Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Sitting behaviour'

Introduction: Obesity during pregnancy is linked to many negative health effects for mothers and offspring. The majority of interventions with obese pregnant women based on physical activity have had limited success suggesting alternative approaches are needed. Sedentary behaviour is defined as waking activities that expend very low energy, 1.5 metabolic equivalents or below, while reclining, lying or sitting. Spending too much time sedentary has been identified as a risk factor for health, regardless of physical activity levels. We hypothesised that targeting sedentary behaviour may be a suitable alternative to reduce health risks during gestation among pregnant women who are morbidly obese (defined as body mass index, BMI > 40 Kg/m²). Aim and objectives: The aim was to explore sedentary behaviour among obese pregnant women and to propose an intervention to reduce the time obese pregnant women spend sedentary, through an active sitting exercise intervention. To conduct a systematic review of the literature to determine the proportion of time spent in sedentary behaviour among pregnant women, and the association of sedentary behaviour with pregnancy outcomes in mothers and offspring. To estimate total energy expenditure, and energy expended in sedentary activities in morbidly obese and lean pregnant women. To assess the feasibility of an active sitting exercise intervention for morbidly obese pregnant women, designed using a patient involvement in research method. Systematic Review: A systematic review of the literature reporting sedentary behaviour during pregnancy and its effects on pregnancy outcomes was conducted. Twenty six publications were included in the systematic review up until October 2015, and a further 18 were identified in the update completed in April 2018. Pregnant women spent at least 50% of their time in sedentary activities. Associations between increased time sedentary and higher risk of macrosomia, higher risk of pre-eclampsia, higher risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus, and larger new-born abdominal circumference were observed, as the main findings. Most of included studies scored an intermediate quality, only two of the 44 studies scored a good quality. Cross-sectional study. A cross-sectional study was conducted, using the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ), and the Actical accelerometer, to assess energy expenditure, and energy expended in sedentary behaviour. Based on the PPAQ, women who were morbidly obese expended significantly more energy per day, as total expenditure, than lean pregnant women, which was confirmed by the Actical. During sedentary behaviour lean pregnant women expended significantly less energy than morbidly obese pregnant women, based on the PPAQ. No differences were observed between lean and morbidly obese pregnant women in the proportion of time spent in sedentary activities, nor in time sedentary. Exercise Intervention Design A patient involvement in research approach was used to design an active sitting exercise intervention for morbidly obese pregnant women. Twenty three women took part in the design of the intervention, enabling design of a final protocol including six exercises, to be performed in two sets of 10 repetitions. Active sitting exercise intervention An intervention based on active sitting exercises for morbidly obese pregnant women to reduce sedentary time was conducted to assess the feasibility. Thirty morbidly obese pregnant women were recruited of whom 20% completed the exercise intervention. The main reason not to complete the intervention was lack of time. Conclusion: A better understanding of sedentary behaviour is needed for the design of effective interventions to help to reduce the adverse effects of morbid obesity on pregnancy, especially as prevalence is growing. More time spent in light intensity activities rather than in sedentary behaviour may play a role as contributing to reduce those risks associated with obesity during pregnancy, and to reduce time spent sedentary. Participants have shown real interest in helping to design an effective exercise intervention. Involving and empowering participants in how to take care of themselves as part of the intervention helps to increase their commitment. Giving participants the tools to take care of their own health and their babies' should be considered as part of the intervention with very obese pregnant women. Providing the information in how and why exercise might help, and basing the intervention in giving participants easy and realistic tasks that they could do on their own and around their own environment, will help to increase their commitment. This appears to be a feasible and effective strategy.

Background: Sedentary behaviour in general and sitting time in particular is an emerging global health concern. The aim of this study was to provide data on the prevalence of sitting time in German adults and to examine socio-demographic and environmental correlates of sitting time. Methods. A representative sample of German adults (n = 2000; 967 men, 1033 women; 49.3 ±17.6 years of age) filled in the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, including one question on overall sitting time and answered questions about the neighbourhood environment, as well as concerning demographics. Daily sitting time was stratified by gender, age group, BMI, educational and income level, as well as physical activity (PA). To identify socio-demographic and environmental correlates of sitting time, we used a series of linear regressions. Results: The overall median was 5 hours (299 minutes) of sitting time/day and men sat longer than women (5 vs. 4 hours/day; p < 0.05). In both genders age and PA were negatively and the educational level positively associated with sitting time. The level of income was not a correlate of sitting time in multivariate analyses. Sitting time was significantly positively associated with higher neighbourhood safety for women. The variance of the multivariate model ranged from 16.5% for men to 8.9% for women. Conclusions: The overall sitting time was unequally distributed in the German adult population. Our findings suggest implementing specific interventions to reduce sitting time for subgroups such as men, younger aged adults and adults with a higher education and lower PA. Future studies should enhance our understanding of the specific correlates of different types and domains of sitting in order to guide the development of effective public health strategies.

