• Title/Summary/Keyword: Physical Fitness Program

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Exploring Occupational and Behavioral Risk Factors for Obesity in Firefighters: A Theoretical Framework and Study Design

  • Choi, Bong-Kyoo;Schnall, Peter;Dobson, Marnie;Israel, Leslie;Landsbergis, Paul;Galassetti, Pietro;Pontello, Andria;Kojaku, Stacey;Baker, Dean
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.2 no.4
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    • pp.301-312
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    • 2011
  • Firefighters and police officers have the third highest prevalence of obesity among 41 male occupational groups in the United States (US). However, few studies have examined the relationship of firefighter working conditions and health behaviors with obesity. This paper presents a theoretical framework describing the relationship between working conditions, health behaviors, and obesity in firefighters. In addition, the paper describes a detailed study plan for exploring the role of occupational and behavioral risk factors in the development of obesity in firefighters enrolled in the Orange County Fire Authority Wellness Fitness Program. The study plan will be described with emphasis on its methodological merits: adopting a participatory action research approach, developing a firefighter-specific work and health questionnaire, conducting both a cross-sectional epidemiological study using the questionnaire and a sub-study to assess the validity of the questionnaire with dietary intake and physical activity measures, and evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the body mass index as an obesity measure in comparison to skinfold-based percent body fat. The study plan based on a theoretical framework can be an essential first step for establishing effective intervention programs for obesity among professional and voluntary firefighters.

Research on Policy Measures to Activate Sports Welfare

  • KIM, Young Chul;KIM, Jun Su
    • Journal of Sport and Applied Science
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    • v.5 no.1
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    • pp.17-26
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    • 2021
  • Purpose: The purpose of this study is to suggest the policy and scope of the concept of sports welfare and to present a systematic model enhancing sport welfare of the society. Research design, data, and methodology: In order to induce idea for welfare policy and conceptual sport welfare model, this study reviewed a literature discussing the functions and mechanism of sport in enhancing a sense of life quality and thus rebuilding welfare of community. Results: The study suggests these. First, sports welfare ensures the rights of sports of all citizens and has the main purpose of providing social services, creating environments against inequality, improving the quality of life and happiness for everyone to enjoy, and the range should be continued from the right to live, environments against inequality, to the improvement of life and happiness. Second, since the integrated perspective was first suggested, sports integration development will be researched as well as the direction of the development of policies of the integrated model. Basic research of indicator development will need to be proceeded to execute and evaluate the integrated model. Third, the improvement of treatment of sports welfare instructors is urgent. Namely, compared to sports-related budget and the enhancement of facilities, the poor environment of sports welfare instructors needs to be improved. Instead of only testing physical fitness and prescription, the business needs to be continued by connecting to the participants' continuous participation in sports. Conclusions: Whether sports welfare succeeds depends on the need for an active beneficiary, identification of demand, a beneficiary that can discover potential to join offline and online into one, the establishment of sports policies to promote competency development, and a direct progression is needed.

Assessment of Elderly's Isokinetic Muscle Function, Flexibility and Balance in a Region of Seoul (서울 일부 지역 노인들의 등속성 근기능, 유연성, 균형성 측정 및 평가)

  • Kim, Suk-Won;Sohn, Jee-Hoon
    • Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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    • v.17 no.2
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    • pp.37-44
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    • 2016
  • The aim of the present study was to compare the strength, balance, and flexibility across two age groups (older adults vs. young adults). The isokinetic muscle function, ankle ROM, trunk forward flexibility, stability, and antropometric data for the elderly and 46 university students were collected. The results indicated that male older adults possessed relatively low flexibility (2.97cm) among the groups and showed better stability in the right foot than in the left foot and $35^{\circ}$ of plantar flexion ROM, which was not in the normal range. Their peak strength at the knee joint was below 50% of their counterpart. They revealed a hamstring deficit of 18.55%, ankle eversion deficit of 23.08%, and ankle inversion deficit of 19.19%. The results indicated that female older adults possessed comparable flexibility compared to female young adults. The reciprocal muscle strength ratio of both knees was under 50%, and the deficit was 14.32% (extension) and 19.73% (flexion). The ankle plantar flexion peak torque was approximately 62% (left) and 73% (right) of WS's. The ankle dorsi flexion deficit was 25.05% and the plantar flexion was 26.86%. The eversion deficit was 19.97% and the inversion was 21.09%. These results will be significant in establishing an elderly fitness enhancement program and policy.

