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Biomedical subjects

N J Pender

Publications and source records attributed to N J Pender.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Psychometric evaluation of the exercise self-efficacy scale among Korean adults with chronic diseases.

The purpose of this study was to assess the psychometric properties, appropriateness, and demographic response patterns of an exercise self-efficacy scale for Korean adults with chronic diseases. After assessment of face validity by an expert Korean panel, 249 Korean adults with chronic diseases, ages 18-79 years, were recruited from hospitals or health centers in five Korean cities and surrounding rural areas to complete the questionnaire. In a factor analysis the original 18-item exercise self-efficacy scale converged to one factor without rotation and to three subfactors with rotation: situational/interpersonal factor, competing demands factor, and internal feelings factor. Descriptive analysis showed that Korean adults with chronic diseases perceived they had relatively low exercise self-efficacy, with the situational/interpersonal factor as the lowest factor. Exercise self-efficacy was significantly correlated with gender, education, regular exercise, and frequency of exercise. The exercise self-efficacy scale was shown to be a useful measure of exercise beliefs of Korean adults with chronic diseases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Physical activity research in nursing.

PURPOSE: To present exemplars of physical activity research in nursing, illustrate the importance of physical activity research across the lifespan, and recommend directions for theory development and research. METHODS: Studies of physical activity and exercise currently being conducted by nurse investigators were reported and critiqued by attendees of the Midwest Nursing Research Society 2000 Preconference session entitled "Promoting Physical Activity Among Diverse Groups Across the Health Continuum." Physical activity and exercise literature during the past decade was reviewed. Databases searched included Medline, CINAHL, Wilson, and ERIC. FINDINGS: Investigators have emphasized the need to evaluate the effects of theory-based physical activity interventions designed to alter key correlates of physical activity identified through descriptive research. CONCLUSIONS: Regular physical activity is necessary for health promotion and disease prevention for all populations. Continued research in this important area of health behavior is critical to identify the most effective interventions to increase physical activity among diverse populations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Changes in physical activity beliefs and behaviors of boys and girls across the transition to junior high school.

PURPOSE: This longitudinal study investigated gender-specific changes in physical activity beliefs and behaviors across the elementary to junior high school transition. METHODS: Physical activity beliefs and behaviors were measured in a cohort of 132 racially diverse youth during the year prior to and following the transition. Questionnaires assessed variables hypothetically linked to activity. Physical activity was monitored with the Child/Adolescent Activity Log. RESULTS: Gender differences in physical activity beliefs emerged. Across the transition, boys reported decreased efficacy, social support, and expectations (norms) to be physically active. Although girls also reported decreased social support for physical activity, they further reported exposure to fewer active role models and were less likely to perceive that the benefits of regular activity out-weighed the barriers following the transition. Gender differences in activity levels were apparent, with girls being less active than boys. Despite changes in physical activity beliefs across the school transition, no significant changes in actual level of activity occurred over this period. Although beliefs were significantly related to behaviors in the domain of physical activity, pretransition activity level was the best predictor of posttransition activity level. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that physical activity beliefs of adolescents change over the school transition. These changes are significantly, but not highly, related to level of physical activity. Future research should explore the influences of activity-related affect and social and physical contexts on physical activity across adolescence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Motivation for physical activity among children and adolescents.

Assisting children and adolescents in adopting physically active lifestyles is an integral part of the health education and health promotion services provide by nurses in school, family, community, and primary care settings. In order to effectively engage in physical activity counseling, the determinants of physical activity must be understood and integrated into effective interventions for youths. This review of research literature includes a critique of intervention studies aimed at helping children and adolescents adopt active lifestyles that will be sustained throughout life. Social cognitive theory provided the theoretical basis for most of the studies reviewed but specification of how theory concepts were operationalized in the interventions was often unclear. Suggestions for increasing the rigor of theoretically based intervention studies aimed at promoting physical activity are proposed. Models and variables are identified that need further testing to determine their relevance to the promotion of physical activity during childhood and adolescence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Development of the child/adolescent activity log: a comprehensive and feasible measure of leisure-time physical activity.

The purpose of this study was to test the utility of a new instrument, the Child/Adolescent Activity Log (CAAL), designed to measure children's physical activities in a school setting efficiently, yet comprehensively. At baseline, 459 participants (mean age 12 + 1.4, 59% White, 34% African American, 7% other) were recruited to participate in a 2-year study focusing on patterns and predictions of physical activity at critical school transition points. The CAAL was administered daily for a 1-week period on 6 occasions to this cohort. From the CAAL, information about the pattern of specific activities chosen, average daily duration of activity, and average daily expenditure per kg body weight was obtained. The validity of the log was supported by its (1) correlation with Caltrac readings, (2) relation in the predicted direction with a single-item measure of typical level of physical activity and fitness indices, and (3) expected changes in exercise patterns over time and by gender. If future studies corroborate the psychometric properties and ease of administration of the CAAL, its utility in community-based studies is promising.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

Gender and developmental differences in exercise beliefs among youth and prediction of their exercise behavior.