:doi 10.1186/1471-2458-13-196

High levels of sedentary behaviour (SB) and low levels of physical activity (PA) in primary school children are a health concern especially for the South Asians (SA) because of increased cardiovascular risk. The study investigated ethnic differences in movement behaviours among primary school children in three studies: 1) inclinometer and accelerometer measured movement behaviours in White British (WB) vs. SA 6-8-year-old children; 2) qualitative studies with children, parents and teachers explored barriers and facilitators to reducing SB; and, 3) accelerometer measured movement behaviours in children aged 8-11-years. The inclinometer outcomes were: total SB, SB from bouts >30 minutes and breaks in SB, while accelerometry considered: SB, light PA and moderate to-vigorous PA and counts per minute. 525 children, eight parents and six teachers participated. No ethnic differences were identified in inclinometer outcomes except for SB breaks. SA children had 25 fewer breaks compared to WB. Accelerometry identified higher SB for SA children vs. WB in study one but no ethnic differences in study three; a pattern for higher SB/lower PA for SA children vs. WB was consistent in studies. Reasons for engagement in SB included: knowledge and beliefs about SB, child characteristics, cultural norms, parenting, educational system and the built environment. A large proportion of movement behaviour interventions components were related to education and policy. Children’s levels of SB were similar to office workers regardless of ethnicity. Interventions to reduce SB need to consider SB breaks and PA, especially for SA children who were less active and more sedentary than WB.

Sedentary behaviours, defined as waking behaviours undertaken in a sitting/lying posture with low energy expenditure (i.e., ≤ 1.5 metabolic equivalent of tasks [METS]), are now recognised as being strongly associated with all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related mortality. Specifically, acute experimental studies have reported prolonged uninterrupted sitting to exacerbate postprandial cardiometabolic risk biomarkers [1] and decrease vasodilatory function [2-4] People with abnormal glucose metabolism (which refers to a combination of clinical disorders that increase the risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease) are disproportionally affected by the risks associated with prolonged uninterrupted sitting, owing partly to vascular dysfunction and consequent predisposition to atherosclerosis. Lifestyle modification remains a cornerstone treatment for the prevention and management of CVD, and recent World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines have been expanded to include a recommendation to reduce and regularly replace sedentary time (sedentary behaviour) with activity. Despite this, relatively little is known about the effects of prolonged sitting on vascular function in those with abnormal glucose metabolism. Additionally, it is currently unknown whether reducing and interrupting sitting time with activity positively influences vascular function in these population groups. The primary aim of this Thesis was to examine the extent and nature of vascular impairment in response to prolonged sitting across the abnormal glucose spectrum; with a focus on reducing and interrupting time spent sitting with activity in clinical populations. Study 1 aimed to determine the dose-response relationship between acute prolonged uninterrupted sitting and vascular function through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Additional sub-group analyses examined the effect of prolonged sitting in healthy adults relative to those with abnormal glucose metabolism. A secondary aim was to compare the acute effects of uninterrupted prolonged sitting to interventions involving acute light activity interruptions. The findings revealed that lower-limb vascular function is progressively impaired as time spent in prolonged sitting increases. Moreover, it was observed that prolonged sitting decreased lower-limb vascular function in healthy adults, who had higher a priori vascular function, but not in those with metabolic and vascular dysfunction. However, the limited number of studies in those with abnormal glucose metabolism make it difficult to draw conclusive findings. Additionally, while interrupting sitting with brief bouts of physical activity improved vascular function, considerable heterogeneity was reported between trials, likely due to differing experimental design (mode, frequency, and duration of breaks). Study 2 compared the acute effects of interrupting sitting with two different activity protocols of equivalent activity duration on vascular function in a clinical population with abnormal glucose metabolism - those with type two diabetes (T2D). Femoral flow-mediated dilation (FMD) averaged across 7h significantly increased when prolonged sitting was interrupted with 3 min of SRAs every 30 min. However, relative to prolonged sitting, interrupting sitting every 60 min with 6 min simple resistance activities (SRAs) did not result in significant changes in vascular function. Vascular shear rate and blood flow were also enhanced by interrupting sitting with SRAs, regardless of frequency. These findings suggest that more frequent, shorter interruptions may be more beneficial than longer, less frequent breaks for vascular improvement in those with T2D. Further, the study provides new insights into the frequency and duration of activity breaks that may be required to improve vascular function during prolonged sitting. In addition to identifying a lack of studies assessing vascular function and sedentary behaviour in populations with metabolic dysfunction, study 2 also reported a lack of female participants in the trials conducted to date. Study 3 sought to address this gap by examining the effect of prolonged uninterrupted sitting on femoral vascular function in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Relative to 3.5h prolonged sitting, interrupting sitting with 3 min of SRAs every 30 min significantly increased mean femoral resting shear and blood flow. However, no change was observed in FMD between conditions. Collectively, this Thesis has contributed new knowledge to the sedentary behaviour and vascular function research field, specifically: by 1) highlighting the progressive impairment of lower-limb vascular function in response to prolonged uninterrupted sitting; 2) demonstrating that interrupting prolonged sitting with more frequent and shorter activity breaks may be more beneficial than longer, less frequent breaks, for vascular health, in those with T2D, and 3) demonstrating that interrupting prolonged sitting with activity breaks improves blood flow and shear rate for women with PCOS. Future research could build on these findings to focus on three key areas: 1. Obtaining a greater understanding of how vascular function changes over time in response to prolonged sitting. This includes free-living and longer-term studies, in addition to acute studies that measure vascular function at multiple time points across the day. 2. Assessing varying modes, duration, and frequency of interruptions in prolonged sitting to identify optimum activity interruptions. 3. Inclusion of female participants and older and clinical populations into clinical trials to enhance the generalisability of public health recommendations.

