collecting information on their status and integrating that information into various types of evaluative activities. Research to date has included the development of the Nuclear Organization and Management Analysis Concept (NOMAC) of a NPP, the identification of key organizational and management factors, and the identification of the methods for systematically measuring and analyzing the influence of these factors on performance. Most recently, two field studies, one at a fossil fuel plant and the other at a NPP, were conducted using the developed methodology. Results are presented from both studies highlighting the acceptability, practicality, and usefulness of the methods used to assess the influence of various organizational and management factors including culture, communication, decision-making, standardization, and oversight. 6 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

Factors related to rural young adolescents' participation in outdoor, noncompetitive physical activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Christiana, Richard W; Davis, Marsha; Wilson, Mark G; McCarty, Frances A; Green, Gary T

2014-12-01

Young adolescents who have little interest in participating in competitive team sports are at an increased risk for physical inactivity. Noncompetitive outdoor physical activity can provide young adolescents with increased opportunities to participate in physical activities that appeal to them and have positive health effects. The purpose of this study was to examine factors related to rural young adolescents' participation in noncompetitive outdoor physical activity to inform intervention design. Young adolescents aged 10 to 14 years old (N = 1,032) from 1 rural county completed a self-administered questionnaire assessing constructs from self-determination theory (SDT) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) related to noncompetitive outdoor physical activity. Structural equation modeling was used to examine an integrated conceptual model of hypothesized relationships among constructs. The hypothesized conceptual model provided a good fit to the data with greater perceptions of autonomy support and self-determined motivation having statistically significant positive indirect effects on participation in noncompetitive outdoor physical activity mediated by the constructs of the TPB. All direct paths in the model were statistically significant; however, the direct effect of attitudes on intention was weak (.08) and self-determined motivation had no indirect effect on intention through attitudes (.03). Constructs of SDT and TPB should be accounted for by interventions targeting noncompetitive outdoor physical activity among young adolescents. More research is needed to determine young adolescents' preferences for noncompetitive and competitive physical activity and the potential influence that noncompetitive outdoor physical activity may have on total daily physical activity.

INFLUENCE FACTORS FOR LEASING MARKET CONTRACTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oana BĂRBULESCU

2016-11-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to investigate the relationship between leasing contracts and some factors that influence the value of these contracts. In order to do this, we have decided on some quantitative marketing research by appealing to statistics for accomplishing the objectives that we have set: to find a correlation between the turnover percentage assigned to leasing expenses and several influence factors. This study indicated that the more contracts are signed by a firm, the more likely is to assign a bigger fraction of the income to each new leasing contract. The study confirmed that bigger companies are relying more on leasing as a way of financing than small companies. This study also discovered that companies with more employees are using larger contracts in order to sustain their activity. The findings are expected to contribute to adjusting the offers by the leasing companies, taking into consideration these factors and to using these factors in order to better predict the market evolution.

Factors that negatively influence consumption of traditionally ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors that negatively influence consumption of traditionally fermented milk ... in various countries of sub-Saharan Africa and a number of health benefits to human ... influence consumption of Mursik, a traditionally fermented milk product from ...

The Perceived Relationship between Physical Attractiveness and Social Influence Effectiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Longo, Laura C.; Ashmore, Richard D.

The power of beauty has been contemplated by writers, poets, and philosophers for centuries. The link between the target physical attractiveness and perceived social influence effectiveness has not been directly and systematically investigated. The goal of this study was to assess whether physically attractive (versus unattractive) individuals are…

Factors Influencing Organization Adoption Decision On Cloud Computing

OpenAIRE

Ailar Rahimli

2013-01-01

Cloud computing is a developing field, using by organization that require to computing resource to provide the organizational computing needs. The goal of this research is evaluate the factors that influence on organization decision to adopt the cloud computing in Malaysia. Factors that relate to cloud computing adoption that include : need for cloud computing, cost effectiveness, security effectiveness of cloud computing and reliability. This paper evaluated the factors that influence on ado...

Factors Influencing Implementation of a Physical Activity Intervention in Residential Children's Homes.

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, Erica Y; Saunders, Ruth P; Pate, Russell R

2016-11-01

The Environmental Intervention in Children's Homes (ENRICH) study was the first published physical activity intervention undertaken in residential children's homes (RCHs). The study revealed differences in implementation across the homes, which may be a key factor that affects program effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to examine the direct and indirect effects of organizational capacity, provider characteristics, and quality of prevention support system on level of implementation of the ENRICH intervention. This study analyzed the ENRICH process evaluation data collected from 24 RCHs. Bayesian Path analysis was used to examine the direct and indirect effects of organizational capacity, provider characteristics, and quality of prevention support system on level of implementation. Level of implementation across RCHs was variable, ranging from 38 to 97 % (M = 68.3, SD = 14.45). Results revealed that organizational capacity and provider characteristics had significant direct associations with level of implementation. Neither direct nor indirect associations between quality of prevention support system and level of implementation reached statistical significance. Conducting formative assessments on organizational capacity and provider characteristics and incorporating such information in implementation planning may increase the likelihood of achieving higher levels of implementation in future studies.

The influence of the macro-environment on physical activity: a multilevel analysis of 38 countries worldwide.

Science.gov (United States)

Bosdriesz, Jizzo R; Witvliet, Margot I; Visscher, Tommy L S; Kunst, Anton E

2012-09-11

As indicated by the ANGELO framework and similar models, various environmental factors influence population levels of physical activity (PA). To date attention has focused on the micro-level environment, while evidence on the macro-level environment remains scarce and mostly limited to high-income countries. This study aims to investigate whether environmental factors at macro-level are associated with PA among a broader range of countries. Data from the World Health Survey (WHS) was used to analyze 177,035 adults from 38 (mostly low and middle income) countries. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-S) was used to measure PA. Respondents were classified as active or inactive for vigorous PA, moderate PA and walking. Multilevel logistic regression was performed to assess associations between macro-level environmental factors and the prevalence of PA, with control for individual-level socioeconomic factors. The prevalence of PA varied widely between countries and types of PA (5.0%-93.8%). A negative association was found between gross domestic product and PA, odds ratios for men were 0.76 (95% CI: 0.65-0.89) for moderate PA and 0.79 (95% CI: 0.63-0.98) for walking. A higher temperature was associated with less PA (all types) and higher urbanization was associated with less vigorous and moderate PA. More gender equality was also associated with more walking for women. Governmental functioning and literacy rate were not found to be associated with any type of PA. This exploratory study indicates that factors such as climate, economic development and cultural factors are determinants of the level of overall PA at national levels. This underlines the suggestion that the macro-environment should be regarded as an important influence on PA.

The influence of the macro-environment on physical activity: a multilevel analysis of 38 countries worldwide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bosdriesz Jizzo R

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background As indicated by the ANGELO framework and similar models, various environmental factors influence population levels of physical activity (PA. To date attention has focused on the micro-level environment, while evidence on the macro-level environment remains scarce and mostly limited to high-income countries. This study aims to investigate whether environmental factors at macro-level are associated with PA among a broader range of countries. Methods Data from the World Health Survey (WHS was used to analyze 177,035 adults from 38 (mostly low and middle income countries. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-S was used to measure PA. Respondents were classified as active or inactive for vigorous PA, moderate PA and walking. Multilevel logistic regression was performed to assess associations between macro-level environmental factors and the prevalence of PA, with control for individual-level socioeconomic factors. Results The prevalence of PA varied widely between countries and types of PA (5.0%-93.8%. A negative association was found between gross domestic product and PA, odds ratios for men were 0.76 (95% CI: 0.65-0.89 for moderate PA and 0.79 (95% CI: 0.63-0.98 for walking. A higher temperature was associated with less PA (all types and higher urbanization was associated with less vigorous and moderate PA. More gender equality was also associated with more walking for women. Governmental functioning and literacy rate were not found to be associated with any type of PA. Conclusions This exploratory study indicates that factors such as climate, economic development and cultural factors are determinants of the level of overall PA at national levels. This underlines the suggestion that the macro-environment should be regarded as an important influence on PA.

Links Between Psychological Factors And Physical Exercise ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

For diverse reasons, a large number of patients with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) are yet to imbibe regular physical exercise behaviour. In this study, we characterised the link between psychological factors and physical exercise behaviour of a sample of Nigerian T2D patients. Participants were 176 T2D patients with minimum of ...

A Comparison of Factors that Influence the Lyophilization Process

OpenAIRE

Mnerie, Dumitru; Anghel, Gabriela Victoria; Mnerie, Alin Vasile; Cheveresan, Constantin

2007-01-01

The lyophilization (or freeze drying) process for agro-foods products depends on a series of technological factors that are in an inter-dependence with the process performance. This paper presents an expert method and its application. This method characterizes the influence factors of the lyophilization process, after the importance level of some factors in correlation with other factors, is defined. Only the most important factors were considered; influence considerations were made in relati...

Measuring and influencing physical activity with smartphone technology: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bort-Roig, Judit; Gilson, Nicholas D; Puig-Ribera, Anna; Contreras, Ruth S; Trost, Stewart G

2014-05-01

Rapid developments in technology have encouraged the use of smartphones in physical activity research, although little is known regarding their effectiveness as measurement and intervention tools. This study systematically reviewed evidence on smartphones and their viability for measuring and influencing physical activity. Research articles were identified in September 2013 by literature searches in Web of Knowledge, PubMed, PsycINFO, EBSCO, and ScienceDirect. The search was restricted using the terms (physical activity OR exercise OR fitness) AND (smartphone* OR mobile phone* OR cell phone*) AND (measurement OR intervention). Reviewed articles were required to be published in international academic peer-reviewed journals, or in full text from international scientific conferences, and focused on measuring physical activity through smartphone processing data and influencing people to be more active through smartphone applications. Two reviewers independently performed the selection of articles and examined titles and abstracts to exclude those out of scope. Data on study characteristics, technologies used to objectively measure physical activity, strategies applied to influence activity; and the main study findings were extracted and reported. A total of 26 articles (with the first published in 2007) met inclusion criteria. All studies were conducted in highly economically advantaged countries; 12 articles focused on special populations (e.g. obese patients). Studies measured physical activity using native mobile features, and/or an external device linked to an application. Measurement accuracy ranged from 52 to 100% (n = 10 studies). A total of 17 articles implemented and evaluated an intervention. Smartphone strategies to influence physical activity tended to be ad hoc, rather than theory-based approaches; physical activity profiles, goal setting, real-time feedback, social support networking, and online expert consultation were identified as the most useful

The influence of leisure-time physical activity and lifestyle on a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The influence of leisure-time physical activity and lifestyle on a coronary risk index ... African Journal for Physical Activity and Health Sciences ... from mid- and top management level from companies in South Africa participated in this survey.

Factors associated with high physical exertion during manual lifting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Lars L.; Sundstrup, Emil; Brandt, Mikkel

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: High physical exertion during work is a risk factor for back pain and long-term sickness absence. OBJECTIVE: To investigate which factors are associated with physical exertion during manual lifting. METHODS: From 14 workplaces across Denmark, 200 blue-collar workers reported perceived...... physical exertion (Borg-CR10) during manual lifting from floor to table height of 5, 10, 20 and 30 kg at the beginning and end of the working day. The workers also responded to a questionnaire and went through testing of isometric back muscle strength. Associations were modelled using logistic regression...... during manual lifting in blue-collar workers. These factors should be considered when planning work with manual lifting for individual workers....

Assessment of academic/non-academic factors and extracurricular activities influencing performance of medical students of faculty of medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Malaysia

OpenAIRE

Mainul Haque; Nor Azlina A Rahman; Md. Anwarul Azim Majumder; Nor Iza A Rahman; Seraj Zohurul Haque; Zainal Zulkifli; Halyna Lugova; Rabiu Muazu Musa; Ahmed Ghazi Alattraqchi

2018-01-01

Background: Physical and mental comfort is known to have a crucial influence on health and performance amongst medical students. Very often, medical students suffer from poor quality of life (QOL) related to the work-life balance due to the lack of sleep, nutritional and dietary disorders and low physical activity, resulting in a negative impact on their academic performance. This study aims to determine the potential academic/non-academic factors and extra-curricular activities influencing t...

Finite element analysis on factors influencing the clamping force in an electrostatic chuck

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xingkuo; Yang Yiyong; Cheng Jia; Wang Kesheng; Sun Yuchun; Cao Minglu; Ji Linhong

2014-01-01

As one of the core components of IC manufacturing equipment, the electrostatic chuck (ESC) has been widely applied in semiconductor processing such as etching, PVD and CVD. The clamping force of the ESC is one of the most important technical indicators. A multi-physics simulation software COMSOL is used to analyze the factors influencing the clamping force. The curves between the clamping force and the main parameters such as DC voltage, electrode thickness, electrode radius, dielectric thickness and helium gap are obtained. Moreover, the effects of these factors on the clamping force are investigated by means of orthogonal experiments. The results show that the factors can be ranked in order of voltage, electrode radius, helium gap and dielectric thickness according to their importance, which may offer certain reference for the design of ESCs. (semiconductor devices)

Factors influencing workplace violence risk among correctional health workers: insights from an Australian survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Cashmore, Aaron W; Indig, Devon; Hampton, Stephen E; Hegney, Desley G; Jalaludin, Bin B

2016-11-01

Little is known about the environmental and organisational determinants of workplace violence in correctional health settings. This paper describes the views of health professionals working in these settings on the factors influencing workplace violence risk. All employees of a large correctional health service in New South Wales, Australia, were invited to complete an online survey. The survey included an open-ended question seeking the views of participants about the factors influencing workplace violence in correctional health settings. Responses to this question were analysed using qualitative thematic analysis. Participants identified several factors that they felt reduced the risk of violence in their workplace, including: appropriate workplace health and safety policies and procedures; professionalism among health staff; the presence of prison guards and the quality of security provided; and physical barriers within clinics. Conversely, participants perceived workplace violence risk to be increased by: low health staff-to-patient and correctional officer-to-patient ratios; high workloads; insufficient or underperforming security staff; and poor management of violence, especially horizontal violence. The views of these participants should inform efforts to prevent workplace violence among correctional health professionals.

Factors influencing e-commerce development in Serbia

OpenAIRE

Kalinić, Zoran; Ranković, Vladimir; Kalinić, Ljubina

2016-01-01

In this paper, an overview of current state of e-commerce development in Serbia is presented. Also, some important factors influencing e-commerce diffusion are discussed. The factors are divided into four groups: technical factors, which cover e- commerce telecommunication and logistics infrastructure; legal factors, i.e. necessary laws and regulations on e-commerce; economic factors, and psychological factors and local culture. The study showed very strong correlation between broadband inter...

Individual, social and environmental factors influencing physical activity levels and behaviours of multiethnic socio-economically disadvantaged urban mothers in Canada: A mixed methods approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mansfield Elizabeth D

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Existing data provide little insight into the physical activity context of multiethnic socio-economically disadvantaged mothers in Canada. Our primary objectives were: (1 to use focus group methodology to develop tools to identify the individual, social, and environmental factors influencing utilitarian and leisure time physical activities (LTPA of multiethnic SED mothers; and (2 to use a women specific physical activity survey tool to assess psychosocial barriers and supports and to quantify individual physical activity (PA levels of multi-ethnic SED mothers in Canada. Methods Qualitative focus group sessions were conducted in West, Central and Eastern Canada with multiethnic SED mothers (n = 6 focus groups; n = 42 SED mothers and with health and recreation professionals (HRPs (n = 5 focus groups; n = 25 HRPs involved in community PA programming for multiethnic SED mothers. Administration of the women specific Kaiser Physical Activity Survey (KPAS tool was completed by consenting SED mothers (n = 59. Results More than half of SED mothers were employed and had higher total PA scores with occupation included than unemployed mothers. However, nearly 60% of both groups were overweight or obese. Barriers to LTPA included the lack of available, affordable and accessible LTPA programs that responded to cultural and social needs. Concerns for safety, nonsupportive cultural and social norms and the winter climate were identified as key barriers to both utilitarian and LTPA. Conclusions Findings show that multiethnic SED mothers experience many barriers to utilitarian and LTPA opportunities within their communities. The varying LTPA levels among these multi-ethnic SED mothers and the occurrence of overweight and obesity suggests that current LTPA programs are likely insufficient to maintain healthy body weights.

Factors that influence beverage choices at meal times

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mueller Loose, Simone; Jaeger, S. R.