Effects of a Weight Control Program on Anthropometric Measurements and Serum Lipid Profiles of Obese Elementary Students (초등학교 비만관리 프로그램이 비만 아동의 체구성 성분과 혈청 지질 수준에 미치는 영향)

  • Nam, Jung-He
    • The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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    • v.20 no.1
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    • pp.88-95
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    • 2007
  • The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 12 week weight control program, which included nutrition education and regular physical fitness, on body weight, degree of obesity, BMI, and lowering of blood lipids in 16 obese male elementary school students. Changes in waist and hip circumferences and their ratios were measured at the conclusion of the 12 week program conducted from September 9 to November 25, 2005. Body weight after 12 weeks on the program slightly reduced from 55.4${\pm}$10.9 kg to 54.4${\pm}$9.7 kg. Degree of obesity and BMI decreased from 121.3${\pm}$8.1%, and 25.9${\pm}$3.3 to 120.0${\pm}$8.2% and, 25.6${\pm}$2.7, respectively. Body fat percentage decreased slightly from 38.3${\pm}$4.7% to 37.9${\pm}$5.2%. Waist to hip ratio did not change after 12 weeks. There were slight changes in weight of body fat and lean body mass from 22.12${\pm}$6.53 kg and 34.56${\pm}$4.75 kg to 21.68${\pm}$6.05 kg and 34.70${\pm}$4.54 kg, respectively. Also, after 12 weeks on the weight control program, body, waist, and hip circumferences decreased. However, there were no significant differences among the blood lipid components, including triglycerides, total cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol. Finally, body weight, degree of obesity, BMI, and body fat showed more significant correlations to waist, hip circumference and their ratio than to blood lipid levels.

The Health Behavior Patterns of Some Rural Residents in Korea and Their Association with Health Status and Health Management Practice (일부 농촌주민의 건강행위유형과 건강상태 및 건강관련실태와의 관련성)

  • Kim, Young-Gab;Kang, Myung-Guen;Ryu, So-Yeon;Kim, Ki-Soon;Kang, Sung-Deuk
    • Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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    • v.29 no.1
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    • pp.43-63
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    • 2004
  • Objectives: The purpose of this study was to classify the patterns of health behaviors of some rural residents in Korea by sub-grouping them into populations with similar patterns of diet quality, physical activity, alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking, and then to investigate the relationship between these health behavior patterns and health status or health management of them. Methods: The study subjects were 722 rural residents above 20 years old on a typical rural district in Korea, and the data used in this study was from the survey data for health planning of a health center. Study questionnaire for this survey was developed from modifying the questionnaire for 'National Nutrition and Health Study' conducted in 1998. To classify health behavior patterns, cluster analysis was conducted. And to test the association of health behavior patterns with health status or health management, multiple logistic regression analysis were conducted. Results: The results and their implications of this study were as follows: 1. We identified six health behavior typologies : 67.8% of the sample had a good diet quality but showed sedentary activity level(good diet lifestyle) and 10.9% had heavy smoking behavior(smoking lifestyle). Individuals included in fitness lifestyle cluster(6.2%) had high physical activity level and those in drinking life style(2.6%) had had mainly large amount of alcohol. Zero point six percent of sample were included in hedonic lifestyle cluster, who showed poor health behaviors in all. Those included in passive lifestyle(11.9%) had no active health promoting activities but tended to avoid risk taking health behavior such as cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking. 2. As a result of logistic regression analysis, to compare with the individuals in good diet lifestyle, the prevalence of chronic diseases of those in fitness lifestyle showed higher and that of those in smoking lifestyle, drinking lifestyle, hedonic lifestyle, passive lifestyle showed lower than them, retrospectively. 3. Adjusting with general characteristics and health status, to compare with the individuals in good diet lifestyle, the proportion of those who had good health management practices in fitness lifestyle was higher, and the proportion of those who had health check in past 2 years was lower than them, retrospectively. Conclusions: There were some differences in health behavior patterns between rural population and national population, which influenced significantly on health status and health management practice of them. We suggested that the health promotion program for them be developed with considering these points.