Current UK public health policy and research identifies potential health risks of physical inactivity and high levels of sitting. This is a particularly pertinent issue for office workers, who spend, on average, over two-thirds of the work day sitting. This thesis reports on the design and evaluation of a multicomponent sit-stand desk intervention, delivered within two not-for-profit office-based organisations in London, England. A mixed method study design was employed. A pilot randomised controlled trial examined the efficacy of the intervention on reducing sitting and increasing standing and physical activity, using wearable monitors to measure outcome variables at baseline, and at four additional timepoints up to 12-months following the onset of the intervention. A process evaluation, including in-depth qualitative interviews and participant observation, investigated the processes that influenced the feasibility, acceptability and efficacy of the intervention. Mixed-model ANOVA indicated that the intervention reduced workplace sitting, on average, by 38 minutes, however there was no significant influence on workplace physical activity, or any of the outcome variables across the whole day. The process evaluation revealed that discourses surrounding employee health and organisational effectiveness, and employees' health-focused occupational identities increased the acceptability of sit-stand desk provision, whereas monetary concerns, a centralised organisational structure and incompatibility of the sit-stand desks with the workplace environment negatively influenced implementation feasibility. The sit-stand desk design, expectations and outcomes related to health and productivity, and the organisational culture and interpersonal relationships positively and negatively influenced sit-stand desk experience to differing degrees between participants. Mixed method analyses of outcome and process data illustrated the potential for integrating findings to enhance understanding of 'what works' within behavioural intervention research. Sit-stand desks are not a one-size-fits-all solution to reducing sitting and increasing physical activity, however, they should be available to office-based employees as part of a wider workplace health strategy.

Office workers spend most of their workdays sitting, which contributes to poor health outcomes. This thesis aimed to design, implement and evaluate a health promotion intervention to help office workers in Saudi Arabia reduce their sedentary behaviour and increase their physical activity. The intervention, named The SLIM (Sit Less, Impress and Motivate), resulted in a significant improvement in sedentary and physical activity behaviours. This research will support one of the main elements of the Saudi Government 2030 vision, by helping Saudis to adopt and maintain more physically active and healthy lifestyle.

My study used the HeartNET (HN) community to investigate the significance of physical activity and sedentary behaviour for members of online health-promoting communities by using online surveys and netnography. It found concerns about heart health and general health can be both a barrier and an enabler to increasing physical activity or reducing sedentary behaviour. Gentle efforts to address sedentary behaviour could build confidence to increase physical activity. By offering role models and encouraging friendly rivalry, peer support via an online community (or other type of social networking sites) can increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour. Fun, laughter and peer support can assist in challenging and reducing the tendency to underestimate sedentary behaviour and its health hazards as well as the fear and uncertainty and the perceived constraints to engage with physical activities. My study highlighted both the value of netnography as an analytic tool and its potential use for strategic and tailored health promoting interventions in online communities and for interventions in other online environments to promote desired behaviours stipulated by community guidelines. Such gentle and respectful interventions would need to take careful account of factors such as age, gender and the individual’s role within the online community. This study has particular relevance for users of online health-promoting communities and organisations engaged in health promoting activities, especially those operating online and seeking to minimise risks to their members’ health. This research may also encourage online communities and other social networks not focused on health promotion to consider developing strategies to reduce prolonged sitting time and encourage healthier behaviours. Follow-up studies are needed to determine the sustainability and applicability of my conclusions and recommendations in emerging online communities, where smartphones and ‘apps’ are the primary means of internet access, and where wristbands can conveniently and unobtrusively monitor physical activity and sedentary behaviour.