2012-01-01

Beverages are consumed at almost every meal occasion, but knowledge about the factors that influence beverage choice is less than for food choice. The aim of this research was to characterize and quantify factors that influence beverage choices at meal times. Insights into what beverages are chosen...... consumers. Participants (n=164) described 8356 meal occasions in terms of foods and beverages consumed, and the contextual characteristics of the occasion. Beverage choice was explored with random-parameter logit regressions to reveal influences linked to food items eaten, context factors and person factors....... Thereby this study contributed to the food choice kaleidoscope research approach by expressing the degree of context dependency in form of odds ratios and according significance levels. The exploration of co-occurrence of beverages with food items suggests that beverage-meal item combinations can be meal...

Intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing large African herbivore movements

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Venter, J.A.; Prins, H.H.T.; Mashanova, A.; Boer, de W.F.; Slotow, R.

2015-01-01

Understanding environmental as well as anthropogenic factors that influence large herbivore ecological patterns and processes should underpin their conservation and management. We assessed the influence of intrinsic, extrinsic environmental and extrinsic anthropogenic factors on movement behaviour

Individual and Environmental Factors Influencing Adolescents' Dietary Behavior in Low- and Middle-Income Settings.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roosmarijn Verstraeten

Full Text Available Given the public health importance of improving dietary behavior in chronic disease prevention in low- and middle-income countries it is crucial to understand the factors influencing dietary behavior in these settings. This study tested the validity of a conceptual framework linking individual and environmental factors to dietary behavior among Ecuadorian adolescents aged 10-16 years.A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 784 school-going Ecuadorian adolescents in urban and rural Southern Ecuador. Participants provided data on socio-economic status, anthropometry, dietary behavior and its determining factors. The relationships between individual (perceived benefits and barriers, self-efficacy, habit strength, and a better understanding of healthy food and environmental factors (physical environment: accessibility to healthy food; social environment: parental permissiveness and school support, and their association with key components of dietary behavior (fruit and vegetables, sugary drinks, breakfast, and unhealthy snack intake were assessed using structural equation modeling.The conceptual model performed well for each component of eating behavior, indicating acceptable goodness-of-fit for both the measurement and structural models. Models for vegetable intake and unhealthy snacking showed significant and direct effects of individual factors (perceived benefits. For breakfast and sugary drink consumption, there was a direct and positive association with socio-environmental factors (school support and parental permissiveness. Access to healthy food was associated indirectly with all eating behaviors (except for sugary drink intake and this effect operated through socio-environmental (parental permissiveness and school support and individual factors (perceived benefits.Our study demonstrated that key components of adolescents' dietary behaviors are influenced by a complex interplay of individual and environmental factors. The findings indicate

The Dynamic Family Home: a qualitative exploration of physical environmental influences on children's sedentary behaviour and physical activity within the home space.

Science.gov (United States)

Maitland, Clover; Stratton, Gareth; Foster, Sarah; Braham, Rebecca; Rosenberg, Michael

2014-12-24

important, how families prioritise the use of their home space and overcome the challenges posed by the physical environment may be of equal or greater importance in establishing supportive home environments. Further research is required to tease out how physical, social and individual factors interact within the family home space to influence children's sedentary behaviour and physical activity at home.

An information value based analysis of physical and climatic factors affecting dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever incidence

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Tripathi Nitin

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Vector-borne diseases are the most dreaded worldwide health problems. Although many campaigns against it have been conducted, Dengue Fever (DF and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF are still the major health problems of Thailand. The reported number of dengue incidences in 1998 for the Thailand was 129,954, of which Sukhothai province alone reported alarming number of 682. It was the second largest epidemic outbreak of dengue after 1987. Government arranges the remedial facilities as and when dengue is reported. But, the best way to control is to prevent it from happening. This will be possible only when knowledge about the relationship of DF/DHF with climatic and physio-environmental agents is discovered. This paper explores empirical relationship of climatic factors rainfall, temperature and humidity with the DF/DHF incidences using multivariate regression analysis. Also, a GIS based methodology is proposed in this paper to explore the influence of physio-environmental factors on dengue incidences. Remotely sensed data provided important data about physical environment and have been used for many vector borne diseases. Information Values (IV method was utilised to derive influence of various factors in the quantitative terms. Researchers have not applied this type of analysis for dengue earlier. Sukhothai province was selected for the case study as it had high number of dengue cases in 1998 and also due to its diverse physical setting with variety of land use/land cover types. Results Preliminary results demonstrated that physical factors derived from remotely sensed data could indicate variation in physical risk factors affecting DF/DHF. A composite analysis of these three factors with dengue incidences was carried out using multivariate regression analysis. Three empirical models ER-1, ER-2 and ER-3 were evaluated. It was found that these three factors have significant relation with DF/DHF incidences and can be related to

Factors influencing in situ gamma-ray measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Loonstra, E. H.; van Egmond, F. M.

2009-04-01

Introduction In situ passive gamma-ray sensors are very well suitable for mapping physical soil properties. In order to make a qualitative sound soil map, high quality input parameters for calibration are required. This paper will focus on the factors that affect the output of in situ passive gamma-ray sensors, the primary source, soil, not taken into account. Factors The gamma-ray spectrum contains information of naturally occurring nuclides 40K, 238U and 232Th and man-made nuclides like 137Cs, as well as the total count rate. Factors that influence the concentration of these nuclides and the count rate can be classified in 3 categories. These are sensor design, environmental conditions and operational circumstances. Sensor design The main elements of an in situ gamma-ray sensor that influence the outcome and quality of the output are the crystal and the spectrum analysis method. Material and size of the crystal determine the energy resolution. Though widely used, NaI crystals are not the most efficient capturer of gamma radiation. Alternatives are BGO and CsI. BGO has a low peak resolution, which prohibits use in cases where man-made nuclides are subject of interest. The material is expensive and prone to temperature instability. CsI is robust compared to NaI and BGO. The density of CsI is higher than NaI, yielding better efficiency, especially for smaller crystal sizes. More volume results in higher energy efficiency. The reduction of the measured spectral information into concentration of radionuclides is mostly done using the Windows analysis method. In Windows, the activities of the nuclides are found by summing the intensities of the spectrum found in a certain interval surrounding a peak. A major flaw of the Windows method is the limited amount of spectral information that is incorporated into the analysis. Another weakness is the inherent use of ‘stripping factors' to account for contributions of radiation from nuclide A into the peak of nuclide B. This

School staff perpetration of physical violence against students in Uganda: a multilevel analysis of risk factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Merrill, Katherine G; Knight, Louise; Glynn, Judith R; Allen, Elizabeth; Naker, Dipak; Devries, Karen M

2017-08-18

To conduct a multilevel analysis of risk factors for physical violence perpetration by school staff against Ugandan students. Multilevel logistic regression analysis of cross-sectional survey data from 499 staff and 828 caregivers of students at 38 primary schools, collected in 2012 and 2014 during the Good Schools Study. Luwero District, Uganda. Past-week use of physical violence by school staff against students was measured using the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect 'Child Abuse Screening Tool- Child International' and the WHO Multi-Country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence against Women. Of 499 staff, 215 (43%) reported perpetration of physical violence against students in the past week. Individual risk factors associated with physical violence perpetration included being a teacher versus another type of staff member (pviolence against non-students (pviolence (IPV) (pviolence perpetration compared with male staff who had not been a victim of IPV. No evidence was observed for school- or community-level risk factors. Physical violence perpetration from school staff is widespread, and interventions are needed to address this issue. Staff who have been victims of violence and who use violence against people other than students may benefit from additional interventions. Researchers should further investigate how school and community contexts influence staff's physical violence usage, given a lack of associations observed in this study. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Physical and Psychosocial Factors Associated With Physical Activity in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hartman, Jorine E.; Boezen, H. Marike; de Greef, Mathieu H.; ten Hacken, Nick H.

2013-01-01

Objectives: To assess physical activity and sitting time in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to investigate which physical and psychosocial factors are associated with physical activity and sitting time. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Patients were recruited at

Physics teachers' perspectives on factors that affect urban physics participation and accessibility

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Angela M.

2013-06-01

The accessibility of secondary physics in U.S. urban school districts is a complex issue. Many schools do not offer a physics option, and for those that do, access is often restricted by various school policies and priorities that do not promote physics participation for all. To analyze this problem in greater depth, I adopted a qualitative phenomenological methodology to explore urban physics teachers’ views on school- and district-based conditions that may marginalize traditionally underrepresented students. Teachers from three large urban districts shared concerns and suggestions regarding administrative commitment, student preparedness for physics, reform initiatives and testing mandates, promoting physics enrollments, and implementing high quality instruction. Data from interviews and focus groups provided contextual insights into ways in which physics study may be improved and encouraged for urban youth. Teachers believed expanding access could be facilitated with differentiated levels of physics, incorporating mathematical applications with multiple representations, educating students and counselors on the ramifications of choosing or not choosing elective sciences, well-designed grant-funded initiatives, and flexibility with prerequisites and science course sequencing. Teachers experienced frustration with standardized testing, lack of curricular autonomy, shifting administrative directives, and top-down reforms that did not incorporate their feedback in the decision-making processes. Data from this study revealed that physics teacher networks, often housed at local universities, have been a key resource for establishing supportive professional communities to share best practices that may influence school-based reforms that promote physics participation in urban schools.

Factors influencing workplace health promotion intervention: a qualitative systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Rojatz, Daniela; Merchant, Almas; Nitsch, Martina

2017-10-01

Although workplace health promotion (WHP) has evolved over the last 40 years, systematically collected knowledge on factors influencing the functioning of WHP is scarce. Therefore, a qualitative systematic literature review was carried out to systematically identify and synthesize factors influencing the phases of WHP interventions: needs assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation. Research evidence was identified by searching electronic databases (Scopus, PubMed, Social Sciences Citation Index, ASSIA, ERIC, IBBS and PsycINFO) from 1998 to 2013, as well as by cross-checking reference lists of included peer-reviewed articles. The inclusion criteria were: original empirical research, description of WHP, description of barriers to and/or facilitators of the planning, implementation and/or evaluation of WHP. Finally, 54 full texts were included. From these, influencing factors were extracted and summarized using thematic analysis. The majority of influencing factors referred to the implementation phase, few dealt with planning and/or evaluation and none with needs assessment. The influencing factors were condensed into topics with respect to factors at contextual level (e.g. economic crisis); factors at organizational level (e.g. management support); factors at intervention level (e.g. quality of intervention concept); factors at implementer level (e.g. resources); factors at participant level (e.g. commitment to intervention) and factors referring to methodological and data aspects (e.g. data-collection issues). Factors regarding contextual issues and organizational aspects were identified across three phases. Therefore, future research and practice should consider not only the influencing factors at different levels, but also at different phases of WHP interventions. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE OCCURRENCE OF HYPERTROPHIC SCARS AMONG POSTOPERATIVE PATIENTS IN GARUT, INDONESIA

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Andri Nugraha

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Hypertrophic scar causes physical and psychological problems. Thus understanding the factors related to the occurrence of hypertrophic scar tissue is needed. Little is known about its influencing factors in Indonesia, especially in Garut. Objective: This study aims to examine the relationships between hypertrophic scar and its influencing factors, and identify the most dominant factor of the occurrence of hypertrophic scars. Methods: This was an observational case control study using retrospective approach in Polyclinic of Surgery of Regional Public Hospital of dr. Slamet of Garut Regency. There were 40 samples recruited in this study by purposive sampling, which was divided to be case group (20 patients and control group (20 patients. Data were collected using Stony Brook Scar Evaluation Scale by observation and documentation of the medical records of patients. Data were analyzed using logistic regression analysis Results: Findings indicated that there were significant relationships between the surgical wound infection (p = 0.02, family history (p = 0.026, and type of suture (p = 0.043 with the occurrence of hypertrophic scars. The most dominant factor on the occurrence of hypertrophic scars was type of suture, acid polyglactin 910. The variables that had no significant relationships with the occurrence of hypertrophic scar tissue were age (p = 0.34, area of surgical wound (p = 0.177, and smoking habit (p = 0.479. Conclusion: There were significant relationships between infection of surgical wound, genetic history, the type of suture, and the occurrence of hypertrophic scar tissue. The most dominant factor that influenced the occurrence of hypertrophic scar tissue was the type of suture. Therefore, it is suggested to health professionals to modify the using of acid polyglactin 910 sutures, and nurses particularly need to provide the information regarding the family history and genetic-related hypertrophic scar, and prevent the

Influence of Friends on Children’s Physical Activity: A Review

OpenAIRE

Maturo, Claire C.; Cunningham, Solveig A.

2013-01-01

We examined evidence for friendship influences on children’s physical activity (PA) through systematic searches of online databases in May 2012. We identified 106 studies (25 qualitative) published in English since 2000 that analyzed indicators of friendship influences (e.g., communication about PA, friends’ PA, and PA with friends) among persons younger than 19 years.

Factors influencing bone scan quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adams, F.G.; Shirley, A.W.

1983-01-01

A reliable subjective method of assessing bone scan quality is described. A large number of variables which theoretically could influence scan quality were submitted to regression and factor analysis. Obesity, age, sex and abnormality of scan were found to be significant but weak variables. (orig.)

Physical Activity : The interplay between individual and neighbourhood factors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M.A. Beenackers (Marielle)

2013-01-01

textabstractPhysical inactivity is among the most important and prevalent risk factors of many major diseases. Although the health benefits of regular exercise and a physically active lifestyle are well known, many people are still not active. Understanding why some population groups are physically

Influence of Height Waterlogging on Soil Physical Properties of Potential and Actual Acid Sulphate Soils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arifin Fahmi

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Water management is main factor that determines the successful of rice cultivation in acid sulphate soil. Soil waterlogging determines the direction and rate of chemical, geochemical and biological reaction in the soil, indirectly these reactions may influence to the changes of soil psycal properties during soil waterlogging process. The experiment was aimed to study the changes of two type of acid sulphate soils physical properties during rice straw decomposition processes. The research was conducted in the greenhouse consisting of the three treatment factors using the completely randomized design with three replications. The first factor was soil type: potential acid sulphate soil (PASS and actual acid sulphate soil (AASS. The second factor was height of water waterlogging: 0.5-1.0 cm (muddy water–level condition and 4.0 cm from above the soil surface (waterlogged. The third factor was organic matter type: rice straw (RS, purun tikus (Eleocharis dulcis (PT and mixed of RS and PT (MX. Soil physical properties such as aggregate stability, total soil porosity, soil permeability, soil particle density and bulk density were observed at the end of experiment (vegetative maximum stage. The results showed that acid sulphate soil type had large effect on soil physicl properties, soil waterlogging decreased aggregate stability, soil particle density and bulk density both of soil type.

Factors influencing consumer behaviour in market vegetables in Yemen

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tarish H. Al-Gahaifi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the research is to understand factors influencing consumer behaviour when buying vegetables in Republic of Yemen. Data collection was done by structured questionnaire administered through schools, universities, government offices, and markets from 13 provinces in 5 governorates. Random convenience sampling technique was used. Total sample comprised of 463 completed questionnaires which were used for analysis. The respondents were classified into five categories on the base of their monthly income, age, education, gender, and type of settlement. Authors present the factors that can influence significantly this behaviour, e.g. price, quality, the location of seller, habit, personal relationship between consumer and seller, occasions, discount, sorting, word-mouth, time of purchase, the way of products display, and recommendation of friends and families. From the obtained results, it is obvious that there was high influence on the behaviour of Yemeni consumer when buying vegetables for factors price, occasions, discontent, and time of purchase, while factors habit, display, sorting, and the location of seller suggests medium influence, and the influence was low for word-mouth.

What factors influence British medical students' career intentions?

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, Michael; Fanshawe, Angela; Patel, Vanash; Goswami, Karan; Chilvers, Geoffrey; Ting, Michelle; Pilavakis, Yiannis; Rao, Christopher; Athanasiou, Thanos

2014-12-01

The aim of this study was to identify factors that influence career choice in UK medical students. Students at seven institutions were invited to rate how important various factors were on influencing their career choices and how interested they were in pursuing different specialties. The influence of interpersonal relationship networks on career choice was also evaluated. 641 responses were collected. 44% (283) were male, 16% (105) were graduates and 41% (263) were final-year students. For Dermatology (p = 0.009), Paediatrics (p = 0.000), Radiology (p = 0.000), Emergency Medicine (p = 0.018) and Cardiothoracic Surgery (p = 0.000), there was a clear correlation between completing a clinical attachment and an interest in pursuing the specialty. Perceived characteristics of the speciality, individually and in clusters were considered important by specific subgroups of students, such as those interested in surgery. These students considered prestige (p = 0.0003), role models (p = 0.014), financial rewards after training (p = 0.0196) and technical challenge (p = 0.0011) as important factors. Demographics such as sex and age played a significant role in career choice. Interpersonal relationship networks do not have a significant influence on career intentions. This study shows that the career intentions of British medical students are influenced by their undergraduate experience and by the weight they place on different specialty-related factors.