This study examined gender and developmental differences in exercise-related beliefs and exercise behaviors of 286 racially diverse youth and explored factors predictive of exercise. Compared to males, females reported less prior and current exercise, lower self-esteem, poorer health status, and lower exercise self-schema. Adolescents, in contrast to pre-adolescents, reported less social support for exercise and fewer exercise role models. In a path model, gender, the benefits/barriers differential, and access to exercise facilities and programs directly predicted exercise. Effects of grade, perceived health status, exercise self-efficacy, social support for exercise, and social norms for exercise on exercise behavior, were mediated through the benefits/barriers differential. Effect of race on exercise was mediated by access to exercise facilities and programs. Continued exploration of gender and developmental differences in variables influencing physical activity can yield valuable information for tailoring exercise promotion interventions to the unique needs of youth.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Determinants of health-promoting lifestyle in ambulatory cancer patients.

The Health Promotion Model was tested as an explanatory framework for health-promoting lifestyle in a sample of 385 ambulatory cancer patients undergoing treatment in 13 clinical sites in the midwestern United States. The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which cognitive/perceptual and modifying variables identified in the Health Promotion Model explain the occurrence of health-promoting behaviors in adults with cancer. A secondary aim was to determine the potential of illness-specific cognitive/perceptual and modifying variables for further explaining the occurrence of health-promoting behaviors in adults with cancer. Multiple regression analyses revealed that 23.5% of the variance in health-promoting lifestyle was explained by the model cognitive/perceptual variables definition of health, perceived health status and perceived control of health and the modifying variables education, income, age and employment. When illness-specific variables were included in the analysis, initial reaction to the diagnosis of cancer was found to be a significant contributor to the regression. Study results support the importance of both general health-related and cancer-specific cognitive/perceptual factors in explaining the occurrence of health-enhancing behaviors among ambulatory cancer patients; these factors may therefore be suitable targets for interventions to encourage adoption of healthy lifestyles.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Expressing health through lifestyle patterns.

Few concepts have received more attention from health professionals and the public during the last decade than health. This is largely due to the emergence of disease prevention and health promotion as global priorities. Unfortunately, the nature of health as a positive life process is poorly understood. Theoretical formulations of health often lack specificity and existing measures almost without exception reflect a narrow clinical perspective of health as the absence of disease. The purpose of this paper is to propose a system for classifying expressions of health of persons in their entirety and to suggest related indicators of high-level health.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1988

Health-promoting life styles of older adults: comparisons with young and middle-aged adults, correlates and patterns.

The purposes of the study presented were to compare the health-promoting behaviors of older adults with those of young and middle-aged adults, to examine the relationship of age and other sociodemographic characteristics to life style throughout adulthood, and to identify differing life-style patterns among older adults. Six dimensions of life style were measured by the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile in 452 adults aged 18 to 88. Older adults had higher scores in overall health-promoting life style and in the dimensions of health responsibility, nutrition, and stress management than both young and middle-aged adults. Sociodemographic variables accounted for only 13.4% of the variance in life style and for 5.2% to 18.6% in its six dimensions. Five major health-promoting life-style patterns were identified among older adults, depicting a heterogeneous group with varying needs for health promotion programming.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Development and psychometric evaluation of the exercise benefits/barriers scale.

Initial psychometric evaluation of an instrument to measure perceived benefits of exercise and perceived barriers to exercise was based on the responses of 650 adults and included item analysis, factor analysis, and reliability measures. Factor analysis yielded nine factors, five benefits and four barriers, which explained 64.9% of the variance in the 43-item instrument. Second order factor analysis resulted in a two-factor solution, one a benefits factor and the other a barriers factor. The standardized Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficients were: .952 for the total scale, .953 for the benefits scale, and .886 for the barriers scale. Use of the instrument in research involving perceptions of the benefits of exercise and the barriers to exercise appears warranted.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Effects of progressive muscle relaxation training on anxiety and health locus of control among hypertensive adults.

The effects of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) on anxiety and perceptions of personal control over health status are evaluated in this study. After collection of baseline data, 22 hypertensive clients received relaxation training in a series of weekly group sessions followed by individual monitoring sessions over a 6-week period. The 22 hypertensive clients in the control group received blood pressure monitoring, weight checks, and health counseling but were given no relaxation training during the study period. The group instructed in relaxation exhibited significantly lower anxiety than the control group at 4-month followup. After training, the relaxation group also scored significantly higher than the control group on beliefs in personal control of health and lower in beliefs that chance or luck affected health outcomes. At followup, the groups did not differ significantly on perceived influence of powerful others over health status. Findings support the potential usefulness of relaxation training in modifying affective and cognitive characteristics of hypertensive clients.

Anxiety↗
PubMed1984

Physiologic responses of clients with essential hypertension to progressive muscle relaxation training.

The effects of progressive muscle relaxation on blood pressure of hypertensive clients were examined. After collection of baseline data, 22 clients received group relaxation training followed by individual monitoring sessions over a 6-week period. The 22 persons in the control group did not receive relaxation training. The group instructed in relaxation had a lower mean systolic blood pressure than the nontrained group at 4-month follow-up. While the relaxation-trained group showed a significant decrease in diastolic pressure from baseline to follow-up, the difference between trained and non-trained groups at follow-up was not significant. Relaxation, taught initially in group with individual follow-up visits, resulted in continued practice of relaxation and subsequent lowering of blood pressure in subjects with essential, uncomplicated hypertension.

Adult↗