Various studies have taken different approaches to persuade users into adopting a healthy sitting posture. In addition to the sedentary lifestyles we have come to adopt, the importance and reasoning of these studies stem from the adverse effects of poor posture on our health and mood. However, studies approaching this area with real-time visual modality integrated into clothing are rather sparse. Utilizing this integration might potentially fulfill the requirements of the ubiquitous computing era and inform the users in a calmer way. To evaluate various aspects of this concept, a mid-fidelity prototype was developed and tested with users. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted to obtain their thoughts and opinions on such an approach. In addition to the approval of the concept, further concerns, advantages and disadvantages were disclosed, and used to inform a design space for similar concepts. Although requiring more research, the results of this study outline a primary design space consisting of essential characteristics one needs to be aware of when designing a similar concept.

Nowadays, prolonged sitting among office workers is a widespread problem, which is highly related to several health problems. Many proposals have been reported and evaluated to address this issue. However, motivating and engaging workers to change health behavior to a healthier working life is still a challenge. In this project, a specific application has been deployed for real-time monitoring and alerting office workers for prolonged sitting. The proposed system consists of three distinct parts: The first one is an android smartwatch, which was used to collect sensor data e.g., accelerometer and gyro data, with a custom android wear app. The second one is an android application, which was developed to act as a gateway for receiving the smartwatch’s data and sending them to IBM Bluemix cloud with MQTT protocol. The final part is a Node-Red cloud application, which was deployed for storing, analyzing and processing of the sensor data for activity detection i.e., sitting or walking/standing. The main purpose of the last one was to return relevant feedback to the user, while combining elements from gaming contexts (gamification methods), for motivating and engaging office workers to a healthier behavior. The system was firstly tested for defining appropriate accelerometer thresholds to five participants (control group), and then evaluated with five different participants (treatment group), in order to analyze its reliability for prolonged sitting detection. The results showed a good precession for the detection. No confusing between sitting and walking/standing was noticed. Communication, storage and analysis of the data was successfully done, while the push notifications to the participants, for alerting or rewarding them, were always accurate and delivered on time. Every useful information was presented to the user to a web-based dashboard accessed through a smartphone, tablet or a PC.     The proposed system can easily be implemented at a real-life scenario with office workers. Certainly, there is a lot space for improvement, considering mostly the type of data registered at the system, the method for sitting detection, and the user interface for presenting relevant information.
Numera är förlängt sittande bland kontorsarbetare ett utbrett problem som är väldigt relaterat till flera hälsoproblem. Många förslag har rapporterats och utvärderas för att ta itu med denna fråga. Tydligen är det fortfarande en utmaning att motivera och engagera arbetstagare för att förändra deras hälsobeteende till hälsosammare arbetsliv. I detta projekt har en särskild applikation använts för realtidsövervakning och varnar kontorsarbetare för förlängt sittande. Det föreslagna systemet består av tre olika delar: Den första är en android smartwatch, som användes för att samla sensordata t.ex. accelerometer och gyrodata, med en anpassad android wear app. Den andra är en en androidapplikation som fungerade som en gateway för att ta emot smartwatchens data och skickar datan till IBM Bluemix-Cloud med MQTT-protokollet. Den sista delen är en Node-RED Cloud-Applikation som användes för lagring, analysering och behandling av sensordata för aktivitetsdetektering. Detta innebär sittande eller gå/stående med det huvudsakliga ändamålet att returnera relevant återkoppling till användaren, samtidigt som man kombinerar element från spelkontekster (gamification metoder), för att motivera och engagera arbetarna till ett hälsosammare beteende. Systemet testades först för att definiera lämpliga accelerometertrösklar till fem deltagare (kontroll grupp) och utvärderades sedan med fem olika deltagare (behandingsgrupp) för att analysera dess tillförlitlighet för långvarig sittdetektering. Resultaten visade en bra precession för detektionen. Ingen förvirring mellan att sitta och gå / stående märktes. Kommunikation, lagring och analys av data gjordes framgångsrikt, medan push-meddelandena till deltagarna, för att varna eller belöna dem, var alltid korrekta och levererade i tid. All användbar information presenterades för användaren på en webbaserad dashboard som nås via en smartphone surfplatta eller en dator. Det föreslagna systemet kan enkelt implementeras i ett verkligt scenario med kontorsarbetare. Visst finns det mycket utrymme för förbättring om man tänker på majoriteten av data som registrerats i systemet, metoden för sittande detektion och användargränssnittet för presentering av relevant information.

