Browsing by Subject "health risks"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Active Gaming and Energy Expenditure in Healthy Adults
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2016-04-08) Carey, Christopher; Naugle, Keith; Ohlman, Tom; Mikesky, Alan; Naugle, Kelly
    The rise in sedentary behavior in US society, along with the associated health risks, makes it necessary to find effective solutions to increase physical activity at all levels. Studies on active gaming have shown promising results in the use of active gaming as a viable exercise tool that combines physical activity with entertainment. However, the research is still mixed on whether active games can elicit similar responses as traditional cardiovascular exercise, such as jogging on a treadmill. This study examined whether participants playing active games could reach a moderate intensity level as defined by the American College of Sports Medicine as 3.0 METs while playing with and without specific instructions designed to maximize physical activity. Twenty young adult participants completed one training session and four experimental sessions. During each session, participants played two 15-minute periods of either Kinect tennis, Kinect boxing, Wii tennis, and Wii boxing. In period one, participants played at a self-selected intensity. During period two, participants were given specific instructions on how to play which were designed to maximize movement during play and down time. During game play, participants wore a portable gas (VO2/VCO2) analyzer to measure energy expenditure. Metabolic equivalents (METS) were analyzed with a repeated measures ANOVA. During period 1, Kinect boxing was able to elicit the highest METs, 3.097±0.3, from the participants. METS during period 2 was significantly greater than during period 1 across all games (p<.001). Participants were able to reach higher than 3.0 METs while playing each of the games during period 2. Regardless of the period, Kinect boxing elicited greater METS than Wii boxing and Wii Tennis (P<.001). This shows evidence that active gaming not only can elicit a moderate intensity level of physical activity, but that specialized instructions can enhance the effects of the active games.
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    E-cigarettes: A novel measure for the expectancies of e-cigarette use as directly compared to cigarette use
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2015-04-17) Hershberger, Alexandra; Karyadi, Kenny; Cyders, Melissa
    Background: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) were created as an alternative to cigarettes and approximate the look and experience of smoking a cigarette (American Cancer Society, 2014). E-cigs are often marketed as having fewer health risks as compared to cigarettes (Grana & Ling, 2014) and individuals anecdotally report choosing to use e-cigs because they are safer than traditional cigarettes. However, no research has directly compared expectations individuals have about e-cigs and traditional cigarettes. Having positive expectations about e-cigs makes it more likely an individual will choose e-cigs over traditional cigarettes. The present study created a novel measure, the Electronic Cigarette Questionnaire (ECQ), to directly compare e-cig and cigarette expectations. Method: Undergraduate students enrolled in an Introduction to Psychology course voluntarily completed an online survey containing the ECQ and other demographic questions as part of a larger study. Participants received course credit for study completion. Results: Two hundred ninety-one students (mean age=20, SD=4.05, 71.2% white, 75.3% female, 8.3% e-cig users) completed the ECQ and other measures. The reliability of the scale was high (Cronbach’s alpha=0.93). An exploratory factor analysis using Promax rotation found three factors (eigenvalue>1, supported by scree plot): health related expectancies (e.g. “Electronic cigarettes are less harmful to the user’s health than traditional cigarettes”; 6 items; Cronbach’s alpha=0.93), craving and withdrawal related expectancies (e.g. “Electronic cigarettes are more enjoyable to use than traditional cigarettes”; 6 items; Cronbach’s alpha=0.90), and general use behavior expectancies (e.g. “Electronic cigarettes are less addictive than traditional cigarettes”; 5 items; Cronbach’s alpha=0.82). Correlation between all three scales were significant (p<.01; Health x General Use, r=0.562; Health x Craving, r=0.515; General Use x Craving, r=0.585). Frequency of e-cig use (never, a few times a month, a few times a week, at least once a day, 10 or more times per day) was related to higher positive expectations towards e-cigs as compared to cigarettes, F(4, 287)=3.7, p=0.01. Conclusions: Individuals directly compare e-cigs and cigarettes on health-related, craving and withdrawal, and general use expectations. Although cross-sectional, this data suggests the viability of a causal model in which more positive expectations about e-cigs as compared to cigarettes likely influences one’s choice to choose e-cigs over traditional cigarettes and leads to more frequent ecig use. Future studies should investigate how these expectations affect later e-cig use and how e-cig advertisements, which often claim that e-cigs are better for your health than cigarettes (Huang et al., 2014; Paek et al., 2014) without strong empirical data to support these claims, can change expectations and subsequent e-cig use. The relationship between the ECQ and e-cig use frequency suggest that this is a valid measure of expectancies towards e-cigs as compared to cigs.
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    Invited Perspective: Assessing the Contaminant Exposure Risks of Urban Gardening: Call for Updated Health Guidelines
    (NIEHS, 2021-11) Saikawa, Eri; Filippelli, Gabriel M.; Earth Sciences, School of Science