Factors negatively influencing knowledge sharing in software development

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Lucas T. Khoza

2017-07-01

Objective: This study seeks to identify factors that negatively influence knowledge sharing in software development in the developing country context. Method: Expert sampling as a subcategory of purposive sampling was employed to extract information, views and opinions from experts in the field of information and communication technology, more specifically from those who are involved in software development projects. Four Johannesburg-based software developing organisations listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE, South Africa, participated in this research study. Quantitative data were collected using an online questionnaire with closed-ended questions. Results: Findings of this research reveal that job security, motivation, time constraints, physiological factors, communication, resistance to change and rewards are core factors negatively influencing knowledge sharing in software developing organisations. Conclusions: Improved understanding of factors negatively influencing knowledge sharing is expected to assist software developing organisations in closing the gap for software development projects failing to meet the triple constraint of time, cost and scope.

Factors Influencing Adaptation and Performance at Physical Exercise in Complex Congenital Heart Diseases after Surgical Repair

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P. P. Bassareo

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In the last thirty years, steady progress in the diagnostic tools and care of subjects affected by congenital heart diseases (CHD has resulted in a significant increase in their survival to adulthood, even for those affected by complex CHD. Based on these premises, a number of teenagers and adults affected by corrected (surgically or through interventional techniques CHD ask to be allowed to undertake sporting activities, both at a recreational and competitive level. The purpose of this review is to examine the mechanisms influencing the adaption at physical exercise of patients suffering from complex CHD. The conclusion is that even if there are some modest risks with exercise, they should be seen in perspective, and the life-long benefits of regular exercise on general health, mood, and well-being should be emphasized.

The influence of dairy consumption and physical activity on ultrasound bone measurements in Flemish children.

Science.gov (United States)

De Smet, Stephanie; Michels, Nathalie; Polfliet, Carolien; D'Haese, Sara; Roggen, Inge; De Henauw, Stefaan; Sioen, Isabelle

2015-03-01

The study's aim was to analyse whether children's bone status, assessed by calcaneal ultrasound measurements, is influenced by dairy consumption and objectively measured physical activity (PA). Moreover, the interaction between dairy consumption and PA on bone mass was studied. Participants of this cross-sectional study were 306 Flemish children (6-12 years). Body composition was measured with air displacement plethysmography (BodPod), dairy consumption with a Food Frequency Questionnaire, PA with an accelerometer (only in 234 of the 306 children) and bone mass with quantitative ultrasound, quantifying speed of sound (SOS), broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and Stiffness Index (SI). Regression analyses were used to study the associations between dairy consumption, PA, SOS, BUA and SI. Total dairy consumption and non-cheese dairy consumption were positively associated with SOS and SI, but no significant association could be demonstrated with BUA. In contrast, milk consumption, disregarding other dairy products, had no significant effect on calcaneal bone measurements. PA [vigorous PA, moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and counts per minute] was positively associated and sedentary time was negatively associated with BUA and SI, but no significant influence on SOS could be detected. Dairy consumption and PA (sedentary time and MVPA) did not show any interaction influencing bone measurements. In conclusion, even at young age, PA and dairy consumption positively influence bone mass. Promoting PA and dairy consumption in young children may, therefore, maximize peak bone mass, an important protective factor against osteoporosis later in life.

The Influence of psychological-sociological factors on self-employment

OpenAIRE

Remeikienė, Rita; Startienė, Gražina; Vasauskaitė, Jovita

2011-01-01

The article deals with the influence of psychological-sociological factors on a self-employed person, which is little explored in business literature. Analysis of scientific literature revealed that the psychological-sociological factors of self-employment can be divided into groups based on certain personal characteristics and individual psychological states, and the influence of psychological-sociological factors of self-employment is threefold: positive, negative, and unclear (both positiv...

Psychosocial factors underlying physical activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ji Cheng-Ye

2007-09-01

of physical activity on academic achievement and other factors beyond physical health; barriers of not having enough time and having too many assignments perceived to hinder frequent physical activity; and parental approval. More rigorous research on psychosocial determinants with close-ended items developed from these open-ended data and with larger sample sizes of students is necessary. Research with parents and school staff will be needed to understand the perceptions of these stakeholder groups key to creating the students' social environment.

Psychosocial factors underlying physical activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Juan; Middlestadt, Susan E; Ji, Cheng-Ye

2007-09-19

factors beyond physical health; barriers of not having enough time and having too many assignments perceived to hinder frequent physical activity; and parental approval. More rigorous research on psychosocial determinants with close-ended items developed from these open-ended data and with larger sample sizes of students is necessary. Research with parents and school staff will be needed to understand the perceptions of these stakeholder groups key to creating the students' social environment.

[The prevalence and influencing factors of abuse and negligence against elderly in rural areas of Anhui province].

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Pu-yu; Hao, Jia-hu; Xiong, Li-ming; Yu, Dan-dan; Cao, Yue-ting; Fang, Yun; Jiang, Xiu-ling; Qian, Qiao-xia; Tao, Fang-biao

2011-02-01

To investigate the prevalence and influencing factors related to abuse and negligence against the elderly in the rural areas. 975 elderly over 60 years from 41 counties in Anhui province were included. All participants completed an anonymous questionnaire including items as: educational background, marital condition, income, child-discipline, rude action to parents, daily activities, physical functions, having chronic illness, abuse and negligence against the elderly, etc. In the last year, rates of common physical abuse, serious physical abuse, emotional abuse, financial exploitation, negligence, overall abuse and negligence against the elderly were 4.5%, 1.5%, 26.9%, 4.9%, 7.2%, 29.9% respectively. Among the 281 victims, 80.4% reported that they were suffered more than 3 times of abuse and neglect episodes, and 34.9% reported that they were suffered more than 2 forms of abuse and negligence. The primary sadism was carried out by the daughter-in-law or son-in-law (43.2%) of the elderly. Low activity on daily life and having chronic illness were the risk factors causing common physical abuse while better education was the protective factor to it. Low ability in managing daily activity of living was the risk factor causing serious physical abuse. Less active on daily life and having rude action to parents were the risk factors to emotional abuse, but being strict with their children was the protective factor to emotional abuse. Less active on daily life, often beating their children and having rude action to parents were the risk factors related to financial exploitation. Less active on daily life, having rude action to parents and having bad physical functions were the risk factors causing negligence. Less active on daily life and having rude manner to parents were the risk factors of overall elderly abuse and negligence, but being strict with their children was protective factor to the abuse and negligence against the elderly. High prevalence on abuse and

A survey on critical factors influencing organizational commitment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamidreza Kheirkhah

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Organizational commitment is an important issue and organization attitude has become an area of study among many researchers in the fields of organizational behavior. In fact, there are many studies on human resource management where the effects of organizational commitment on other issues have been investigated and the purpose of this research is to find critical factors influencing on organizational commitment. Based on an exploration of the literature review and interviews, the proposed study of this paper extracts 24 variables and using factor analysis, we select the most important factors, which are grouped in four categories. The implementation of our factor analysis has revealed Affective commitment, Continuous commitment, Moral commitment and Enduring commitment are the most important factors influencing organizational commitment.

Hierarchical and coupling model of factors influencing vessel traffic flow.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhao; Liu, Jingxian; Li, Huanhuan; Li, Zongzhi; Tan, Zhirong; Liu, Ryan Wen; Liu, Yi

2017-01-01

Understanding the characteristics of vessel traffic flow is crucial in maintaining navigation safety, efficiency, and overall waterway transportation management. Factors influencing vessel traffic flow possess diverse features such as hierarchy, uncertainty, nonlinearity, complexity, and interdependency. To reveal the impact mechanism of the factors influencing vessel traffic flow, a hierarchical model and a coupling model are proposed in this study based on the interpretative structural modeling method. The hierarchical model explains the hierarchies and relationships of the factors using a graph. The coupling model provides a quantitative method that explores interaction effects of factors using a coupling coefficient. The coupling coefficient is obtained by determining the quantitative indicators of the factors and their weights. Thereafter, the data obtained from Port of Tianjin is used to verify the proposed coupling model. The results show that the hierarchical model of the factors influencing vessel traffic flow can explain the level, structure, and interaction effect of the factors; the coupling model is efficient in analyzing factors influencing traffic volumes. The proposed method can be used for analyzing increases in vessel traffic flow in waterway transportation system.

Influence of particle size and preparation methods on the physical and chemical stability of amorphous simvastatin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Fang; Aaltonen, Jaakko; Tian, Fang

2009-01-01

This study investigated the factors influencing the stability of amorphous simvastatin. Quench-cooled amorphous simvastatin in two particle size ranges, 150-180 microm (QC-big) and ... compared to the crystalline form. The rank of solubility was found to be QC-big=QC-small>CM>crystalline. For the physical stability, the highest crystallization rate was observed for CM, and the slowest rate was detected for QC-big, with an intermediate rate occurring for QC-small. QC exhibited lower...

Factors influencing the transport of actinides in the groundwater environment. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheppard, J.C.; Kittrick, J.A.

1983-01-01

This report summarizes investigations of factors that significantly influence the transport of actinide cations in the groundwater environment. Briefly, measurements of diffusion coefficients for Am(III), Cm(III), and Np(V) in moist US soils indicated that diffusion is negligible compared to mass transport in flowing groundwater. Diffusion coefficients do, however, indicate that, in the absence of flowing water, actinide elements will migrate only a few centimeters in a thousand years. The remaining investigations were devoted to the determination of distribution ratios (K/sub d/s) for representative US soils, factors influencing them, and chemical and physical processes related to transport of actinides in groundwaters. The computer code GARD was modified to include complex formation to test the importance of humic acid complexing on the rate of transport of actinides in groundwaters. Use of the formation constant and a range of humic acid, even at rather low concentrations of 10 -5 to 10 -6 molar, significantly increases the actinide transport rate in a flowing aquifer. These computer calculations show that any strong complexing agent will have a similar effect on actinide transport in the groundwater environment. 32 references, 9 figures

Anthropometric Factors and Physical Condition Dominant Determinants Batting Skills in Softball

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Arif Eka Saraya

2018-05-01

Full Text Available batting skills in softball requires several anthropometric factors and physical condition to play to improve skills. Anthropometric factors and physical condition, among others, height, arm length, arm muscle strength, hand-eye coordination, balance, and reaction time. This study aims to determine the anthropometric factors and the physical condition of the dominant determinant of batting skills in softball. This research approach uses a quantitative to design of confirmatory factor analysis. This study population is training student achievement softball in sports education university of riau. A sample of 100 people was obtained through a simple random sampling technique. The data used are taken through a series of tests of the independent and dependent variables. This research method through testing confirmatory factor KMO and Bartlett’s Test analysis using SPSS. Results from this research is: factor of anthropometri dominant physical condition and determinants batting skill in game of softball is arm length with value 0,788, arm muscle power with value 0,851 and time reaction of with value 0,737. The conclusion of this research is: factor of anthropometri dominant physical condition and determinants batting skill in game of softball is arm length, arm muscle power and time reaction

Influence of different natural physical fields on biological processes

Science.gov (United States)

Mashinsky, A. L.

2001-01-01

In space flight conditions gravity, magnetic, and electrical fields as well as ionizing radiation change both in size, and in direction. This causes disruptions in the conduct of some physical processes, chemical reactions, and metabolism in living organisms. In these conditions organisms of different phylogenetic level change their metabolic reactions undergo changes such as disturbances in ionic exchange both in lower and in higher plants, changes in cell morphology for example, gyrosity in Proteus ( Proteus vulgaris), spatial disorientation in coleoptiles of Wheat ( Triticum aestivum) and Pea ( Pisum sativum) seedlings, mutational changes in Crepis ( Crepis capillaris) and Arabidopsis ( Arabidopsis thaliana) seedling. It has been found that even in the absence of gravity, gravireceptors determining spatial orientation in higher plants under terrestrial conditions are formed in the course of ontogenesis. Under weightlessness this system does not function and spatial orientation is determined by the light flux gradient or by the action of some other factors. Peculiarities of the formation of the gravireceptor apparatus in higher plants, amphibians, fish, and birds under space flight conditions have been observed. It has been found that the system in which responses were accompanied by phase transition have proven to be gravity-sensitive under microgravity conditions. Such reactions include also the process of photosynthesis which is the main energy production process in plants. In view of the established effects of microgravity and different natural physical fields on biological processes, it has been shown that these processes change due to the absence of initially rigid determination. The established biological effect of physical fields influence on biological processes in organisms is the starting point for elucidating the role of gravity and evolutionary development of various organisms on Earth.

[Factors influencing nurses' organizational citizenship behavior].

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Junhee; Yun, Eunkyung; Han, Sangsook

2009-08-01

This study was conducted to identify the factors that influence nurses' organizational citizenship behavior. A cross-sectional design was used, with a convenience sample of 547 nurses from four university hospitals in Seoul and Gyeonggi province. The data were collected through a questionnaire survey done from September 22 to October 10, 2008. The tools used for this study were scales on organizational citizenship behavior (14 items), self-leadership (14 items), empowerment (10 items), organizational commitment (7 items), job satisfaction (8 items) and transformational.transactional leadership (14 items). Cronbach's alpha and factor analysis were examined to test reliability and construct validity of the scale. The data collected were processed using SPSS Window 15.0 Program for actual numbers and percentages, differences in the dependent variable according to general characteristics, and means, standard deviations, correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis. The factors influencing nurses' organizational citizenship behavior were identified as self-leadership(beta=.247), empowerment (beta=.233), job satisfaction (beta=.209), organizational commitment (beta=.158), and transactional leadership (beta=.142). Five factors explained 42.0% of nurses' organizational citizenship behavior. The results of this study can be used to develop further management strategies for enhancement of nurses' organizational citizenship behavior.

Decreased physical activity attributable to higher body mass index influences fibromyalgia symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Vincent, Ann; Clauw, Daniel; Oh, Terry H; Whipple, Mary O; Toussaint, Loren L

2014-09-01

Although previous studies report associations between increased body mass index (BMI) and fibromyalgia symptoms, there is uncertainty as to whether this relationship is driven by physical factors, psychological factors, or both. To assess these relationships in a clinical sample of patients with fibromyalgia. Cross-sectional study. Tertiary care facility. A total of 686 patients from an existing national fibromyalgia registry. Patients completed a demographic form and self-report questionnaires including the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire-Revised (FIQ-R), the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36), the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), and the 30-item Profile of Mood States (30-item POMS). FIQ-R overall impact subscale. BMI was significantly correlated with fibromyalgia impact (P BMI and fibromyalgia impact was almost fully accounted for by physical factors and not by psychological factors. Despite patient report that pain hinders physical activity, clinicians who encounter patients with fibromyalgia, particularly patients with increased BMI, should be cognizant of the need to invest time and resources to counsel patients on physical factors (ie, physical activity) that could improve the patients' symptom experience. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A systematic literature review of physical prognostic factors for the development of Late Whiplash Syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Mark; Williamson, Esther; Gates, Simon; Lamb, Sarah; Cooke, Matthew

2007-12-01

Systematic Review. To summarize evidence concerning physical prognostic factors for development of Late Whiplash Syndrome (LWS). There have been 3 previous systematic reviews of prognosis of whiplash with conflicting findings. The Quebec Task Force concluded that high priority should be given to determining prognostic factors. Subsequently their review was updated by Cote et al (Spine 2001;26:E445-58) and most recently by Scholten-Peeters et al (Pain 2003;104:303-22). We searched electronic databases from their inception to August 2006 using a prespecified search strategy. We included prospective cohort and case control studies that studied physical prognostic factors at baseline. Two independent reviewers selected articles, extracted data, and assessed quality. Meta-analysis was not performed due to the heterogeneity between studies. Instead, levels of evidence were generated by grouping similar findings from cohorts. Thirty-eight articles from 26 cohorts were reviewed. The majority of articles (25 of 38) were rated as low quality. No studies were rated as high quality. Only a minority of studies used validated prognostic measures and/or outcome measures. High initial neck pain intensity, neck pain related disability, and cold hyperalgesia all had moderate evidence for an association with the development of LWS. No factor was rated as having strong evidence. Pain has a central role to play as a prognostic factor for the development of LWS. Other physical factors commonly used in the clinical setting showed inconclusive evidence for their influence on prognosis. There is a need for improved quality of studies with consistent use of validated measures of all categories of prognostic factors and outcome. This may then provide a clearer understanding of prognosis of Whiplash Associated Disorders and therefore facilitate effective management of this costly problem.