Yes
Sedentary behaviour (SB) in childhood is a major public health concern. Little is known about ethnic differences in SB during school and holiday weeks among White British (WB) and South Asian (SA) children, which this study aims to address through investigating inclinometer measured SB and exploring reasons for child engagement in SB. A mixed methods study, comprising of a quantitative investigation with 160, 6-8 years old children and a qualitative study with a subsample of 18 children, six parents and eight teachers was undertaken. Children of WB and SA ethnicity in three schools were invited to wear inclinometers for seven school terms (summer/winter/spring) and seven holidays (winter/spring) days during July 2016-May 2017. Total SB, SB accumulated in bouts > 30 min and breaks in SB were explored using multivariate linear mixed effects models which adjusted for wear time, sex, deprivation, overweight status, season, term, weekday and school. Nine focus groups and two interviews were carried out using the Theoretical Domains Framework to explore SB perceptions among parents, teachers and children. Data were analysed using the Framework Approach. 104/160 children provided 836 valid days of data. Children spent on average eight hours of SB/day during term time and holidays, equating to 60% of their awake time, and had on average 111 SB breaks /day. SA children had 25 fewer SB breaks/ day when compared to WB (p
Funded by the NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care Yorkshire and Humber (NIHR CLAHRC YH).

It is well established that physical inactivity is one of the main behavioural risk factors for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Research on sedentary behaviour (SB; i.e., sitting or reclining with low energy expenditure during waking hours) has grown rapidly in the past two decades, after epidemiological evidence indicated that high levels of sitting may pose a health risk. Research on physical activity (PA) and SB policies is considered underdeveloped, compared with other areas of PA and SB research. This thesis, therefore, aimed to: (1) map the evidence on indicators, development, and content of national PA and SB policies globally (Study 1); (2) develop a new conceptual framework for PA policy analysis – the Comprehensive Analysis of Policy on Physical Activity (CAPPA) framework (Study 2); (3) identify and critically assess available instruments for the analysis of national-level PA and SB policies (Study 3); and (4) analyse the availability, comprehensiveness, implementation, and effectiveness of current national-level PA and SB policies globally (Study 4). To achieve the aim of Study 1, a systematic scoping review of indicators, development, and content of national PA and SB policies was conducted. The achieve the aim of Study 2, an extensive review of literature, an open discussion between the authors, three rounds of a Delphi process, and two-rounds of consultations with PA policy stakeholders were employed in the development of the CAPPA framework. To achieve the aim of Study 3, a systematic review of instruments for national-level PA and SB policies was conducted, and the identified instruments were assessed against the CAPPA framework. To achieve the aim of Study 4, a survey was developed based on Study 3 findings and according to the CAPPA framework. PA policy experts from 173 countries (n = 76; response rate = 44%) were then asked to provide data on their national PA and SB policies by completing the survey. Study 1 found that PA policy research is much more developed than it was considered several years ago and that research on SB policies is still in its infancy. The following research gaps were identified: (i) there is a lack of PA and SB policy research in low- and middle-income countries; (ii) the definitions of PA and SB policies varied significantly across studies; (iii) most studies did not rely on any conceptual or theoretical framework; and (iv) studies have used a variety of methods to analyse PA and SB policies which may cause problems with comparability. The CAPPA framework, developed in Study 2, provides a novel definition of PA policy, which, if widely adopted, will help to standardise the scope and language used in future research. The CAPPA framework developed in Study 2 specifies 38 elements of a comprehensive analysis of PA policies in the following six categories: purpose of analysis; policy sector; type of policy; stage of policy cycle; and scope of analysis. It can be used to guide future studies related to PA and SB policy and provide a context for the analysis of its specific components. Study 3 found 16 instruments for PA policy analysis. Only two instruments include questions about SB policy and none of the instruments allows for the analysis of all the relevant components of national PA and SB policy. Therefore, developing new instruments or adapting existing ones is needed to enable a more thorough analysis of national PA and SB policies. Study 4 found that most countries have formal written PA policies, guidelines for PA, quantifiable national targets for PA, and PA surveillance or monitoring. However, the levels of comprehensiveness, implementation, and effectiveness of national PA policies are largely low-to-moderate. Compared with P A policies, SB policies are less available, comprehensive, implemented, and effective. Both PA and SB policies are more developed in high- income countries, compared with low- and lower-middle-income countries, and in countries of the European and Western-Pacific regions, compared with other world regions. Future studies should aim to focus more on low- and middle-income countries and countries from the African and Eastern Mediterranean regions. Comprehensive analyses of PA and SB policy, considering all elements specified in the CAPPA framework, are needed to facilitate PA and SB policy research, and the development and implementation of comprehensive and effective PA and SB policies.

