Recently completed MPhils/PhDs
Lucy Foster
This research consisted of two individual studies exploring the social and psychological experiences of obese young people. The first study investigated the relationship between obesity, bullying, and self-esteem in preadolescents. Data was examined from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), including anthropometric data (height and weight) measured at age 7.5 (n = 8210) and 8.5 (n = 6792), and psychological data (overt (n = 7083) and relational (n = 6932) bullying, and global self-esteem (n = 6942)) collected at age 8.5. Objectives of this study were to investigate if weight status (underweight, average weight, overweight, and obese) predicted bullying involvement concurrently or prospectively. Global self-esteem scores of obese preadolescents were also examined. Obesity predicted overt bullying involvement. Preadolescent obese boys and girls are likely to be victims of overt bullying because they deviate from appearance ideals, while other obese boys may use their heightened physical strength to bully peers. No evidence was established of significantly lower self-esteem in obese preadolescents.
The second study, qualitative in nature, explored global and physical self-perceptions of five obese female adolescents, and the impact of these self-perceptions on peer relationships and weight management behaviours. Multiple in-depth interviews were conducted, in addition to single interviews with the mothers of these adolescents. Interview transcripts were analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. One case provided unique views of high self-acceptance, high self-confidence, positive self-esteem and independence. The other cases exhibited lower self-esteem related to body dissatisfaction, heightened self-awareness, and self-consciousness. These self-perceptions affected the development and strength of peer relationships. Physical self-perceptions included heightened physical strength, 'functional' problems of an obese body and restricted physical activity. Social and psychological consequences of obesity are unique, suggesting individual differences in social development and behaviour. Theoretical implications of self for obese young females and practical implications for weight management are discussed.
Kitrina Douglas
Motivation, high achievement and persistence in women professional golfers.
The aim of this project is to identify the personal meaning of high achievement in golf from a woman’s perspective. By gaining an understanding of cognitive evaluations used in decision making and personal investment it is hoped to explain motivation continuation and cessation.
Performing at the highest level in professional sport can mean constant evaluation, stress and pressure to achieve goals. For some individuals, these stresses have a negative effect on emotional and physical well being, on others, a positive effect. It is believed that an individual’s evaluative style will allow different perspectives to be generated from the same situation.
By gaining a greater understanding about the decision making processes we can begin to understand what determines personal investment, what success means and what value it holds for the individual. Traditionally competitive sport has been male dominated field and much research has been carried out with male participants regarding effects of stress and life style on self-esteem, health and well being. Future recommendations to women can only be improved by gaining a fuller understanding of what it means to women who compete at the highest level of professional sport.
Anna Puig Ribera
Physical activity promotion in the Catalan Public Health system.
Aims: (1) To establish descriptive baseline data for physical activity (PA) promotion in the Catalan primary health care system, (2) to explore general practitioners (GPs) and practice nurses´ (PNs) experiences as they promote PA in their day-to-day professional life, and (3) to understand how "key players" affect this activity. We also explored related perspectives among users of GP services. Methods: In a mixed-method approach a survey was conducted with physicians/nurses, focusing on similar issues, while focus groups and semi-standardized interviews were conducted with physicians, nurses and patients. Finally, semi-structured interviews were also conducted with key players, including policy makers, academics, PA professionals, representatives of family medicine associations, researchers, mass media and social workers. An interpretive approach was used to reduce and rebuild the qualitative data. Once developed, the final interpretation was confirmed by the contributors. Findings: GPs/PNs identified that PA promotion depended on bottom-up approaches, based on "doing my best" in the absence of formal training or protocols. This led to a perception of ineffective delivery. Patients disclosed individualised needs and circumstances that influenced their demands of PA promotion, but noted that delivery did not account for these differences. Sensing that the environment was not supportive of allocating consultation time to PA promotion, key players felt that there was a lack of space for PA promotion within general practice, and a lack of connection between primary care and the community. Conclusion: This overall context limited the delivery of effective PA promotion within practice consultations in Catalonia.
Manos Stamatakis
In-depth individual and group physical activity profiles of severely obese children and adolescents using minute-by-minute accelerometry and self-report diary.
The aims of this thesis were (i) to evaluate a set of activity measures comprising accelerometry and self-report diary, (ii) to evaluate the detailed weekly individual and group activity profiles of obese young people, and (iii) to compare these profiles to patterns in non-obese young people. 44 children and adolescents from a childhood obesity clinic were given the CSA 7164 accelerometer to wear and a physical activity diary (PAD) to complete for seven days. The CSA was worn for most waking hours (12.4± 3.2 hrs/d) but compliance with the PAD was problematic among children under 9 years. Reliability of the CSA was high (intraclass correlation r= 0.96, p<0.00001) and comparative validity of the PAD intensity was moderate (Spearman r=0.35- 0.37, p<0.001). Individual activity profiles of the obese participants ranged from inactive at all times (mainly girls) to active during school times or active at almost any opportunity (mainly boys). Large amounts of TV watching during weekday evenings and weekends were reported by most participants. Comparisons with an existing data set showed that obese children and adolescents were significantly (p<0.04) less active than non-obese children and adults during the week and that these differences were most pronounced in weekday evenings and weekends. Obese boys' data suggested that obesity per se may not be the limiting factor for activity. Overall, the generally low activity patterns of this obese sample may have contributed to at least the maintenance of their obesity.