Factors Influencing Title VII Bilingual Program Institutionalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Gerald R.; And Others

1985-01-01

This study of the primary restraining and driving forces that influence Title VII bilingual education programs found the external environment, the local community, to be the main factor influencing institutionalization and self-renewal. The internal environment--the local school, and the local school's organization or central office, school board,…

A factor analysis to detect factors influencing building national brand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naser Azad

Full Text Available Developing a national brand is one of the most important issues for development of a brand. In this study, we present factor analysis to detect the most important factors in building a national brand. The proposed study uses factor analysis to extract the most influencing factors and the sample size has been chosen from two major auto makers in Iran called Iran Khodro and Saipa. The questionnaire was designed in Likert scale and distributed among 235 experts. Cronbach alpha is calculated as 84%, which is well above the minimum desirable limit of 0.70. The implementation of factor analysis provides six factors including “cultural image of customers”, “exciting characteristics”, “competitive pricing strategies”, “perception image” and “previous perceptions”.

Influence of the day care, home and neighbourhood environment on young children's physical activity and health

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christian, Hayley; Maitland, Clover; Enkel, Stephanie

2016-01-01

to determine outdoor location of physical activity around the home and neighbourhood for a subsample (n=310). The day care environment will be objectively measured using a validated audit tool. Other potential individual, social and physical environmental influences on preschoolers' physical activity...... such as long day care. Research is required to determine how the design of day care outdoor (and indoor) spaces provides opportunities or constraints for physical activity. A significant evidence gap surrounds what objectively measured attributes of the home and neighbourhood environment influence preschoolers......' physical activity. The PLAY Spaces & Environments for Children's Physical Activity (PLAYCE) study will empirically investigate the relative and cumulative influence of the day care, home and neighbourhood environment on preschoolers' physical activity. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The PLAYCE study is a cross...

Factors influencing radiation therapy student clinical placement satisfaction

Science.gov (United States)

Bridge, Pete; Carmichael, Mary-Ann

2014-01-01

Introduction: Radiation therapy students at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) attend clinical placements at five different clinical departments with varying resources and support strategies. This study aimed to determine the relative availability and perceived importance of different factors affecting student support while on clinical placement. The purpose of the research was to inform development of future support mechanisms to enhance radiation therapy students’ experience on clinical placement. Methods: This study used anonymous Likert-style surveys to gather data from years 1 and 2 radiation therapy students from QUT and clinical educators from Queensland relating to availability and importance of support mechanisms during clinical placements in a semester. Results: The study findings demonstrated student satisfaction with clinical support and suggested that level of support on placement influenced student employment choices. Staff support was perceived as more important than physical resources; particularly access to a named mentor, a clinical educator and weekly formative feedback. Both students and educators highlighted the impact of time pressures. Conclusions: The support offered to radiation therapy students by clinical staff is more highly valued than physical resources or models of placement support. Protected time and acknowledgement of the importance of clinical education roles are both invaluable. Joint investment in mentor support by both universities and clinical departments is crucial for facilitation of effective clinical learning. PMID:26229635

Factors influencing radiation therapy student clinical placement satisfaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bridge, Pete; Carmichael, Mary-Ann [School of Clinical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane (Australia)

2014-02-15

Introduction: Radiation therapy students at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) attend clinical placements at five different clinical departments with varying resources and support strategies. This study aimed to determine the relative availability and perceived importance of different factors affecting student support while on clinical placement. The purpose of the research was to inform development of future support mechanisms to enhance radiation therapy students’ experience on clinical placement. Methods: This study used anonymous Likert-style surveys to gather data from years 1 and 2 radiation therapy students from QUT and clinical educators from Queensland relating to availability and importance of support mechanisms during clinical placements in a semester. Results: The study findings demonstrated student satisfaction with clinical support and suggested that level of support on placement influenced student employment choices. Staff support was perceived as more important than physical resources; particularly access to a named mentor, a clinical educator and weekly formative feedback. Both students and educators highlighted the impact of time pressures. Conclusions: The support offered to radiation therapy students by clinical staff is more highly valued than physical resources or models of placement support. Protected time and acknowledgement of the importance of clinical education roles are both invaluable. Joint investment in mentor support by both universities and clinical departments is crucial for facilitation of effective clinical learning.

Factors influencing radiation therapy student clinical placement satisfaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bridge, Pete; Carmichael, Mary-Ann

2014-01-01

Introduction: Radiation therapy students at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) attend clinical placements at five different clinical departments with varying resources and support strategies. This study aimed to determine the relative availability and perceived importance of different factors affecting student support while on clinical placement. The purpose of the research was to inform development of future support mechanisms to enhance radiation therapy students’ experience on clinical placement. Methods: This study used anonymous Likert-style surveys to gather data from years 1 and 2 radiation therapy students from QUT and clinical educators from Queensland relating to availability and importance of support mechanisms during clinical placements in a semester. Results: The study findings demonstrated student satisfaction with clinical support and suggested that level of support on placement influenced student employment choices. Staff support was perceived as more important than physical resources; particularly access to a named mentor, a clinical educator and weekly formative feedback. Both students and educators highlighted the impact of time pressures. Conclusions: The support offered to radiation therapy students by clinical staff is more highly valued than physical resources or models of placement support. Protected time and acknowledgement of the importance of clinical education roles are both invaluable. Joint investment in mentor support by both universities and clinical departments is crucial for facilitation of effective clinical learning

Factors Influencing Prevention and Control of Malaria among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AJRH Managing Editor

investigate factors that influence malaria prevention and control practices among pregnant ... treatment of clinical cases and the promotion of ... influence their decision regarding malaria ..... have the ability to purchase anti-malaria drugs that.

Unleashing their potential: a critical realist scoping review of the influence of dogs on physical activity for dog-owners and non-owners.

Science.gov (United States)

Toohey, Ann M; Rock, Melanie J

2011-05-21

Dog-owners tend to be more physically active than non-owners; however, dogs have also been shown to inhibit physical activity for non-owners, under some circumstances. We conducted a scoping review to identify studies pertaining to the influence of dogs on physical activity for both dog-owners and non-owners, and adopted a critical realist orientation to draw inferences about the positive and negative impact of dogs via their affect on physical and social environments. We identified 35 studies from disparate literatures for review. These studies confirm that dog and owner behaviors affect shared physical and social environments in ways that may influence physical activity patterns, not only among dog-owners but also among non-owners. The direction of influence appears to be most positive in neighborhoods exhibiting high levels of social cohesion, socioeconomic status, perceived safety, dominant culture, or all of these. In disadvantaged neighborhoods, the health of women as well as older adults may be disproportionately affected by dog and owner behavior. While dogs have the potential to increase physical activity for both dog-owners and non-owners, the presence or absence of dogs will not have a standard effect across the physical and social environments of all neighborhoods. Dogs' contributions to shared environments in ways that support physical activity for all must be leveraged. Thus, specific contextual factors must be considered in relation to dogs when planning neighborhood-level interventions designed to support physical activity. We suggest this population health topic merits further investigation.

The Influence of Communicative Competence on Perceived Task, Social and Physical Attraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Duran, Robert L.; Kelly, Lynne

1988-01-01

Examines whether communicative competence influences perceived task, social, and physical attractiveness. Results indicated that communicative competence accounted for 17 percent, 14 percent and 8 percent of the variance in perceived task, social, and physical attractiveness, respectively. (MM)

Factors Influencing Amount of Weekly Exercise Time in Colorectal Cancer Survivors.

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, Yun-Jen; Lai, Yeur-Hur; Lin, Been-Ren; Liang, Jin-Tung; Shun, Shiow-Ching

Performing regular exercise of at least 150 minutes weekly has benefits for colorectal cancer survivors. However, barriers inhibit these survivors from performing regular exercise. The aim of this study was to explore exercise behaviors and significant factors influencing weekly exercise time of more than 150 minutes in colorectal cancer survivors. A cross-sectional study design was used to recruit participants in Taiwan. Guided by the ecological model of health behavior, exercise barriers were assessed including intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environment-related barriers. A multiple logistic regression was used to explore the factors associated with the amount of weekly exercise. Among 321 survivors, 57.0% of them had weekly exercise times of more than 150 minutes. The results identified multiple levels of significant factors related to weekly exercise times including intrapersonal factors (occupational status, functional status, pain, interest in exercise, and beliefs about the importance of exercise) and exercise barriers related to environmental factors (lack of time and bad weather). No interpersonal factors were found to be significant. Colorectal cancer survivors experienced low levels of physical and psychological distress. Multiple levels of significant factors related to exercise time including intrapersonal factors as well as exercise barriers related to environmental factors should be considered. Healthcare providers should discuss with their patients how to perform exercise programs; the discussion should address multiple levels of the ecological model such as any pain problems, functional status, employment status, and time limitations, as well as community environment.

Factors influencing detail detectability in radiologic imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gurvich, A.M.

1985-01-01

The detectability of various details is estimated quantitatively from the essential technical parameters of the imaging system and additional influencing factors including viewing of the image. The analysis implies the formation of the input radiation distribution (contrast formation, influence of kVp). Noise, image contrast (gamma), modulation transfer function and contrast threshold of the observer are of different influence on details of different size. Thus further optimization of imaging systems and their adaption to specific imaging tasks are facilitated

Factors influencing choice of paediatrics as a career among medical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

None of the male students but 12 of the female students (30%) considered gender distribution to be a factor influencing their career choice (p=0.046). Conclusion. This study indicates that paediatrics is popular among female students and that several factors influence choice of this specialty. Understanding these factors may ...

Hierarchical and coupling model of factors influencing vessel traffic flow.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhao Liu

Full Text Available Understanding the characteristics of vessel traffic flow is crucial in maintaining navigation safety, efficiency, and overall waterway transportation management. Factors influencing vessel traffic flow possess diverse features such as hierarchy, uncertainty, nonlinearity, complexity, and interdependency. To reveal the impact mechanism of the factors influencing vessel traffic flow, a hierarchical model and a coupling model are proposed in this study based on the interpretative structural modeling method. The hierarchical model explains the hierarchies and relationships of the factors using a graph. The coupling model provides a quantitative method that explores interaction effects of factors using a coupling coefficient. The coupling coefficient is obtained by determining the quantitative indicators of the factors and their weights. Thereafter, the data obtained from Port of Tianjin is used to verify the proposed coupling model. The results show that the hierarchical model of the factors influencing vessel traffic flow can explain the level, structure, and interaction effect of the factors; the coupling model is efficient in analyzing factors influencing traffic volumes. The proposed method can be used for analyzing increases in vessel traffic flow in waterway transportation system.

Factors influencing cassava - pulp fermentation period for gari ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors influencing cassava - pulp fermentation period for gari processing among ... Result of probit model analysis at 5% significance level shows an R value ... Marital status (2.236**) and respondents' cultural influences (1.960**) were ...

Physical fitness and injury reporting among active duty and National Guard/Reserve women: associations with risk and lifestyle factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Kazman, Josh B; de la Motte, Sarah; Bramhall, Elizabeth M S; Purvis, Dianna L; Deuster, Patricia A

2015-01-01

As more women enter the military, it is important to understand how different risks and lifestyle factors influence physical fitness and injury among women in both active duty (AD) and National Guard/Reserve (NG/R). Women in military service are less fit and more likely to suffer musculoskeletal injuries during physical training than men. They also use more medical care during deployment than men. Using data from the Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness Global Assessment Tool 2.0 (GAT 2.0), self-reported health and lifestyle and behavioral risk factors were analyzed in nondeployed Army personnel, with the goals of examining (1) service-component differences across traditional risk and lifestyle factors, and (2) correlates of physical performance and physical activity-related injury. Self-report GAT 2.0 data included health risk factors (overall perceived health, sleep, diet, tobacco and alcohol use), self-reported health metrics (height, weight, Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) scores), and history of physical activity-related injury. The GAT 2.0 was completed by 1,322 AD and 1,033 NG/R women, and APFT data were available for a subsample of 605 AD and 582 NG/R women. Initial analyses of GAT 2.0 data indicated that AD had higher rates of fair/poor perceived health, poor sleep, and unhealthy diet compared to NG/R women. However, AD women had a lower APFT fail rate (8%) than NG (27%) and R (28%). Active duty women were more likely to experience a physical injury in the past 6 months (38%) than NG (19%) and R (22%) women, and more likely to seek medical care than NG/R women. Across all service components, predictive factors for APFT failure included high body mass index (BMI), fair/poor health, and unhealthy diet. Predictive factors for physical injury included high BMI, fair/poor health, and binge drinking. Our analyses suggest that AD women Soldiers are more physically fit than NG/R women Soldiers, which is accompanied by a greater prevalence of physical

Quantitative influence of risk factors on blood glucose level.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Songjing; Luo, Senlin; Pan, Limin; Zhang, Tiemei; Han, Longfei; Zhao, Haixiu

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to quantitatively analyze the influence of risk factors on the blood glucose level, and to provide theory basis for understanding the characteristics of blood glucose change and confirming the intervention index for type 2 diabetes. The quantitative method is proposed to analyze the influence of risk factors on blood glucose using back propagation (BP) neural network. Ten risk factors are screened first. Then the cohort is divided into nine groups by gender and age. According to the minimum error principle, nine BP models are trained respectively. The quantitative values of the influence of different risk factors on the blood glucose change can be obtained by sensitivity calculation. The experiment results indicate that weight is the leading cause of blood glucose change (0.2449). The second factors are cholesterol, age and triglyceride. The total ratio of these four factors reaches to 77% of the nine screened risk factors. And the sensitivity sequences can provide judgment method for individual intervention. This method can be applied to risk factors quantitative analysis of other diseases and potentially used for clinical practitioners to identify high risk populations for type 2 diabetes as well as other disease.

Dielectric properties of agricultural products – fundamental principles, influencing factors, and measurement technirques. Chapter 4. Electrotechnologies for Food Processing: Book Series. Volume 3. Radio-Frequency Heating

Science.gov (United States)

In this chapter, definitions of dielectric properties, or permittivity, of materials and a brief discussion of the fundamental principles governing their behavior with respect to influencing factors are presented. The basic physics of the influence of frequency of the electric fields and temperatur...

Factors Influencing Healthcare Service Quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Mohammad Mosadeghrad

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Background The main purpose of this study was to identify factors that influence healthcare quality in the Iranian context. Methods Exploratory in-depth individual and focus group interviews were conducted with 222 healthcare stakeholders including healthcare providers, managers, policy-makers, and payers to identify factors affecting the quality of healthcare services provided in Iranian healthcare organisations. Results Quality in healthcare is a production of cooperation between the patient and the healthcare provider in a supportive environment. Personal factors of the provider and the patient, and factors pertaining to the healthcare organisation, healthcare system, and the broader environment affect healthcare service quality. Healthcare quality can be improved by supportive visionary leadership, proper planning, education and training, availability of resources, effective management of resources, employees and processes, and collaboration and cooperation among providers. Conclusion This article contributes to healthcare theory and practice by developing a conceptual framework that provides policy-makers and managers a practical understanding of factors that affect healthcare service quality.

Variance of indoor radon concentration: Major influencing factors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yarmoshenko, I., E-mail: ivy@ecko.uran.ru [Institute of Industrial Ecology UB RAS, Sophy Kovalevskoy, 20, Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Vasilyev, A.; Malinovsky, G. [Institute of Industrial Ecology UB RAS, Sophy Kovalevskoy, 20, Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Bossew, P. [German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), Berlin (Germany); Žunić, Z.S. [Institute of Nuclear Sciences “Vinca”, University of Belgrade (Serbia); Onischenko, A.; Zhukovsky, M. [Institute of Industrial Ecology UB RAS, Sophy Kovalevskoy, 20, Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation)

2016-01-15

Variance of radon concentration in dwelling atmosphere is analysed with regard to geogenic and anthropogenic influencing factors. Analysis includes review of 81 national and regional indoor radon surveys with varying sampling pattern, sample size and duration of measurements and detailed consideration of two regional surveys (Sverdlovsk oblast, Russia and Niška Banja, Serbia). The analysis of the geometric standard deviation revealed that main factors influencing the dispersion of indoor radon concentration over the territory are as follows: area of territory, sample size, characteristics of measurements technique, the radon geogenic potential, building construction characteristics and living habits. As shown for Sverdlovsk oblast and Niška Banja town the dispersion as quantified by GSD is reduced by restricting to certain levels of control factors. Application of the developed approach to characterization of the world population radon exposure is discussed. - Highlights: • Influence of lithosphere and anthroposphere on variance of indoor radon is found. • Level-by-level analysis reduces GSD by a factor of 1.9. • Worldwide GSD is underestimated.