Clinicians with a high level of physical activity (PA) are more likely to recommend PA to their clients, compared with those with a low level of PA. Interventions to increase PA and reduce sedentary behaviour (SB) among mental health professionals may, therefore, indirectly benefit their clients with mental disorders. However, there is limited evidence on the effectiveness of interventions aimed at increasing PA and reducing SB among mental health professionals in changing their attitudes towards and practices in recommending more PA and less SB to their clients. Therefore, four studies were conducted as a part of this PhD thesis, to address this overarching research question. A critical evaluation of interventions for increasing PA (Chapter 4) and systematic reviews and meta-analyses of interventions for reducing SB (Studies 1 and 2) provided information about the effectiveness of various PA and SB interventions among adults. The literature identified that for PA promotion, there is evidence on the short-term effectiveness of interventions based on counseling/support, and health promotion messages/information, but evidence on the long-term effectiveness of these interventions is limited. The systematic reviews also found that the use of sit-stand desks at work, restricting the use of TV devices in leisure time, and educational interventions outside workplace were effective strategies in reducing SB in the short term, however evidence on the effectiveness of these interventions in the long term is limited. Digital interventions, such as a prompts on the computer screen, and the use of wearable devices were found to be increasingly popular interventions for increasing PA and reducing SB. Evidence on the effectiveness of PA and SB interventions specifically among mental health professionals is scarce, but it can be assumed that most of the interventions that are effective in the general population of adults will also be effective among mental health professionals. Study 3 explored attitudes and practices of mental health professionals in recommending more PA and less SB to their clients. Data were collected using a modified Exercise in Mental Illness Questionnaire in a sample of 17 Australian mental health professionals. Additionally, in focus group discussions, 10 mental health professionals provided in-depth information about their practices, facilitators, and perceived barriers in recommending more PA and less SB. It was found that PA and SB counselling in the mental health setting could be improved by: including training on PA and SB counselling in formal education and continued professional training for mental health professionals; implementing interventions to increase PA and reduce SB among mental health professionals themselves; and ensuring support from an exercise or PA promotion specialist as a part of a multi-disciplinary approach to mental health care. Study 4 investigated the effects of an intervention designed to increase PA and reduce SB among mental health professionals on their attitudes towards and practices in recommending more PA and less SB to their clients. The intervention was informed by the findings of the Chapter 4, Study 1 and Study 2, and it consisted of a single group-based behaviour change session, which included a presentation of various strategies to increase PA and reduce SB and goal setting according to the SMART goals approach. An information booklet containing 24 strategies to increase PA and reduce SB was also provided to the participants. They also received reminder texts/calls during the following three weeks of the intervention. There was no significant overall change in PA and SB among mental health professionals, but the intervention had a positive effect on their attitudes towards recommending more PA and less SB to their clients. The mental health professionals who increased their own PA during the intervention (compared to those who did not) significantly increased the frequency of recommending more PA (p= 0.009) and less SB (p= 0.005) to their clients. Two post-intervention focus group discussions with the participants suggested that the intervention positively influenced their confidence in recommending more PA and less SB to their clients and provided them with pragmatic strategies to include in their practice. The findings of the studies included in this thesis suggest that a relatively simple intervention has the potential to improve mental health professionals’ attitudes towards and practices in recommending more PA and less SB to their clients. The intervention could be scaled up to promote more PA and less SB within mental health settings, with potential benefits for mental health professionals and their clients.

Masters Coursework - Masters of Clinical Psychology (MClinPsych)
Objective: Previous research on multiple lifestyle risk behaviors has largely focused on physical health outcomes compared to mental distress. We examined the association of traditional lifestyle risk behaviors (smoking, poor nutrition, higher risk alcohol consumption and reduced physical activity [SNAP]) and emerging lifestyle risk behaviors (increased sitting time and frequent insufficient sleep) with frequent mental distress (FMD). Methods: A randomly selected sample of Australian adults (N = 1,201) aged between 18 and 100 years (M = 52.23, SD = 17.18) completed a telephone survey regarding lifestyle risk behaviors and FMD as part of the National Social Survey. Data was collected between July-August 2015. Each lifestyle risk behavior was classified into either higher or lower risk. The total number of higher risk SNAP behaviors engaged in was summed to create a SNAP behavior score. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between FMD, SNAP behavior score, and to examine the additional influence of higher risk sitting and frequent insufficient sleep when adjusting for SNAP behavior score. Results: Higher SNAP behavior scores were associated with FMD (OR = 1.26, 95% CI [1.01 – 1.56]). Both higher sitting (OR = 1.72, 95% CI [1.10 – 2.69]) and frequent insufficient sleep (OR = 3.36, 95% CI [2.26 – 5.01]) were associated with FMD when adjusting for SNAP behavior scores, which were no longer significantly associated with FMD. Conclusion: While SNAP behaviors are associated with FMD, results indicate the importance of considering the role of sitting time and insufficient sleep as emerging risk factors for mental distress.