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The Influence of Coffee Shop Employee Non-verbal Communication on the Brand Image and Customer Satisfaction (커피전문점 종사원의 비언어적 커뮤니케이션이 브랜드 이미지, 고객만족도에 미치는 영향 연구)

  • Kim, Young-Joong;Jeon, Yu-Jung
    • Culinary science and hospitality research
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    • v.21 no.2
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    • pp.11-26
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    • 2015
  • The purpose of this study was to understand the influence of non-verbal communication of coffee shop employees on brand image and customer satisfaction. Based on a total of 317 samples obtained for empirical research, this study reviewed the reliability and fitness of the research model and verified a total of 3 hypotheses using the AMOS program. The hypothesized relationships in the model were simultaneously tested through the use of a structural equation model(SEM). The proposed model provided an adequate data fit, ${\chi}^2=434.380$ (p<0.001), df=178, CMIN/DF=2.440, GFI=0.886, AGFI=0.852, NFI=0.900, CFI=0.938, RMSEA=0.068. The model's fit, as indicated by these indexes, was deemed satisfactory, thus providing a good basis for testing the hypothesized paths. The SEM showed that kinesics(${\beta}=.311$), paralanguage(${\beta}=.242$), physical appearance(${\beta}=.382$) and proxemics(${\beta}=.481$) had a significant positive influence on brand image. In addition, brand image(${\beta}=.217$) had a significant positive influence on customer satisfaction. Furthermore, the effect of coffee shop employee non-verbal communication on customer satisfaction was found to be partially mediated by the brand image.

The Effects of Use Patterns and Service Quality on Performance and Use Satisfaction on Library Information System (도서관의 이용패턴과 서비스품질이 정보화성과지각 및 만족에 미치는 영향)

  • Jung, Hyung-Shik;Yeoum, Seoung-Yeoub
    • Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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    • v.18 no.4
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    • pp.217-244
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    • 2008
  • Consumers' overall satisfaction on a specific library use is inferred to be primarily accrued from their performance perception and use satisfaction on the library information service system as recent information technology is being rapidly improved and more libraries are being equipped with advanced information technologies. However, prior research has been conducted only on general library service quality and visitors' satisfaction, leaving the important aspects of visitors' library use and information performance perception. Thus, the objectives of this research are to examine the effect of library use patterns such as general visit for book reading and more professional information search, coupled with service quality, on the library users' performance perception on the information system that in turn, affects library use satisfaction on the same information system. More specifically, this study examines whether library visitors perceive differenltly the information system performance according to their library use patterns such that professional library users may have less positive on information system service due to their higher expectation or more positive perception on it due to variety of information uses and positive judgment on advanced information system. Next, three dimensions of service quality, consisting of interaction, outcome, and physical evidence quality in visitors' library use situations, are hypothesized to affect performance perception on library information system. Thirdly, the performance perception on library information system is hypothesized to influence the system use satisfaction while these two constructs are to affect visitors' overall satisfaction. we develop the following research model in accordance with the above theoretical reasoning. All variables used in this study(General Use Patterns, Professional Use Patterns, Interaction Quality, Outcome Quality, Physical Evidence Quality, Information Performance Perception, Information Use Satisfaction, Overall Satisfaction) were defined operationally based on the underlying prior studies. A survey was conducted with prepared questionnaires to about 400 visitors of a specific university library. Among them, 353 proper questionnaires were finally used for the analyses. Two-step approach was used to test the hypotheses. First, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to guarantee the validity and reliability of variables. The results showed that all variables had not only convergent and discriminant validity, but also reliability. Then, research model was examined with a structural equation using LISREL 8.30 version. The fitness of the research model was found to be within the acceptable level. The findings of this study are as follows. The professional library use pattern was found to affect the users' performance perception on the library information system while the general library use pattern was not. Second, three dimensions of service quality (interaction, outcome, physical evidence) were found to influence the information system performance respectively while none of them was not to information use satisfaction. Third, library users' performance perception on the information system operation was found to affect the information system use satisfaction, both of which also influence users' overall satisfaction of the library. The findings of this study suggest that contemporary libraries strengthen their advanced information system operation in a way of user orientation and more importantly maximize their visitors' utilization of information system, accompanying proper material and various program development. This study conceptualized the new constructs of library users' performance perception on the information system and information use satisfaction which could better explain library users' overall satisfaction. Thus, furture study related with library service could utilize the constructs of information system performance and satisfaction as well as the variety of library use patterns in the users' viewpoints.