RISK FACTORS OF DELAYS OF CHILD PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

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T.I. Kaganova

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Research targeted studying risk factors for delays physical development of children (n = 70 aged 7–11 years. Control group was comprised of 30 children of normal height of the same age. Physical development was evaluated by centile method using regional and international standards, studying data of life and disease anamnesis, family anamnesis, living conditions. Children had their thyroid glands studied ultrasonically. Blood levels of calcium, phosphor, magnesium, ferrum, zinc were identified by photometry method for some children in both groups. Correlation analysis makes it possible to state risk factors of children dwarfism: low educational status of parents, child height figures at the age of 1 and 3 years, calcium and phosphor blood levels, as well as thyroid hypo plasy.Key words: dwarfism, children, risk factors, calcium deficit.

FACTORS INFLUENCING YIELD SPREADS OF THE MALAYSIAN BONDS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Norliza Ahmad

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Malaysian bond market is developing rapidly but not much is understood in terms of macroeconomic factors that could influence the yield spread of the Ringgit Malaysian denominated bonds. Based on a multifactor model, this paper examines the impact of four macroeconomic factors namely: Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI, Industry Production Index (IPI, Consumer Price Index (CPI and interest rates (IR on bond yield spread of the Malaysian Government Securities (MGS and Corporate Bonds (CBs for a period from January 2001 to December 2008. The findings support the expected hypotheses that CPI and IR are the major drivers that influence the changes in MGS yield spreads. However IPI and KLCI have weak and no influence on MGS yield spreads respectively Whilst IR, CPI and IPI have significant influence on the yield spreads of CB1, CB2 and CB3, KLCI has significant influence only on the CB1 yield spread but not on CB2 and CB3 yield spreads.

Physical activity and physical activity cognitions are potential factors maintaining fatigue in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Leeuwen; Bossema; Kruize; Geenen; Bijlsma; Bootsma; MD E.J.M. Wouters

2012-01-01

Background Fatigue is a prevalent and debilitating problem in Sjögren's syndrome. It has been suggested that physical activity and cognitions about physical activity can influence fatigue. Objective The aim of this study was to examine fatigue and physical activity levels in patients with Sjögren's

Factors influencing US medical students' decision to pursue surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Lauren E; Cooper, Clairice A; Guo, Weidun Alan

2016-06-01

Interest and applications to surgery have steadily decreased over recent years in the United States. The goal of this review is to collect the current literature regarding US medical students' experience in surgery and factors influencing their intention to pursue surgery as a career. We hypothesize that multiple factors influence US medical students' career choice in surgery. Six electronic databases (PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Education Resources Information Center, Embase, and PsycINFO) were searched. The inclusion criteria were studies published after the new century related to factors influencing surgical career choice among US medical students. Factors influencing US medical student surgical career decision-making were recorded. A quality index score was given to each article selected to minimize risk of bias. We identified 38 relevant articles of more than 1000 nonduplicated titles. The factors influencing medical student decision for a surgical career were categorized into five domains: mentorship and role model (n = 12), experience (clerkship n = 9, stereotype n = 4), timing of exposure (n = 9), personal (lifestyle n = 8, gender n = 6, finance n = 3), and others (n = 2). This comprehensive systemic review identifies mentorship, experience in surgery, stereotypes, timing of exposure, and personal factors to be major determinants in medical students' decisions to pursue surgery. These represent areas that can be improved to attract applicants to general surgery residencies. Surgical faculty and residents can have a positive influence on medical students' decisions to pursue surgery as a career. Early introduction to the field of surgery, as well as recruitment strategies during the preclinical and clinical years of medical school can increase students' interest in a surgical career. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

How an active-learning class influences physics self-efficacy in pre-service teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Gaffney, Jon D. H.; Housley Gaffney, Amy L.; Usher, Ellen L.; Mamaril, Natasha A.

2013-01-01

Education majors in an inquiry-based physics content course were asked to reflect on the ways the course affected their self-efficacy for completing physics tasks, such as creating a circuit. Responses were coded according to the contributor of the influence and whether that influence was positive or negative. The group learning structure, hands-on activities in the class, and the constructed repertoire of science knowledge, processes, and activities, were all reported to be positive influences on self-efficacy, whereas the influence of the instructor was mixed. Overall, students' responses indicated both a desire for more guidance and lecture and an appreciation for their ability to construct their own understanding through the class activities.

Associations between psychosocial factors and pain intensity, physical functioning, and psychological functioning in patients with chronic pain: a cross-cultural comparison.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira-Valente, Maria A; Pais-Ribeiro, José L; Jensen, Mark P

2014-08-01

Current models of chronic pain recognize that psychosocial factors influence pain and the effects of pain on daily life. The role of such factors has been widely studied on English-speaking individuals with chronic pain. It is possible that the associations between such factors and adjustment may be influenced by culture. This study sought to evaluate the importance of coping responses, self-efficacy beliefs, and social support to adjust to chronic pain in a sample of Portuguese patients, and discuss the findings with respect to their similarities and differences from findings of studies on English-speaking individuals. Measures of pain intensity and interference, physical and psychological functioning, coping responses, self-efficacy, and satisfaction with social support were administered to a sample of 324 Portuguese patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Univariate and multivariate analyses were computed. Findings were interpreted with respect to those from similar studies using English-speaking individuals. Coping responses and perceived social support were significantly associated with pain interference and both physical and psychological functioning; self-efficacy beliefs were significantly associated with all criterion variables. All coping responses, except for task persistence, were positively associated with pain interference and negatively associated with physical and psychological functioning, with the strongest associations found for catastrophizing, praying/hoping, guarding, resting, asking for assistance, and relaxation. The findings provide support for the importance of the psychosocial factors studied in terms of adjustment to chronic pain in Portuguese patients, and also suggest the possibility of some differences in the role of these factors due to culture.

Factors influencing the adequacy of microencapsulation of rat pancreatic islets.

Science.gov (United States)

De Vos, P; De Haan, B; Wolters, G H; Van Schilfgaarde, R

1996-10-15

The observation that only a portion of all alginate-polylysine microcapsules are overgrown after implantation suggests that physical imperfections of individual capsules, rather than the chemical composition of the material applied, are responsible for inducing insufficient biocompatibility and thereby fibrotic overgrowth of those capsules. We recently developed a lectin binding assay that allows for quantifying the portion of inadequately encapsulated islets, and demonstrated that inadequately encapsulated islets induce a fibrotic response associated with graft failure. The present study investigates factors influencing the adequacy of encapsulation of pancreatic islets. We applied our lectin binding assay and found that the number of inadequate, and particularly incomplete, capsules is influenced by the following factors. (1) A capsule diameter of 800 micrometers is associated with a lower percentage of inadequate capsules than smaller (500 micrometers and 600 micrometers) or larger (1800 micrometers) capsules. (2) A high rather than low guluronic acid content of the alginate is associated with a lower percentage of inadequate capsules. This can be explained, at least in part, by smaller ranges of swelling and subsequent shrinkage during the encapsulation procedure. (3) An increase in viscosity caused by applying a higher alginate concentration compensates for a low guluronic acid content. This effect of increased viscosity cannot be explained by a reduced range of swelling and shrinkage during the encapsulation procedure. We conclude that alginates with a high guluronic acid content and a viscosity near the filtration limit are preferable in order to minimize the number of inadequate capsules.

A survey on critical factors influencing agricultural insurance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Valipour

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Agricultural business is a very high-risk job and an increase demand for agricultural products from one side and steady increase in production cost and weather changes, on the other side, have motivated many to use insurance for agricultural products. Insurance plays an important role in influencing crop production and insured satisfaction or farmers. The purpose of this research is to find critical components in agricultural insurance. Based on an exploration of the literature review and interviews, the proposed study of this paper extracts 24 variables and using factor analysis, we select the most important factors, which are grouped in seven categories. The implementation of our factor analysis has revealed uncertainty, moderator, market equilibrium, risky environment, empowering factor, education, training, structural hazards and natural ecosystems as the most important factors influencing agricultural industry.

Factors influencing improved attendance in the UK fire service.

Science.gov (United States)

Litchfield, I; Hinckley, P

2016-12-01

Sickness absence rates in the UK continue to exceed those in much of the developed world, with an annual cost to employers of £29 billion. Rates of sickness absence in the public sector are higher than those in the private sector, with the exception of the fire service where they are consistently lower. To understand the influences that increase attendance among operational firefighters. A series of semi-structured interviews undertaken with operational staff to explore their attitudes to sickness absence. Review and analysis of participant responses identified a number of key themes, namely employee well-being, including physical fitness and mental health; employee engagement with the fire service as manifested by culture, experience, nature of the job and leadership; organizational factors including the staffing model and relationship with occupational health services and policy, which describes both refinements to and implementation of targeted policies. Previously observed factors such as improved fitness and the distinct firefighter culture play a role, yet other factors emerged that could explain the differences. These include the greater work-life balance offered by their shift patterns, the terms and conditions of employment and perhaps most importantly the evolution of precisely targeted policies that understand the unique nature of the operational fire service. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine.

H51E-1535: Biogeochemical factors influencing the transport and fate of colloids and colloid-associated contaminants in the vadose zone

Science.gov (United States)

The vadose zone exhibits large spatial and temporal variability in many physical, chemical, and biological factors that strongly influence the transport and fate of colloids (e.g., microbes, nanoparticles, clays, and dissolved organic matter) and colloid-associated contaminants (e.g., heavy metals, ...

Which factors influence women in the decision to breastfeed?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cândida Canicali Primo

Full Text Available Objective.Identify the factors that influence women in the decision to breastfeed. Methods. Integrative review. Information was gathered from original articles, case studies, theoretical studies, consensus and systematic reviews published between 2007-2013 in Spanish, Portuguese and English and recovered in the databases MEDLINE and LILACS. The descriptors used in this study were: breastfeeding, maternal behavior, risk factors, lactation and newborn. Results. Were included 30 articles, grouped into five categories. Factors influencing the decision of the breastfeeding woman are a convergence of breastfeeding's advantages, benefits and justifications, family, social and professional support, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of women, personal experience and family tradition and personal choice. Conclusion. The decision to breastfeed by women is influenced by a convergence of factors. It is essential the role of nursing to encourage women in the decision to initiate and maintain breastfeeding her child.

Physics Metacognition Inventory Part II: Confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Taasoobshirazi, Gita; Bailey, MarLynn; Farley, John

2015-11-01

The Physics Metacognition Inventory was developed to measure physics students' metacognition for problem solving. In one of our earlier studies, an exploratory factor analysis provided evidence of preliminary construct validity, revealing six components of students' metacognition when solving physics problems including knowledge of cognition, planning, monitoring, evaluation, debugging, and information management. The college students' scores on the inventory were found to be reliable and related to students' physics motivation and physics grade. However, the results of the exploratory factor analysis indicated that the questionnaire could be revised to improve its construct validity. The goal of this study was to revise the questionnaire and establish its construct validity through a confirmatory factor analysis. In addition, a Rasch analysis was applied to the data to better understand the psychometric properties of the inventory and to further evaluate the construct validity. Results indicated that the final, revised inventory is a valid, reliable, and efficient tool for assessing student metacognition for physics problem solving.

Overview of factors influencing the secondary market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bleistine, P.A.

1982-01-01

The major factor influencing secondary trading for the last few years has been the large contractural commitments built up by consumers for reactor programs which have proven to be unrealistic. The situation has intensified as a result of utilities needing to generate capital through inventory liquidation or reductions. The flexibilities in most contracts are inadequate to match the types of external and/or internal factors faced by the industry. This situation also suggests the need for secondary markets to help the industry adjust to unforeseen difficulties. They are very active markets at this time, but their influence in relation to the long-term method of doing business should not be exaggerated

Factors influencing job satisfaction of oncology nurses over time.

Science.gov (United States)

Cummings, Greta; Olson, Karin; Raymond-Seniuk, Christy; Lo, Eliza; Masaoud, Elmabrok; Bakker, Debra; Fitch, Margaret; Green, Esther; Butler, Lorna; Conlon, Michael

2013-01-01

In this study, we tested a structural equation model to examine work environment factors related to changes in job satisfaction of oncology nurses between 2004 and 2006. Relational leadership and good physician/nurse relationships consistently influenced perceptions of enough RNs to provide quality care, and freedom to make patient care decisions, which, in turn, directly influenced nurses' job satisfaction over time. Supervisor support in resolving conflict and the ability to influence patient care outcomes were significant influences on job satisfaction in 2004, whereas, in 2006, a clear philosophy of nursing had a greater significant influence. Several factors that influence job satisfaction of oncology nurses in Canada have changed over time, which may reflect changes in work environments and work life. These findings suggest opportunities to modify work conditions that could improve nurses' job satisfaction and work life.

The influence of human physical activity and contaminated clothing type on particle resuspension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDonagh, A.; Byrne, M.A.

2014-01-01

A study was conducted to experimentally quantify the influence of three variables on the level of resuspension of hazardous aerosol particles from clothing. Variables investigated include physical activity level (two levels, low and high), surface type (four different clothing material types), and time i.e. the rate at which particles resuspend. A mixture of three monodisperse tracer-labelled powders, with median diameters of 3, 5, and 10 microns, was used to “contaminate” the samples, and the resuspended particles were analysed in real-time using an Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS), and also by Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA). The overall finding was that physical activity resulted in up to 67% of the contamination deposited on clothing being resuspended back into the air. A detailed examination of the influence of physical activity level on resuspension, from NAA, revealed that the average resuspended fraction (RF) of particles at low physical activity was 28 ± 8%, and at high physical activity was 30 ± 7%, while the APS data revealed a tenfold increase in the cumulative mass of airborne particles during high physical activity in comparison to that during low physical activity. The results also suggest that it is not the contaminated clothing's fibre type which influences particle resuspension, but the material's weave pattern (and hence the material's surface texture). Investigation of the time variation in resuspended particle concentrations indicated that the data were separable into two distinct regimes: the first (occurring within the first 1.5 min) having a high, positive rate of change of airborne particle concentration relative to the second regime. The second regime revealed a slower rate of change of particle concentration and remained relatively unchanged for the remainder of each resuspension event. -- Highlights: • Experimental investigation of the resuspension of hazardous particles from clothing. • Influence of human physical activity

Factors that influence planning for physical activity among workers in small- and medium-sized enterprises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sawako Kawahara

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Physical activity (PA is necessary for improving the health of workers in small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs. However, behavioral changes conducive to PA are often difficult to achieve despite intentions. Because intention to perform PA does not always translate to action, proper planning may be critical for achieving PA. In this study, we aimed to identify factors related to planning for PA among workers in SMEs because this is one population that has been identified as being at higher risk for lifestyle-related diseases in Japan. Participants completed a series of validated questionnaires. Of 353 valid responses, 226 individuals (149 men; aged 47.5 ± 8.7 years stated their intention to perform PA. Multiple regression analysis indicated that a higher PA planning score was significantly associated with higher self-efficacy for PA (p < 0.001, higher risk perception regarding inactivity (p = 0.012, and greater knowledge of information about PA community services (p = 0.019. Therefore, we recommend that self-efficacy, risk perception, and information regarding PA community services are enhanced in the daily working lives of workers at their workplaces. In this manner, they can promote their planning of health behavioral changes in a supportive environment, drawing upon available services, supports, and other resources. Keywords: Workers, Planning, Intention, Physical activity, Small- and medium-sized enterprises

Factors influencing interest in recreational sports participation and its rural-urban disparity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chiehfeng Chen

Full Text Available Recreational sports are important leisure activities. However, most studies investigating barrier factors and motivation for participation in recreational sports have been limited to specific areas (e.g., a city or school or demographic groups (e.g., adolescents. Therefore, this study set out to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the behavioral and socioeconomic factors influencing interest in recreational sports participation in Taiwan, as well as to evaluate the effect of any urban-rural divide.This study analyzed data collected by the "Taiwan Social Change Survey" (program five, wave 3 "Leisure Life" questionnaire. We used hierarchical linear modeling to assess respondent interest in recreational sports participation and evaluated the influence of behavioral factors, socioeconomic factors, and residence location (urban/rural.Of the 2,146 participants in this study, 50.3% were male, and the average age was 43.9 years. Location of residence (urban/rural accounted for 35.3% of the variation in interest in recreational sports participation, while the remaining 64.7% came from the individual level. Participants who lived in rural settings were less interested in recreational sports than their urban counterparts. Gender, educational attainment, participation frequency, health-motivated interest, and appearance-motivated interest were also associated with interest in recreational sports participation.Different communication strategies may be needed to effectively reach different demographic groups. We suggest that future public health campaigns aiming to increase recreational sports participation include tailored interventions and messages to effectively encourage leisure physical activities among all, regardless of demographic boundaries.