abstract: The purpose of this pilot randomized control trial was to test the initial efficacy of a 10 week social cognitive theory (SCT)-based intervention to reduce workplace sitting time (ST). Participants were currently employed adults with predominantly sedentary occupations (n=24) working in the Greater Phoenix area in 2012-2013. Participants wore an activPAL (AP) inclinometer to assess postural allocation (i.e., sitting vs. standing) and Actigraph accelerometer (AG) to assess sedentary time for one week prior to beginning and immediately following the completion of the 10 week intervention. Self-reported measures of sedentary time were obtained via two validated questionnaires for overall (International Physical Activity Questionnaire [IPAQ]) and domain specific sedentary behaviors (Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire [SBQ]). SCT constructs were also measured pre and post via adapted physical activity questionnaires. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either (a) 10 weekly social cognitive-based e-newsletters focused on reducing workplace ST; or (b) similarly formatted 10 weekly e-newsletters focusing on health education. Baseline adjusted Analysis of Covariance statistical analyses were used to examine differences between groups in time spent sitting (AP) and sedentary (AG) during self-reported work hours from pre- to post- intervention. Both groups decreased ST and AG sedentary time; however, no significant differences were observed. SCT constructs also did not change significantly between pretest and post test in either group. These results indicate that individualized educational approaches to decreasing workplace sitting time may not be sufficient for observing long term change in behaviors. Future research should utilize a larger sample, measure main outcomes more frequently, and incorporate more environmental factors throughout the intervention.
Dissertation/Thesis
M.S. Exercise and Wellness 2013

碩士
國立臺灣大學
化學工程學研究所
106
In this study, we observe the wetting behavior of the hydrophobic rough surfaces in two different ways including experiments and simulation. Wetting behavior plays an important role in various industry and has a number of applications. In experiments, we investigate the wetting behavior of hydrophobic, microstructured surfaces containing square array of holes, and observe their wettability by vary the width of hole, spacing and the depth of hole. We measure the advancing contact angles, the receding contact angles and the sliding angles to determine the wetting behavior of the water droplet on the surface. Due to the wide range of the depth (from 0.5 μm to 15 μm), both the Wenzel state and the Cassie state can be observed. We use the squeeze test to check whether the wetting transition between two different wetting states will occur. In the simulation, we simulate a water droplet sitting on a hydrophobic surface with a cosine wave-like square array pattern to determine the contact angle and study on the Cassie-Wenzel wetting transition by the Surface Evolver. At different surface roughnesses, we can obtain multiple metastable states for a fixed droplet volume. Each metastable state represents a contact angle of the liquid droplet. The maximum and minimum contact angles correspond to the advancing/ receding contact angles. By increasing the surface roughness, the wetting transition from the Wenzel state to the Cassie state will be induced. The results from the experiments and the simulation will be discussed and compared. We find there are some common results from two different ways of analysis of wetting behavior on hydrophobic surfaces with hole array pattern. Besides, we also compare the results from this study to the wetting behavior of hydrophobic, microstructured surfaces containing square array of pillars done by previous researches. Seeing the difference and the common parts between two different structures.