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Effects of Nordic Walking Exercise on muscular strength, Flexibility, Balance and Pain in Older Woman with Knee Osteoarthritis (노르딕 워킹이 퇴행성 무릎 관절염 노인여성의 근력과 유연성, 균형 및 통증에 미치는 영향)

  • Oh, Yoo-Sung;Kim, Ji-sun;Jang, Woo-Seong
    • Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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    • v.36 no.4
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    • pp.1312-1326
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    • 2019
  • The purpose of this study is to examine whether the 12-week Nordic walking can improve the physical function and arthritis pain of elderly women with osteoarthritis This study were divided into randomly assigned Nordic Walking Exercise Group (n=9) and Control Group (n=7) for 16 Elderly women diagnosed with Osteoarthritis (age: 73±3.79 year, height: 154.3±4.09 cm). The exercise group used Nordic sticks to carry out 30 minutes of Nordic walking exercise three times a week for 12 weeks, and the kinetic intensity was set at 40-60% of HRR. The control group maintained daily life for the same period. Body composition (weight, percentage body fat, skeletal muscle mass), muscular strength, Flexibility (muscular strength of upper and lower limbs, flexibility of upper and lower limbs), balance ability (static balance, dynamic balance) and pain level were measured as subordinate variables. These indicators were measured twice before and after the exercise program. The study shows that percentage body fat and skeletal muscle mass in the body composition function over 12 weeks of Nordic walking exercise have significant effects after the exercise than before (p=004)(p=.003), and it also shows significant interaction effects between the groups and timings(p=.018)(p=.005). In muscular strength, Flexibility factors, there were significant effects between the groups and timings in the upper limb muscular strength and the lower limb flexibility (p=.009)(p=.036), and a significant difference between the exercise group and the control group(p=.006) in the lower limb muscular strength. In addition, in the upper limb flexibility, there was a more significant difference after the exercise than before(p=.020). There were improvement effects after the exercise than before in the balance ability and the static balance(p=.016), but no difference in the dynamic balance(p>.05). In pain, there was a significant improvement after the exercise than before(p=.022), and a significant difference between the exercise group and the control group(p=.013). In conclusion, the 12-week Nordic walking exercise has positive effects on the body composition functions of the elderly women with Osteoarthritis, and has a positive effect on the improvement of upper limb muscular strength and lower limb flexibility in the health fitness factors. These effects are believed to have contributed effectively to the improvement of the level of pain by contributing to the improvement of physical and motor functions of the elderly women with Osteoarthritis. Therefore, it is considered that Nordic walking exercise, which enhances stability and balance of the patients with Osteoarthritis by using poles, is an effective exercise method for the improvement of the body and motor functions by lowering the pain of the joints and reducing the muscular strength and percentage body fat.