What Factors Determine the Uptake of A-level Physics?

OpenAIRE

Gill, Timothy; Bell, John F

2011-01-01

Abstract There has been much concern recently in the UK about the decline in the number of students studying physics beyond age 16. To investigate why this might be we used data from a national database of student qualifications and a multilevel modelling technique to investigate which factors had the greatest impact on the uptake of physics at Advanced Level (A-level) in a particular year. Each factor of interest was entered into a separate model, whilst accounting for prior attai...

Factors Associated with Physical Activity Behaviors Among Rural Adolescents

OpenAIRE

Urruty, Kenli A.

2009-01-01

The "obesity epidemic" in the United States is a current health concern that has sparked research interest in physical activity as a means of weight management. However, little research has examined the physical activity behaviors of rural adolescents. The goal of the current study was to use a biopsychosocial framework to examine the physical activity behaviors of a sample of rural adolescents, and explore factors associated with physical activity participation. A sample of 162 ninth- an...

Rest rages between physical execise under the influence of cardivascular sistem

OpenAIRE

Jurevičiūtė, Eglė

2005-01-01

SUMMARY Peculiarities of organizm to adaptation physical strain are very relevant problem to sport and its range. Relative narrow and particular purpose is raised in the solution of this problem: to estimate conception of professionals working in athletic club and those who goes in for sports there – abaut the importance of rest intervals in training for seeking result during the physical exercising also to ascertain the influence of rest intervals between physical strains to pe...

Factors influencing warfarin control in Australia and Singapore.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernaitis, Nijole; Ching, Chi Keong; Teo, Siew Chong; Chen, Liping; Badrick, Tony; Davey, Andrew K; Crilly, Julia; Anoopkumar-Dukie, Shailendra

2017-09-01

Warfarin is widely used for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Variations in warfarin control, as measured by time in therapeutic range (TTR), have been reported across different regions and ethnicities, particularly between Western and Asian countries. However, there is limited data on comparative factors influencing warfarin control in Caucasian and Asian patients. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine warfarin control and potential factors influencing this in patients with NVAF in Australia and Singapore. Retrospective data was collected for patients receiving warfarin for January to June 2014 in Australia and Singapore. TTR was calculated for individuals with mean patient TTR used for analysis. Possible influential factors on TTR were analysed including age, gender, concurrent co-morbidities, and concurrent medication. The mean TTR was significantly higher in Australia (82%) than Singapore (58%). At both sites, chronic kidney disease significantly lowered this TTR. Further factors influencing control were anaemia and ageWarfarin control was significantly higher in Australia compared to Singapore, however chronic kidney disease reduced control at both sites. The different levels of control in these two countries, together with patient factors further reducing control may impact on anticoagulant choice in these countries with better outcomes from warfarin in Australia compared to Singapore. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors Influencing Expectations of Physical Activity for Adolescents Residing in Appalachia

Science.gov (United States)

Elkins, Rebecca L.; Nabors, Laura; King, Keith; Vidourek, Rebecca

2015-01-01

Background: Appalachian adolescents are at an increased risk for sedentary behavior; little research has addressed this concern. Purpose: This study examined adolescents' expectations for engaging in physical activity (PA), chiefly expectations for relaxation and fitness. Independent variables were self-efficacy expectations (SEEs) to overcome…

Gender gap on concept inventories in physics: What is consistent, what is inconsistent, and what factors influence the gap?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrian Madsen

2013-11-01

Full Text Available We review the literature on the gender gap on concept inventories in physics. Across studies of the most commonly used mechanics concept inventories, the Force Concept Inventory and Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation, men’s average pretest scores are always higher than women’s, and in most cases men’s posttest scores are higher as well. The weighted average gender difference on these tests is 13% for pretest scores, 12% for posttest scores, and 6% for normalized gain. This difference is much smaller than the average difference in normalized gain between traditional lecture and interactive engagement (25%, but it is large enough that it could impact the results of studies comparing the effectiveness of different teaching methods. There is sometimes a gender gap on commonly used electricity and magnetism concept inventories, the Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment and Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism, but it is usually much smaller and sometimes is zero or favors women. The weighted average gender difference on these tests is 3.7% for pretest scores, 8.5% for posttest scores, and 6% for normalized gain. There are far fewer studies of the gender gap on electricity and magnetism concept inventories and much more variation in the existing studies. Based on our analysis of 26 published articles comparing the impact of 30 factors that could potentially influence the gender gap, no single factor is sufficient to explain the gap. Several high-profile studies that have claimed to account for or reduce the gender gap have failed to be replicated in subsequent studies, suggesting that isolated claims of explanations of the gender gap should be interpreted with caution. For example, claims that the gender gap could be eliminated through interactive engagement teaching methods or through a “values affirmation writing exercise” were not supported by subsequent studies. Suggestions that the gender gap might be reduced by

Gender gap on concept inventories in physics: What is consistent, what is inconsistent, and what factors influence the gap?

Science.gov (United States)

Madsen, Adrian; McKagan, Sarah B.; Sayre, Eleanor C.

2013-12-01

We review the literature on the gender gap on concept inventories in physics. Across studies of the most commonly used mechanics concept inventories, the Force Concept Inventory and Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation, men’s average pretest scores are always higher than women’s, and in most cases men’s posttest scores are higher as well. The weighted average gender difference on these tests is 13% for pretest scores, 12% for posttest scores, and 6% for normalized gain. This difference is much smaller than the average difference in normalized gain between traditional lecture and interactive engagement (25%), but it is large enough that it could impact the results of studies comparing the effectiveness of different teaching methods. There is sometimes a gender gap on commonly used electricity and magnetism concept inventories, the Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment and Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism, but it is usually much smaller and sometimes is zero or favors women. The weighted average gender difference on these tests is 3.7% for pretest scores, 8.5% for posttest scores, and 6% for normalized gain. There are far fewer studies of the gender gap on electricity and magnetism concept inventories and much more variation in the existing studies. Based on our analysis of 26 published articles comparing the impact of 30 factors that could potentially influence the gender gap, no single factor is sufficient to explain the gap. Several high-profile studies that have claimed to account for or reduce the gender gap have failed to be replicated in subsequent studies, suggesting that isolated claims of explanations of the gender gap should be interpreted with caution. For example, claims that the gender gap could be eliminated through interactive engagement teaching methods or through a “values affirmation writing exercise” were not supported by subsequent studies. Suggestions that the gender gap might be reduced by changing the wording of

Difference in Needs for Physical Activity Among Healthy Women, Women with Physical Limitations and Korean Immigrant Women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Myoung-Ae Choe, RN, PhD

2007-06-01

Conclusion: Three groups of women had different needs for physical activity, and their needs for physical activity were influenced by multiple factors reflecting their daily lives in immigration transition and health/illness transition.

Physical factors affecting the electrically assisted thermal bitumen recovery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bogdanov, I.I.; Torres, J.-A.; Kamp, A.M. [CHLOE, University of Pau (France); Corre, B. [CSTJF, Total (France)

2011-07-01

In the heavy oil industry, thermal processes are used to enhance oil recovery by increasing the reservoir temperature which results in better oil mobility. Low frequency heating (LFH) is a technology using electrical conductivity of connate water to propagate current between electrodes, thus generating heat in the reservoir through the Joule effect. During the preheating and production periods, many physical factors may affect the LFH process and the aim of this study was to determine which factors affect the process and how, using a particular pattern of electrodes. Simulations were conducted using the CMG Stars reservoir simulator under different configurations, conditions and parameters. Important physical properties and operational conditions affecting the LFH process were determined and results showed that convection heat, bulk electrical conductivity and power distribution can be improved by salt water circulation. This paper highlighted the physical factors affecting LFH efficiency and these findings will be useful for future process design.

An Ecological Examination of an Urban Sixth Grade Physical Education Class

Science.gov (United States)

James, Alisa R.; Collier, Douglas

2011-01-01

Background: There are several factors that influence teaching urban physical education. Violence, poverty and irrelevant curricula influence the teaching-learning environment in urban physical education. One approach to urban physical education is to look carefully at the ecology that exists within an urban physical education class. This ecology…

Factors that modify risks of radiation-induced cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fabrikant, J.I.

1988-11-01

The collective influence of biologic and physical factors that modify risks of radiation-induced cancer introduces uncertainties sufficient to deny precision of estimates of human cancer risk that can be calculated for low-dose radiation in exposed populations. The important biologic characteristics include the tissue sites and cell types, baseline cancer incidence, minimum latent period, time-to-tumor recognition, and the influence of individual host (age and sex) and competing etiologic influences. Physical factors include radiation dose, dose rate, and radiation quality. Statistical factors include time-response projection models, risk coefficients, and dose-response relationships. Other modifying factors include other carcinogens, and other biological sources (hormonal status, immune status, hereditary factors)

Health-related life satisfaction and its influencing factors: A cross-sectional study in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shou-Qi; Ying, Jie; Zhang, Mei-Ling; Shi, Ying; Li, Yuan; Xing, Zhuang-Jie; Li, Huan-Huan; Sun, Jiao

2018-01-24

With the rapid development of science and technology, the pace of life has accelerated. Health and life satisfaction issues of persons are gaining more attention. China, Japan, Malaysia, and Taiwan conducted international cooperative research on health of four regional populations. This research was a part of the study in mainland China, which aimed to explore health-related life satisfaction and its influencing factors on large samples in mainland China. A random group of 1404 persons from universities, factories, companies, and elderly centers in Changchun completed a structured questionnaire. This study centered on life satisfaction indicators, which included the current whole life, income, family relationships, peer relationships, relationships with the neighbors, living environment, personal health, family health, spare time, and housework share. Other collected data included the Body Mass Index, blood pressure, self-rated health, Breslow's seven health practices, medical treatment within the past 6 months, physical examinations, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-12 Scale, social activities, networking relationships with persons around the community, social support, and sociodemographic variables. Associations between life satisfaction, demographics, and health-related variables were analyzed through a multiway ANOVA. The living environment and income of Chinese persons were related to their low life satisfaction. The multiway ANOVA showed that the independent relationship of self-rated health, regular physical examinations, GHQ-12 Scale, trust in the community, communication with the neighbors, education, and age related with life satisfaction accounting for 20.3% of the variance. Education and age showed interactive effects on life satisfaction. This study identified seven factors that influenced the life satisfaction of persons in mainland China. Life satisfaction can be enhanced through interventions to improve self-rated health, regular physical

Choosing between staying at home or moving: A systematic review of factors influencing housing decisions among frail older adults

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Noémie; Dubé, Roxanne; Després, Carole; Freitas, Adriana

2018-01-01

Background Most older adults wish to stay at home during their late life years, but physical disabilities and cognitive impairment may force them to face a housing decision. However, they lack relevant information to make informed value-based housing decisions. Consequently, we sought to identify the sets of factors influencing the housing decision-making of older adults. Methods We performed a systematic literature search for studies evaluating any factors influencing the housing decisions among older adults over 65 years old without cognitive disabilities. Primary research from any study design reported after 1990 in a peer-reviewed journal, a book chapter or an evaluated doctoral thesis and written in English, French or Spanish were eligible. We extracted the main study characteristics, the participant characteristics and any factors reported as associated with the housing decision. We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis from the perspective of the meaning and experience of home. Results The search resulted in 660 titles (after duplicate removal) from which 86 studies were kept for analysis. One study out of five reported exclusively on frail older adults (n = 17) and two on adults over 75 years old. Overall, a total of 88 factors were identified, of which 71 seem to have an influence on the housing decision-making of older adults, although the influence of 19 of them remains uncertain due to discrepancies between research methodologies. No conclusion was made regarding 12 additional factors due to lack of evidence. Conclusion A wealth of factors were found to influence housing decisions among older adults. However, very few of them have been studied extensively. Our results highlight the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork to study the influence of a broader range of factors as a whole. These results will help older adults make the best possible housing decision based on their unique situation and values. PMID:29293511

Choosing between staying at home or moving: A systematic review of factors influencing housing decisions among frail older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Noémie; Dubé, Roxanne; Després, Carole; Freitas, Adriana; Légaré, France

2018-01-01

Most older adults wish to stay at home during their late life years, but physical disabilities and cognitive impairment may force them to face a housing decision. However, they lack relevant information to make informed value-based housing decisions. Consequently, we sought to identify the sets of factors influencing the housing decision-making of older adults. We performed a systematic literature search for studies evaluating any factors influencing the housing decisions among older adults over 65 years old without cognitive disabilities. Primary research from any study design reported after 1990 in a peer-reviewed journal, a book chapter or an evaluated doctoral thesis and written in English, French or Spanish were eligible. We extracted the main study characteristics, the participant characteristics and any factors reported as associated with the housing decision. We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis from the perspective of the meaning and experience of home. The search resulted in 660 titles (after duplicate removal) from which 86 studies were kept for analysis. One study out of five reported exclusively on frail older adults (n = 17) and two on adults over 75 years old. Overall, a total of 88 factors were identified, of which 71 seem to have an influence on the housing decision-making of older adults, although the influence of 19 of them remains uncertain due to discrepancies between research methodologies. No conclusion was made regarding 12 additional factors due to lack of evidence. A wealth of factors were found to influence housing decisions among older adults. However, very few of them have been studied extensively. Our results highlight the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork to study the influence of a broader range of factors as a whole. These results will help older adults make the best possible housing decision based on their unique situation and values.

[Vascular aging, arterial hypertension and physical activity].

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt-Trucksäss, A; Weisser, B

2011-11-01

The present review delineates the significance of intima-media-thickness, arterial stiffness and endothelial function for vascular aging. There is profound evidence for an increase in intima-media-thickness and vascular stiffness not only during healthy aging but induced also by cardiovascular risk factors. There is a central role of arterial hypertension for this progression in both structural factors. In addition, both parameters are strongly associated with cardiovascular risk. Endothelial function measured as postischemic flow-mediated vasodilatation is a functional parameter which is decreased both in healthy aging and by cardiovascular risk factors. Physical activity modifies the influence of aging and risk factors on endothelial function. A positive influence of endurance exercise on vascular stiffness and endothelial function has been demonstrated in numerous studies. In long-term studies, regular physical activity has been shown to reduce the progression of intima-media-thickness. Thus, arterial hypertension accelerates vascular aging, while physical activity has a positive influence on a variety of vascular parameters associated with vascular aging. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Performance related factors are the main determinants of the von Willebrand factor response to exhaustive physical exercise

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J.E. van Loon (Janine ); M.A.H. Sonneveld (Michelle); S.F.E. Praet (Stephan); M.P.M. de Maat (Moniek); F.W.G. Leebeek (Frank)

2014-01-01

textabstractBackground: Physical stress triggers the endothelium to release von Willebrand Factor (VWF) from the Weibel Palade bodies. Since VWF is a risk factor for arterial thrombosis, it is of great interest to discover determinants of VWF response to physical stress. We aimed to determine the

Route complexity and simulated physical ageing negatively influence wayfinding

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zijlstra, Emma; Hagedoorn, Mariet; Krijnen, Wim P.; Schans, van der Cornelis; Mobach, Mark P.

The aim of this age-simulation field experiment was to assess the influence of route complexity and physical ageing on wayfinding. Seventy-five people (aged 18-28) performed a total of 108 wayfinding tasks (i.e., 42 participants performed two wayfinding tasks and 33 performed one wayfinding task),

Physical Attractiveness: Its Influence on the Perceptions of Counselors.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, Connie H.; Borowy, Thomas D.

Research has shown that a client's positive views of a counselor enhance commitment to treatment, positive outcome expectancies, and receptivity to counselor influence. To examine the impact of counselor gender and physical attractiveness on perceived counselor effectiveness, 60 college students evaluated male and female counselors on 15 variables…

An Empirical Study of the Factors Influencing Consumer Behaviour in the Electric Appliances Market

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Małgorzata Łatuszyńska

2012-08-01

Full Text Available This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the impact of different factors on consumer buying behaviour. It analyses the relationship between several independent variables, such as cultural, social, personal, psychological and marketing mix factors, and consumer behaviour (as the dependent variable in the electric appliances market. The purpose of this study is to determine the factors affecting consumer preferences and behaviour in the electric appliances market in Iraq. The data employed to analyse the factors influencing consumers’ purchase decision-making processes were obtained through a questionnaire that was conducted in December 2011 in Basra, a city in southern Iraq. The major findings of the study indicated that, overall, the set of independent variables are weakly associated with the dependent variable. However, the in-depth analysis found that social factors, physical factors, and marketing mix elements are strongly associated with consumer buying behaviour. These analyses make it possible to discover consumer decision-making rules. The results may assist producers and retailers in understanding consumer behaviour and improving consumer satisfaction.