Cecilia Thogersen
This thesis examined the structure and nature of the relationships between physical activity and three components of mental well-being (physical, work-related, and global) in corporate and University employees. The first study tested a hierarchically based model which specified the interrelationships between exercise participation and indicators of well-being in a sample of corporate employees. Exercise was directly related to indicators of physical well-being and enthusiasm at work, and indirectly with more global constructs of well-being (self-esteem, life satisfaction and job satisfaction).The nature of these relationships was further explored in study 2, in which physical activity and mental well-being typologies were explored. A hierarchical cluster analysis revealed four distinct groups of employees. Using a qualitative approach, Study 3 sought to confirm the existence of the physical activity and mental well-being typologies, and explore potential psycho-social mechanisms linking physical activity participation with well-being. The results found general support for the existence of the profiles, and a range of possible psycho-social mechanisms, one of which was the regulation underlying the exercise behaviour. This was shown to be important in Study 4 in which the role of exercise autonomy and its relationship with well-being were explored with a large sample (N = 776) of University secretarial and administrative employees. Finally, Study 5 examined well-being typologies of the physically inactive participants in the same sample and performed a needs analysis for future exercise and modular programmes in a new Centre for Sport, Exercise and Health in their workplace. This information may guide more cost-effective future interventions to promote activity and well-being in the workplace.
Afroditi Stathi
The relationship between physical activity and subjective well-being in older adults was investigated in order to develop a well-being measure designed to capture changes initiated by participation in physical activities. The first phase explored the dimensions of subjective well-being of active older adults using a qualitative approach. A sample of 28 community-dwelling retired adults (males=13, Females=15) with ages ranging from 62 to 81 years participated in one-to-one and group interviews. Using cross-case analysis, 5 main dimensions emerged: Developmental Well-being, Financial Well-being, Physical Well-Being, Mental Well-Being and Social Well-Being. The findings indicated that physical activity influences all dimensions of older adults' subjective well-being with the exception of Financial Well-Being. The second and third phases employed quantitative research methods for the development and preliminary validation of the five-factor Aging-Well Profile. Participants were 777 older adults (males=214, females= 563) with a mean age of 69.6 years (SD= 7.7). The second phase formulated the subscales and the items for the new instrument and the third phase provided preliminary evidence for the factor structure, the internal consistency and reliability, and the convergent validity of the Aging-Well Profile. The Ageing-Well Profile appears to be a promising tool for the measurement of subjective well-being through 5 distinct dimensions reflecting physical well-being, independence, positive and negative aspects of mental well-being and social well-being. The evaluation of these dimensions could offer more accurate information regarding the contribution of physical activity to the subjective well-being of older adults and could lead to the development of more effective activity programmes for older people.
Johan Faskunger
The aim of this study was to investigate the process of development and evaluation of an interactive health communication (IHC) prototype for students in the contemplation and preparation stages of exercise change.
The results of a survey of university students' health behaviours (N=196) indicated a great need for exercise promotion in that a majority reported having a sedentary lifestyle and a majority of students rated the adoption of exercise as more important compared to other key health behaviours. A further study (N=234) investigated the utility of the exercise processes of change and the exercise pros and cons (both central constructs in the Transtheoretical Model) in University students in the UK. An IHC programme for exercise promotion in university students using the Transtheoretical model as a framework was then developed to investigate the process of development and evaluation.
The design of the programme used a formative evaluation model. The design evaluation process with university students provided feedback about screen design, navigation, and information presentation and provided important understanding of factors stimulating motivation to use an IHC programme. The peer-review stage with health professionals provided feedback concerning the quality of content The content evaluation with students generated content-related feedback such as the need to provide more interactivity, reduce text-based content and include more images and graphics to enhance motivation. Participant feedback helped to identify an evaluation template that could be used to develop and evaluate effective IHC programmes.
David Batty
Although it is well established that physical activity is inversely associated with coronary heart disease (CHD), the relation of this exposure to stroke, and cancer of sites other than the colon and rectum is unclear. Furthermore, the association of cardiorespiratory fitness with CHD and stroke has been little studied.The purpose of this thesis was to report on these potential links using data from two prospective cohort studies: the Cadbury and Whitehall studies.
In the Cadbury study, 1392 male factory workers from Birmingham, UK, took part in a medical examination, lifestyle evaluation and fitness testing between 1979 and 1982. Data from two questions regarding physical activity - overall leisure activity and strenuous exercise were positively related to cardiorespiratory fitness. After retrospective and prospective flagging, these employees were followed for mortality and health experience for up to 19 years, during which time there were 239 deaths from natural causes. In an analysis of men apparently healthy at study entry, an inverse relation of cardiorespiratory fitness, overall leisure activity, and strenuous activity to all-cause and CHD mortality was seen. However, only the association between overall leisure activity and CHD mortality was statistically significant following adjustment for measured risk factors.