Clinical factors influencing participation in society after successful kidney transplantation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Mei, S.F.; Groothoff, J.W.; van Sonderen, E.L.P.; van den Heuvel, W.J.A.; de Jong, P.E.; van Son, W.J.

2006-01-01

Background. Little information is available on the degree of actual social functioning after successful kidney transplantation. Moreover, information on factors that influence participation in social activities is scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of clinical factors on

Associations between Parental and Friend Social Support and Children's Physical Activity and Time Spent outside Playing.

Science.gov (United States)

Loucaides, Constantinos A; Tsangaridou, Niki

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the structural validity of a parent and a child questionnaire that assessed parental and friends' influences on children's physical activity and investigate the associations between the derived factors, physical activity, and time spent outside. Children ( N = 154, mean age = 11.7) and 144 of their parents completed questionnaires assessing parental and friends' influences on children's physical activity. Children wore a pedometer for six days. Exploratory factor analyses revealed four factors for the parental and five for the child's questionnaire that explained 66.71% and 63.85% of the variance, respectively. Five factors were significantly associated with physical activity and five significantly associated with time spent outside. Higher correlations were revealed between "general friend support," "friends' activity norms," and physical activity ( r = 0.343 and 0.333 resp., p friend support" and time spent outside ( r = 0.460, p parental and friends' influences on physical activity from both parents and children may provide a more complete picture of influences. Parents and friends seem to influence children's physical activity behavior and time spent outside, but friends' influences may have a stronger impact on children's behaviors.

Factors That Influence Campus Dwelling University Students' Facility to Practice Healthy Living Guidelines.

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, Audrey; Taylor, Claudette; Brennick, Debbie

2017-01-01

Background Young adult university students living on campus are at an increased risk of developing lifestyle habits that encourage unintentional weight gain. Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify the individual and contextual factors that influence campus dwelling university students' facility to practice healthy living guidelines that reduce their risk of unintentional weight gain. Lifestyle practices included nutrition, physical activity, and sleep. Methods For seven days, 48 campus dwelling students recorded their activities and reflected on how closely they were able to follow recommended healthy living guidelines. Recorded data were supplemented by follow-up focus groups. All data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Students described multiple factors and conditions that influenced their facility to practice healthy living guidelines for nutrition, activity, and sleep. Many students' lifestyle practices put them at an increased risk of unintentional weight gain. Conclusions The campus environment challenges student's facility to practice healthy living guidelines. Nurses can intervene to build individual student capacity and to advocate for environmental polices that increase students' facility to choose lifestyle practices that promote health, lessen their risk of unintentional weight gain, and reduce their risk of developing chronic illness.

Location and deprivation are important influencers of physical activity in primary care populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Barrett, E M; Hussey, J; Darker, C D

2016-07-01

To investigate the physical activity of adults attending primary care services in the Republic of Ireland and to determine whether the location (urban/rural) and deprivation of the primary care centre influenced physical activity. Cross sectional study. Stratified random sampling based on urban/rural location and deprivation was used to identify three primary care centres from a list of established primary care teams in the Leinster region. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to collate data on physical activity category (low/moderate/high), total weekly activity (MET-minutes/week) and weekly walking (MET-minutes/week) of participants. Data from 885 participants with a median age of 39 years (IQR 31-53) were analysed. There were significant differences in physical activity between the primary care areas (P < 0.001). Rural mixed deprivation participants were the least active with almost 60% of this group (59.4%, n = 177) classified as inactive (535 median MET-minutes/week, IQR 132-1197). Urban deprived participants were the most active (low active 37.6%, n = 111, 975 median MET-minutes/week, IQR 445-1933). Upon adjustment for multiple factors, rural participants (OR = 2.81, 95% CI 1.97-4.01), urban non-deprived participants (OR = 1.61, 95% CI 1.08-2.39), females (OR = 1.66, 95% CI 1.23-2.23) and older adults (OR = 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.02) were more likely to be categorised as low active. Overall 47.2% (n = 418) of all participants were classified within the low physical activity category. Significant disparities exist in the physical activity levels of primary care populations. This has important implications for the funding and planning of physical activity interventions. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors influencing home care nurse intention to remain employed.

Science.gov (United States)

Tourangeau, Ann; Patterson, Erin; Rowe, Alissa; Saari, Margaret; Thomson, Heather; MacDonald, Geraldine; Cranley, Lisa; Squires, Mae

2014-11-01

To identify factors affecting Canadian home care nurse intention to remain employed (ITR). In developed nations, healthcare continues to shift into community settings. Although considerable research exists on examining nurse ITR in hospitals, similar research related to nurses employed in home care is limited. In the face of a global nursing shortage, it is important to understand the factors influencing nurse ITR across healthcare sectors. A qualitative exploratory descriptive design was used. Focus groups were conducted with home care nurses. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Six categories of influencing factors were identified by home care nurses as affecting ITR: job characteristics; work structures; relationships/communication; work environment; nurse responses to work; and employment conditions. Findings suggest the following factors influence home care nurse ITR: having autonomy; flexible scheduling; reasonable and varied workloads; supportive work relationships; and receiving adequate pay and benefits. Home care nurses did not identify job satisfaction as a single concept influencing ITR. Home care nursing management should support nurse autonomy, allow flexible scheduling, promote reasonable workloads and create opportunities for team building that strengthen supportive relationships among home care nurses and other health team members. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Environmental factors influencing fluctuation of share prices on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Environmental factors influencing fluctuation of share prices on Nigeria stock exchange market. ... What are these environmental variables that affect the fluctuation of share prices in Nigeria? ... The results show inflation, money supply, total deficits index of industrial production, interest rate and GDP influence stock prices.

Traumatic physical health consequences of intimate partner violence against women: what is the role of community-level factors?

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Antai Diddy

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Intimate partner violence (IPV against women is a serious public health issue with recognizable direct health consequences. This study assessed the association between IPV and traumatic physical health consequences on women in Nigeria, given that communities exert significant influence on the individuals that are embedded within them, with the nature of influence varying between communities. Methods Cross-sectional nationally-representative data of women aged 15 - 49 years in the 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey was used in this study. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between IPV and several forms of physical health consequences. Results Bruises were the most common form of traumatic physical health consequences. In the adjusted models, the likelihood of sustaining bruises (OR = 1.91, 95% CI = 1.05 - 3.46, wounds (OR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.31 - 4.95, and severe burns (OR = 3.20, 95% CI = 1.63 - 6.28 was significantly higher for women exposed to IPV compared to those not exposed to IPV. However, after adjusting for individual- and community-level factors, women with husbands/partners with controlling behavior, those with primary or no education, and those resident in communities with high tolerance for wife beating had a higher likelihood of experiencing IPV, whilst mean community-level education and women 24 years or younger were at lower likelihood of experiencing IPV. Conclusions Evidence from this study shows that exposure to IPV is associated with increased likelihood of traumatic physical consequences for women in Nigeria. Education and justification of wife beating were significant community-level factors associated with traumatic physical consequences, suggesting the importance of increasing women's levels of education and changing community norms that justify controlling behavior and IPV.

Factors Predicting the Physical Activity Behavior of Female Adolescents: A Test of the Health Promotion Model

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Hashem Mohamadian

2014-01-01

Full Text Available ObjectivesPhysical activity behavior begins to decline during adolescence and continues to decrease throughout young adulthood. This study aims to explain factors that influence physical activity behavior in a sample of female adolescents using a health promotion model framework.MethodsThis cross-sectional survey was used to explore physical activity behavior among a sample of female adolescents. Participants completed measures of physical activity, perceived self-efficacy, self-esteem, social support, perceived barriers, and perceived affect. Interactions among the variables were examined using path analysis within a covariance modeling framework.ResultsThe final model accounted for an R2 value of 0.52 for physical activity and offered a good model-data fit. The results indicated that physical activity was predicted by self-esteem (β=0.46, p<0.001, perceived self-efficacy (β=0.40, p<0.001, social support (β=0.24, p<0.001, perceived barriers (β=-0.19, p<0.001, and perceived affect (β=0.17, p<0.001.ConclusionsThe findings of this study showed that the health promotion model was useful to predict physical activity behavior among the Iranian female adolescents. Information related to the predictors of physical activity behavior will help researchers plan more tailored culturally relevant health promotion interventions for this population.

Influence of Individual Determinants on Physical Activity at Work and During Leisure Time in Soldiers: A Prospective Surveillance Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Schulze, Christoph; Lindner, Tobias; Goethel, Pauline; Müller, Marie; Mittelmeier, Wolfram; Bader, Rainer

2016-01-01

Quantified physical activity is an important parameter for evaluating the risk of the incidence of internal and musculoskeletal disorders. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physical activity of German Soldiers on duty and during leisure time with regard to individual determinants and to evaluate if factors associated with the risk of the incidence of internal or musculoskeletal disorders are of relevance for physical activity. For this purpose, we conducted activity measurements on 169 subjects. The accelerometer-based activity sensor was worn for 7 consecutive days. The number of steps taken was evaluated as an activity marker.We observed that a high body mass index and a large waist circumference were associated with a low activity level. Women were found to be more active than men, particularly during leisure time. Personnel under 25 years of age were more physically active than those between 25 and 50 years of age. Subjects with underlying musculoskeletal disorders were less active than those who had internal disorders or were healthy. Men and overweight people run a higher risk of developing musculoskeletal and internal disorders. Health promotion should focus on raising the physical activity level with the aim of exerting a positive influence on the associated risk factors.

But I like PE: factors associated with enjoyment of physical education class in middle school girls.

Science.gov (United States)

Barr-Anderson, Daheia J; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne; Schmitz, Kathryn H; Ward, Dianne S; Conway, Terry L; Pratt, Charlotte; Baggett, Chris D; Lytle, Leslie; Pate, Russell R

2008-03-01

The current study examined associations between physical education (PE) class enjoyment and sociodemographic, personal, and perceived school environment factors among early adolescent girls. Participants included 1,511 sixth-grade girls who completed baseline assessments for the Trial of Activity in Adolescent Girls, with 50% indicating they enjoyed PE class a lot. Variables positively associated with PE class enjoyment included physical activity level, perceived benefits of physical activity, self-efficacy for leisure time physical activity, and perceived school climate for girls' physical activity as influenced by teachers, while body mass index was inversely associated with PE class enjoyment. After adjusting for all variables in the model, PE class enjoyment was significantly greater in Blacks than in Whites. In model testing, with mutual adjustment for all variables, self-efficacy was the strongest correlate of PE class enjoyment, followed by perceived benefits, race/ethnicity, and teachers' support for girls' physical activity, as compared to boys, at school. The overall model explained 11% of the variance in PE class enjoyment. Findings suggest that efforts to enhance girls' self-efficacy and perceived benefits and to provide a supportive PE class environment that promotes gender equality can potentially increase PE class enjoyment among young girls.

An investigation on factors influencing on human resources productivity

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Masoumeh Seifi Divkolaii

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Human resources development is one of the most important components of any organization and detecting important factors influencing on human resources management plays essential role on the success of the firms. In this paper, we present an empirical investigation to determine different factors influencing productivity of human resources of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB in province of Mazandaran, Iran. The study uses analytical hierarchy process (AHP to rank 17 important factors and determines that personal characteristics were the most important factors followed by management related factors and environmental factors. In terms of personal characteristics, job satisfaction plays essential role on human resources development. In terms of managerial factors, paying attention on continuous job improvement by receiving appropriate training is the most important factor followed by welfare facilities for employees and using a system of reward/punishment in organization. Finally, in terms of environmental factors, occupational safety is number one priority followed by organizational rules and regulations.

THE INFLUENCE OF CORPORATE SPECIFIC FACTORS UPON FINANCING DECISIONS

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Lacatus Viorel-Dorin

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to analyze the existing theories for the capital structure of a corporation and to determine the factors that influence the financing decisions of Romanian corporations. The gearing ratios vary a lot among Romanian corporations pointing out the fact that the internal specific factors are the ones with a greater impact upon their capital structure, and not the external factors. Our empiric research evaluates the determining factors for the debt ratio (total debt/total assets of some Romanian corporations, focusing on its explanatory variables by including them within simple and multiple econometric models. The panel data indicators computed for the companies in the Cluj area listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange were evaluated with the OLS and FEM techniques.The results have been interpreted, pointing out that company size and asset turnover seem to have a positive influence upon the debt ratio of selected companies, while profitability and liquidity seem to influence the debt ratio of selected companies negatively.

Maturity of hospital information systems: Most important influencing factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Vidal Carvalho, João; Rocha, Álvaro; Abreu, António

2017-07-01

Maturity models facilitate organizational management, including information systems management, with hospital organizations no exception. This article puts forth a study carried out with a group of experts in the field of hospital information systems management with a view to identifying the main influencing factors to be included in an encompassing maturity model for hospital information systems management. This study is based on the results of a literature review, which identified maturity models in the health field and relevant influencing factors. The development of this model is justified to the extent that the available maturity models for the hospital information systems management field reveal multiple limitations, including lack of detail, absence of tools to determine their maturity and lack of characterization for stages of maturity structured by different influencing factors.

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE PURCHASE DECISION OF ORGANIC TOFU

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Tantry Nugroho

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to analyze the factors that influence consumers in making the decision to buy organic tofu. The theory of factors that influence the purchasing behavior developed by Kotler was used as the analytical tool, and these factors include cultural factors, social factors, personal factors, psychological factors and purchasing process. These data were collected through interview techniques and analyzed descriptively using multinomial logistic regression. The characteristics of respondents indicated the consumers who never bought organic tofu are mostly at the age of 26-35 years old and university graduates, do not work, have an expenditure from Rp 1 million to Rp 2.5 million, are highly knowledge, and have the highest scores on the perceptions on sustainable and environmentally friendly organic farming, health benefits, and a more expensive price. There are a number of factors that influence consumers in making purchase decisions of organic tofu including age, education, knowledge and product external factors. The consumers who are potentially interested in purchasing the organic tofu are at the age of 36–50 years old, university graduates, highly knowledgeable in food and organic tofu products, because the higher the education and knowledge, the greater the interest in buying the products, and they approved of the external products such as price, advertising, personal selling and places of selling which are also potentially equal. The managerial implications for the business agents of tofu organic product is that they must be more active in assuring the consumers that these products are good for them by creating a blog, an ad in the local paper, or a pamphlet containing information of the product.Keywords: purchase decision, logistic regression, organic tofu product, purchasing interest

A Review of Factors Influencing Athletes' Food Choices.

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Birkenhead, Karen L; Slater, Gary

2015-11-01

Athletes make food choices on a daily basis that can affect both health and performance. A well planned nutrition strategy that includes the careful timing and selection of appropriate foods and fluids helps to maximize training adaptations and, thus, should be an integral part of the athlete's training programme. Factors that motivate food selection include taste, convenience, nutrition knowledge and beliefs. Food choice is also influenced by physiological, social, psychological and economic factors and varies both within and between individuals and populations. This review highlights the multidimensional nature of food choice and the depth of previous research investigating eating behaviours. Despite numerous studies with general populations, little exploration has been carried out with athletes, yet the energy demands of sport typically require individuals to make more frequent and/or appropriate food choices. While factors that are important to general populations also apply to athletes, it seems likely, given the competitive demands of sport, that performance would be an important factor influencing food choice. It is unclear if athletes place the same degree of importance on these factors or how food choice is influenced by involvement in sport. There is a clear need for further research exploring the food choice motives of athletes, preferably in conjunction with research investigating dietary intake to establish if intent translates into practice.

The Influence of Price, Service Quality, and Physical Environment on Customer Satisfaction. Case Study Markobar Cafe Mando

OpenAIRE

Cristo, Mandang; Saerang, David P. E; Worang, Frederik

2017-01-01

The Customer Satisfaction is the extent to which the responds of products or service meet the expectation of buyers. If the performance of the product or service is higher than the expectation of customer, the buyers will be satisfied. There are several factors that influence customer satisfaction such as price, service quality and physical environment. At the beginning of 2016 Markobar café become famous, and now Markobar Café already open some new brach in several cities in Indonesia and al...

Osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and the influence of physical activities:“an analysis of the literature”

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Antônia Dalla Pria Bankoff

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Osteoporosis, a common postmenopausal disease in women, is the result of progressive bone loss. It is worldwide considered as a public health problem that either invalidates or incapacitates a large number of persons, being a multifactorial illness whose most important danger besides the estrogen role are the behavior factors (physical inactivity, dietary calcium deficiency which can easily be modified. Prevention of osteoporosis must start since childhood and follow for a lifetime and special attention must be given to women when they approach menopause. However, keeping hormonal balance, practicing exercises and having a good nutrition calcium intake proved to be the best preventive actions against this disease. The aim of this study was to collect evidences of the influence of physical activity on osteoporosis in menopausal women.

Influence of sports on human mental and physical development in various stages of life

OpenAIRE

SLÁDKOVÁ, Jitka

2011-01-01

The thesis deals with the impact of sports and physical activity on human physical and mental development in various developmental stages of life. It contains a brief description of the stages of life and presents the possibilities, nature and influence of sports and physical activity on human physical and mental state.

Influence of Macroeconomic Factors on Residential Property ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Sultan

exerted by macroeconomic factors on residential property returns in Abuja. The backward .... explanatory power and positive influence of employment and ...... Project. Management In Property Development: the Nigeria experience. Ibadan:.

Factors Influencing Self Employment Media Service Providers ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors Influencing Self Employment Media Service Providers among Tertiary ... role stereotype and common business practices on media self employment in ... Sex, Psycho-social Characteristics, self Employment, Providing Media Services.

DEGREE OF BURNOUT AMONG EMERGENCY HEALTHCARE WORKERS AND FACTORS INFLUENCING LEVEL OF BURNOUT: A STUDY PROTOCOL

OpenAIRE

Shyamanta; Sashibha; Navoneela; Marami; Bornali; Sakhee; Anjana; Dipesh

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND Burnout is a feeling of failure and exhaustion. It is felt both at the physical and emotional level. Depletion of the person’s resources is a consequence and also has an impact on the organisation. Nature of the work itself makes emergency healthcare workers vulnerable to burnout. METHOD This study is designed to measure the degree of burnout among emergency healthcare workers in a hospital and to identify the factors that influence burnout. The study h...

Factors influencing societal response of nanotechnology : an expert stakeholder analysis

OpenAIRE

Gupta, N.; Fischer, A.R.H.; Lans, van der, I.A.; Frewer, L.J.

2012-01-01

Nanotechnology can be described as an emerging technology and, as has been the case with other emerging technologies such as genetic modification, different socio-psychological factors will potentially influence societal responses to its development and application. These factors will play an important role in how nanotechnology is developed and commercialised. This article aims to identify expert opinion on factors influencing societal response to applications of nanotechnology. Structured i...

Factors influencing societal response of nanotechnology: an expert stakeholder analysis

OpenAIRE

Gupta, Nidhi; Fischer, Arnout R. H.; van der Lans, Ivo A.; Frewer, Lynn J.

2012-01-01

Nanotechnology can be described as an emerging technology and, as has been the case with other emerging technologies such as genetic modification, different socio-psychological factors will potentially influence societal responses to its development and application. These factors will play an important role in how nanotechnology is developed and commercialised. This article aims to identify expert opinion on factors influencing societal response to applications of nanotechnology. Structured i...

Factors Influencing Choice of Inguinal Hernia Repair Technique

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study sought to highlight factors that may influence ... Experienced peers play a major role in training on the various repair ... Reasons influencing choice of repair technique include training ... (after appendectomy) accounting for 10 to 15% of all surgical ..... in medical school [as undergraduate students or as residents].

The influence of physical factors on kelp and sea urchin distribution in previously and still grazed areas in the NE Atlantic.

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Eli Rinde

Full Text Available The spatial distribution of kelp (Laminaria hyperborea and sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis in the NE Atlantic are highly related to physical factors and to temporal changes in temperature. On a large scale, we identified borders for kelp recovery and sea urchin persistence along the north-south gradient. Sea urchin persistence was also related to the coast-ocean gradient. The southern border corresponds to summer temperatures exceeding about 10°C, a threshold value known to be critical for sea urchin recruitment and development. The outer border along the coast-ocean gradient is related to temperature, wave exposure and salinity. On a finer scale, kelp recovery occurs mainly at ridges in outer, wave exposed, saline and warm areas whereas sea urchins still dominate in inner, shallow and cold areas, particularly in areas with optimal current speed for sea urchin foraging. In contrast to other studies in Europe, we here show a positive influence of climate change to presence of a long-lived climax canopy-forming kelp. The extent of the coast-ocean gradient varies within the study area, and is especially wide in the southern part where the presence of islands and skerries increases the area of the shallow coastal zone. This creates a large area with intermediate physical conditions for the two species and a mosaic of kelp and sea urchin dominated patches. The statistical models (GAM and BRT show high performance and indicate recovery of kelp in 45-60% of the study area. The study shows the value of combining a traditional (GAM and a more complex (BRT modeling approach to gain insight into complex spatial patterns of species or habitats. The results, methods and approaches are of general ecological relevance regardless of ecosystems and species, although they are particularly relevant for understanding and exploring the corresponding changes between algae and grazers in different coastal areas.

The influence of physical factors on kelp and sea urchin distribution in previously and still grazed areas in the NE Atlantic.

Science.gov (United States)

Rinde, Eli; Christie, Hartvig; Fagerli, Camilla W; Bekkby, Trine; Gundersen, Hege; Norderhaug, Kjell Magnus; Hjermann, Dag Ø

2014-01-01

The spatial distribution of kelp (Laminaria hyperborea) and sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) in the NE Atlantic are highly related to physical factors and to temporal changes in temperature. On a large scale, we identified borders for kelp recovery and sea urchin persistence along the north-south gradient. Sea urchin persistence was also related to the coast-ocean gradient. The southern border corresponds to summer temperatures exceeding about 10°C, a threshold value known to be critical for sea urchin recruitment and development. The outer border along the coast-ocean gradient is related to temperature, wave exposure and salinity. On a finer scale, kelp recovery occurs mainly at ridges in outer, wave exposed, saline and warm areas whereas sea urchins still dominate in inner, shallow and cold areas, particularly in areas with optimal current speed for sea urchin foraging. In contrast to other studies in Europe, we here show a positive influence of climate change to presence of a long-lived climax canopy-forming kelp. The extent of the coast-ocean gradient varies within the study area, and is especially wide in the southern part where the presence of islands and skerries increases the area of the shallow coastal zone. This creates a large area with intermediate physical conditions for the two species and a mosaic of kelp and sea urchin dominated patches. The statistical models (GAM and BRT) show high performance and indicate recovery of kelp in 45-60% of the study area. The study shows the value of combining a traditional (GAM) and a more complex (BRT) modeling approach to gain insight into complex spatial patterns of species or habitats. The results, methods and approaches are of general ecological relevance regardless of ecosystems and species, although they are particularly relevant for understanding and exploring the corresponding changes between algae and grazers in different coastal areas.

Test-retest reliability of a questionnaire to assess physical environmental factors pertaining to physical activity

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McGinn Aileen P

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite the documented benefits of physical activity, many adults do not obtain the recommended amounts. Barriers to physical activity occur at multiple levels, including at the individual, interpersonal, and environmental levels. Only until more recently has there been a concerted focus on how the physical environment might affect physical activity behavior. With this new area of study, self-report measures should be psychometrically tested before use in research studies. Therefore the objective of this study was to document the test-retest reliability of a questionnaire designed to assess physical environmental factors that might be associated with physical activity in a diverse adult population. Methods Test and retest surveys were conducted over the telephone with 106 African American and White women and men living in either Forsyth County, North Carolina or Jackson, Mississippi. Reliability of self-reported environmental factors across four domains (e.g., access to facilities and destinations, functionality and safety, aesthetics, natural environment was determined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC overall and separately by gender and race. Results Generally items displayed moderate and sometimes substantial reliability (ICC between 0.4 to 0.8, with a few differences by gender or race, across each of the domains. Conclusion This study provides some psychometric evidence for the use of many of these questions in studies examining the effect of self-reported physical environmental measures on physical activity behaviors, among African American and White women and men.

Associations between Socio-Motivational Factors, Physical Education Activity Levels and Physical Activity Behavior among Youth

Science.gov (United States)

Ning, Weihong; Gao, Zan; Lodewyk, Ken

2012-01-01

This study examined the relationships between established socio-motivational factors and children's physical activity levels daily and during physical education classes. A total of 307 middle school students (149 boys, 158 girls) from a suburban public school in the Southern United States participated in this study. Participants completed…

Factors Influencing Information and Communication Technology ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Information and communication technology (ICT) is a veritable tool for sustainable agricultural development in Nigeria. This paper analyzed the factors that influenced ICT use by women research scientists in the Universities of Agriculture in Nigeria. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 40 respondents per ...

Factors Influencing Part-time Faculty Engagement With Online Nursing Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Reneau, Margaret; Wallace, Cara; Claywell, Lora; Price, Jill; Burdi, Melissa; Trybulski, Joanne

2018-03-28

This research investigated factors that influenced the engagement of part-time faculty teaching in online nursing programs with their institutions. Of the 257 part-time faculty surveyed, the most significant factor was being supported in decisions regarding student issues, followed by institutional commitment to quality online education. Compensation was moderately influential; a negative factor was requiring too frequent meetings. Understanding factors that influence the engagement of part-time faculty teaching in online nursing programs can help leaders of online programs attract and retain experienced, highly skilled faculty.

Where and how does physical therapy fit? Integrating physical therapy into interprofessional HIV care.

Science.gov (United States)

deBoer, Heather; Andrews, Matthew; Cudd, Stephanie; Leung, Ellie; Petrie, Alana; Chan Carusone, Soo; O'Brien, Kelly K

2018-03-13

To investigate the role of physical therapy in HIV care from the perspective of people living with HIV and health care professionals with expertise in HIV care. We conducted a qualitative descriptive study using semistructured interviews (with health care professionals) and focus groups (with people living with HIV). We purposively sampled health care professionals and recruited people living with HIV in collaboration with an HIV-specialty hospital. We asked participants about their knowledge of and experiences with physical therapy, and perceptions of the physical therapy role in interprofessional HIV care. We analyzed data using content analytical techniques. Thirteen people living with HIV and 12 health care professionals conceptualized physical therapy as positively influencing independence and social participation, and as a valuable ally in interprofessional collaboration. The Framework of Physical Therapy Role in HIV Care consists of two components: (1) multidimensional and client-centered roles of physical therapy addressing physical, psychological and social health domains; and (2) contextual factors important to consider for the role of physical therapy: aging, episodic nature of HIV, multimorbidity, competing priorities, continuity of care, stigma, resource security and social isolation. The interaction between contextual factors and health domains can influence the role of physical therapy. The role of physical therapy in HIV is multidimensional and client-centered. This Framework can be used by rehabilitation professionals working with people living with HIV. Implications for Rehabilitation Participants living with HIV in this study experienced physical therapy as a means of addressing rehabilitation goals that positively influenced physical health and social participation. The role of physical therapy in HIV care is multidimensional and client-centered and can address health challenges in physical, social and psychological health domains. The presence

Factors associated with physical activity promotion by allied and other non-medical health professionals: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Crisford, Paul; Winzenberg, Tania; Venn, Alison; Schultz, Martin; Aitken, Dawn; Cleland, Verity

2018-05-21

To identify factors associated with non-medical health professionals' engagement in physical activity (PA) promotion. Five electronic databases were searched for studies including practising health professionals (excluding medical doctors), a PA promotion practice measure, a test of association between potential influencing factors and PA promotion practice, and written in English. Two researchers independently screened studies and extracted data. Extracted data were synthesized in a tabular format with a narrative summary (thematic analysis). Thirty studies involving 7734 non-medical health professionals were included. Self-efficacy in PA promotion, positive beliefs in the benefits of PA, assessing patients' PA, and PA promotion training were the main factors associated with engaging in PA promotion. Lack of remuneration was not associated. Common study limitations included a lack of information on non-responders, data collection by survey only and limited reliability or validity testing of measurements. There are common factors influencing PA promotion, but the absence of studies from some health professions, limitations related to study measures, and the lack of randomised controlled intervention trials highlights the need for further research. The factors identified may prove useful for guiding the development of strategies to encourage greater engagement in PA promotion by health professionals. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

FACTORS INFLUENCING BRAND EQUITY OF BALI AS A TOURISM DESTINATION

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I Ketut Surya Diarta

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Globally, competition among tourism destinations is more stringent in getting foreign tourists, including Bali. One effort to win the competition is increasing destination brand equity through maintaining its influencing factors and gaining tourist positive behavior toward destination. This effort, in long run, will increase and stabilize destination revenue and sustainability. This research aims to analyze factors influencing brand equity of Bali as a tourism destination. This research was conducted in Bali’s five major tourism objects. The 240 foreign tourists were chosen as respondents through convenience sampling technique. Data were analyzed using factor analysis. The results showed that factors that significantly influenced Bali brand equity were: symbolic and experiential benefit factor, direct and indirect destinations attributes, destination reliability and tangibility, assurance and empathy, brand destinations recognition and recall, destinations common psychological attributes, destination common functional attributes, unique functional attributes, behavioral loyalty, destination awareness, and attitudinal loyalty. Given the fluctuative nature of brand equity, Bali needs a consistent effort to maintain or to enhance brand equity of Bali as a tourism destination. Maintaining the dominant factors that influence the strength of brand equity can be used as a basis to develop destination branding strategy to expand market segment,  choose the right target market, and anchoring destination position in world market competition.

Factors That Influence the Practice of Elective Induction of Labor

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Jennifer; Low, Lisa Kane

2012-01-01

Elective induction of labor has been linked to increased rates of prematurity and rising rates of cesarean birth. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate current trends in induction of labor scholarship focusing on evidence-based factors that influence the practice of elective induction. A key word search was conducted to identify studies on the practice of elective induction of labor. Analysis of the findings included clustering and identification of recurrent themes among the articles with 3 categories being identified. Under each category, the words/phrases were further clustered until a construct could be named. A total of 49 articles met inclusion criteria: 7 patient, 6 maternity care provider, and 4 organization factors emerged. Only 4 of the articles identified were evidence based. Patient factors were divided into preferences/convenience, communication, fear, pressure/influence, trust, external influences, and technology. Provider factors were then divided into practice preferences/convenience, lack of information, financial incentives, fear, patient desire/demand, and technology. Organization factors were divided into lack of enforcement/accountability, hospital culture, scheduling of staff, and market share issues. Currently, there is limited data-based information focused on factors that influence elective induction of labor. Despite patient and provider convenience/preferences being cited in the literature, the evidence does not support this practice. PMID:22843006

Factors Influencing Tacit Knowledge in Construction

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Jawahar Nesan

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Increased complexity of the construction business and consequentuse of new management concepts and technologies ledconstruction organisations to focus more on the transfer of explicitknowledge. However, it is the tacit knowledge that determinesthe construction companies’ competitiveness in a business thatis driven by turbulent market conditions and customers’ everincreasingdemands. This paper highlights the importance of tacitknowledge sharing in construction, explores the challenges andopportunities to efficiently share tacit knowledge, and based on theliterature review identifies some critical factors that influence tacitknowledge in construction. It is argued that employees’ knowledgesharing (learning behaviours are influenced by work practices thatare borne by respective organisational behaviours. Organisational,cultural, and project characteristics that facilitate knowledgesharing among construction employees are explored and thepractices that influence the construction employee behaviour insharing tacit knowledge are highlighted.

Influence of individual and social contextual factors on changes in leisure-time physical activity in working-class populations: results of the Healthy Directions–Small Businesses Study

Science.gov (United States)

Stoddard, Anne; Bennett, Gary G.; Wolin, Kathleen Y.; Sorensen, Glorian G.

2012-01-01

Background As part of the Harvard Cancer Prevention Program Project, we sought to address disparities reflected in social class and race/ethnicity by developing and testing a behavioral intervention model that targeted fruit and vegetable consumption, red meat consumption, multivitamin intake, and physical activity in working-class, multiethnic populations. Methods This paper examined the associations between change in leisure-time physical activity and individual and social contextual factors in participants employed in small businesses (n = 850) at both baseline and at 18-month final. Results In bivariate analyses, age, language acculturation, social ties, and workplace social capital were significantly associated with physical activity at final. In multivariable analyses, being younger and having high language acculturation were significantly associated with greater leisuretime physical activity at final; high workplace social capital was significantly associated with a decline in physical activity at final. Conclusion These findings have implications for understanding factors that are integral to promoting change in physical activity among working-class, multiethnic populations. PMID:22806257

Multilevel factors influencing preterm birth in an urban setting