The Whitehall study was conducted between 1967 and 1969 when 6,702 male civil servants from the Whitehall area of London, UK, took part in a medical examination and lifestyle evaluation. In this study, the predictive value of two physical activity indicators - walking pace and leisure activity - was assessed following prospective flagging. There were 2767 deaths from all-causes during a minimum of 25 years follow-up. In analyses of men apparently healthy at study induction, walking pace demonstrated inverse associations with death due to all-causes and haematopoietic cancer following adjustment for measured risk factors. Leisure activity was inversely associated with mortality from all-causes, CHD, all-cancers and, after excluding deaths in the first 5 years of follow-up, haematopoietic cancer.
The totality of evidence from these two prospective cohort studies supports the inverse association of leisure activity and walking pace with total mortality and CHD in men. In addition, in the Whitehall study, leisure activity and walking pace were inversely related to cancer of combined sites and to haematopoietic cancer.
Mark Davis
This MPhil thesis examined the effects of 3 bouts of 10 minutes' brisk walking on daytime ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) in men with high normal blood pressure (BP) or stage I hypertension. Current physical activity recommendations advise accumulating 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity (e.g. brisk walking) on most days of the week to reduce cardiovascular risk. It has been suggested that major health benefits are derived from acute biological responses to exercise e.g., post-exercise hypotension (PEH). However current physical activity recommendations are untested on the acute BP responses to exercise. 65 sedentary males mean age 44.6±9.6 y, screening BP systolic 140.7±8.8/ diastolic 88.3±6.4mm Hg were recruited from the workforce of major employers and randomised to control group (normal daily living) or intervention group (normal daily living with 3 brisk (4.8 - 6.4km/h) 10 minute walks performed at intervals during the working day). There were no significant differences between control and intervention groups BP during the first 8 hours of work. For BP during baseline, and the 3 post-walking periods (or control equivalent) there were no significant main effects either between-participants (condition) or the within-participants (time). Similarly there was no significant interaction of the two factors. Intervention group participants accumulated 35.8±4.8 minutes' walking (at a speed of 5.7km/hour) and expended 3.43±0.60 kcal/kg during the 3 walking bouts combined. The conclusion was that accumulating 3 bouts of brisk walking during the working day did not reduce BP in normal daily living with participants with high normal or stage I hypertension. It is recommended that further studies employing controls for White Coat Hypertension and exercise anticipation are undertaken to investigate PEH under conditions of normal daily living.
Sunita Procter
Sunita worked with the South Asian community in Bristol on the development and testing of nutrition and physical activity lifestyle interventions to reduce the risk of obesity, type 2-diabetes and cardiovascular disease in ethnic minority populations. Her work explored the personal, social, environmental and policy factors that impact an individual's ability to incorporate nutrition and physical activity lifestyle changes into daily life as a means to reduce the risk of chronic disease.
Mari Fujikawa
Mari obtained an MSc in Nutrition, Physical Activity, & Public Health from the Department in 2003, where she enjoyed the course and life in Bristol. Her MSc experience kept her interested in activity and nutrition-related research and she came back to the Department in 2006 and studied for her PhD to go further in researching the topic of obesity. Her research interest was the psychological aspects of dietary intervention for obesity. This area was explored using Japanese healing called Johrei.
Heba Al-Zuhair
Heba completed a BSc in Nutrition and Home Economy from King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She then worked at King Fahad National Guard Hospital as a Senior HR assistant, before attaining an MSc in Exercise and Health Sciences from the University of Bristol in September 2004. She researched children’s bone health, diet and physical activity for her PhD. The research program identified the relationship between bone density and poor diet as well as physical activity levels in children. Identifying such a relationship lead to the formulation of a prevention mechanism to reduce the occurrence of osteoporosis in future generations thereby improving quality of life and reducing associated NHS costs.
Neal Bowes
Neal's PhD research focused on achievement motivation of youth sport participants. Initial focus was on understanding achievement profiles and processes of youth soccer players. From this a task-based climate for coaching was developed. The final stage of the project was to design and deliver a coach education program to develop coaches ability to deliver task based learning environments, and to investigate the effects of the program on elite tennis players in the USA.
Currently a practicing Certified Sport Psychologist residing in Arlington, Virginia in the United States, Neal runs his own practice providing sport psychology support to athletes, coaches, and youth organizations both in the USA and Europe. He was originally registered at Exeter University and moved to Bristol when Professor Ken Fox did. He was not going to miss out on the opportunity to have Ken as his first supervisor.
Publications
Test-Retest Stability of the Task and Ego Orientation questionnaire. Andrew M Lane, Alan M Nevill, Neal Bowes, and Kenneth R Fox. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, September 2005, Vol 76, No. 3 (pp339-348)