Postprandial hypertriglyceridemia (PPHT), an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis (Smyth and Heron 2006; Nordestgaard, Benn et al. 2007), is strongly associated with metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) (Kolovou, Anagnostopoulou et al. 2005). It has been proposed that elevated triglycerides after a high-fat meal may be a postprandial phenomenon (Zilversmit 1979). PPHT are commonly concurrent with sedentary behaviors, such as extended sitting, which amplify PPHT (Levine, Vander Weg et al. 2006). The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of prolonged sitting with or without a balanced caloric diet and walking with a balanced diet on postprandial triglycerides (PPTG). Seven healthy, young men (age, 25.6 ± 3.7 y; height, 174 ± 5 cm; weight, 71.4 ± 6.2kg; VO2max, 49.3 ± 7.7 ml/kg/min) were recruited from a college and from within the Austin community. After 2 days of food and activity control (D1and D2), subjects performed one of three trials in a randomized, cross-over design for 2 days (D3 and D4); (1) active walking with a balanced diet (WB), (2) prolonged sitting with a hyper-caloric diet (SH), and (3) prolonged sitting with a balanced diet (SB). High fat tolerance tests (HFTT) were conducted on the following day, (D5), after 13 hour over-night fasting. Blood samples were obtained in the fasting state and every hour for 6 hours after subjects had eaten a high fat test meal consisting of 1.2 g fat, 1.1 g CHO, 0.2 g protein/kg body mass. All food was provided during the 5-day duration of the study. Body postures, heart rate, and daily steps were monitored. In both sit trials (SH and SB), subjects sat ~320 minutes longer and took 10 times fewer steps than WB. In WB, the total area under the curves for plasma triglycerides (AUC[subscript T] TG) was lower, compared to SH by 21.3% (p<0.001) and to SB by 19.7% (N.S.; p = 0.055), respectively. In WB, the incremental AUC TG (AUC[subscript I] TG), an index of postprandial response, was lower than both SH by 17.4% (p <0.005) and SB by 20.1% (p <0.05), respectively. Postprandial plasma insulin concentration was lower in WB, compared to SH by 19.4% (p <0.005) in AUC[scubscript T] and 18.8 % (p < 0.05) in AUC[subscript I]. No differences were shown in the metabolic responses between SB and SH despite the diet modifications. These findings indicate that two days of prolonged sitting significantly amplifies PPTG and suppresses insulin action.
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Breaking-up prolonged sitting with alternating bouts of sitting and standing may increase non-exercise energy expenditure and consequently influence the total daily energy expenditure. Purpose: The main purpose of this work was to analyze the metabolic and energetic cost of alternating between specific postures (sitting and standing), in healthy adults. Methods: A randomized crossover trial was conducted among 48 adults (25 males, aged 34.8 ± 14.0 years) who were randomly assigned to four sequential experimental conditions, of which three were included in our analysis: 1) uninterrupted motionless sitting (SIT); 2) uninterrupted motionless standing (STAND); and 3) alternating between motionless sitting and motionless standing (SIT_STAND). This last condition was further divided in two distinct sub-conditions, SS_SIT (sitting after standing) and SS_STAND (standing after sitting). Before the intervention, with the participant in 8 hours fasting condition, anthropometric measures were collected, followed by a body composition analysis trough dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Indirect calorimetry was used to assess both resting energy expenditure (REE) and the energy expenditure resulting from the assigned conditions. Repeated measures ANOVA was performed to examine the differences between all conditions (CI 0.95%). Results: In women, oxygen consumption levels (VO2) (ml·kg−1·min−1) and energy expenditure (EE) (kcal·min−1) for SIT (2.86 ± 0.07 ml·kg−1·min−1; 0.88 ± 0.03 kcal·min−1), STAND (3.03 ± 0.08 ml·kg−1·min−1; 0.94 ± 0.03 kcal·min−1), SS_SIT (3.18 ± 0.08 ml·kg−1·min−1; 0.98 ± 0.02 kcal·min−1) and SS_STAND (3.59 ± 0.13 ml·kg−1·min−1; 1.11 ± 0.04 kcal·min−1) were significantly different, considering the randomly assigned order (p-value < 0.001). In men, VO2 (ml·kg−1·min−1) and EE (kcal·min−1) also differed from SIT (2.96 ± 0.13 ml·kg−1·min−1; 1.14 ± 0.05 kcal·min−1), STAND (3.18 ± 0.14 ml·kg−1·min−1; 1.23 ± 0.05 kcal·min−1), SS_SIT (3.34 ± 0.16 ml·kg−1·min−1; 1.28 ± 0.06 kcal·min−1) and SS_STAND (3.68 ± 0.19 ml·kg−1·min−1; 1.43 ± 0.08 kcal·min−1). Although interaction effect of the assigned order was considered, in men, no significant differences were found between STAND and SS_SIT (p-value ≥ 0.05). For both sexes, heart rate (HR) only differed significantly between SIT and the other conditions (~13 bpm) (p-value < 0.001), while no significant changes were found in respiratory quotient (RQ) (p-value ≥ 0.05). After further adjustment for age, no significant differences between conditions were found for all metabolic and energetic variables, in both sexes (p-value ≥ 0.05). Conclusions: In a sample of adults, the metabolic and energetic cost of one specific posture was influenced by the posture executed immediately before, regarding an intermittent condition (alternating between sitting and standing). These findings suggest a potential cumulative effect resulting from breaking sitting with short bouts of standing. In this sense, global health messages encouraging individuals to avoid extended periods in sedentary behavior (SB), should informed about the potential metabolic and energetic benefit of interrupting this behavior as many times as possible.
Interromper longos períodos na postura sentada, alternando entre períodos de tempo na postura sentada e em pé, poderá contribuir para o aumento do dispêndio energético (DE) associado a atividades espontâneas, que por sua vez irá influenciar o DE total. Objetivo: Numa amostra de indivíduos adultos saudáveis, determinar o contributo metabólico e energético resultante da alternância entre posturas (estar sentado e em pé). Métodos: O estudo envolveu a participação de 48 indivíduos com uma média de idades de 34.8 ± 14.0 anos (25 homens), aos quais que foi aleatoriamente atribuída uma sequência com quatro condições experimentais, das quais três foram tratadas neste estudo: 1) postura sentada imóvel ao longo de 10 minutos (SIT); 2) postura em pé imóvel ao longo de 10 minutos (STAND); e 3) alternar entre a postura sentada imóvel e em pé imóvel a cada minuto, ao longo de 10 minutos (SIT_STAND). Esta última condição foi posteriormente dividida em duas subcondições distintas (SS_SIT – estar sentado depois de ter estado em pé; SS_STAND – estar em pé depois de ter estado sentado). Anteriormente à intervenção, e com o participante em jejum (8 horas), foram recolhidas medidas antropométricas, e de seguida, realizada uma avaliação de composição corporal por densitometria radiológica de dupla energia. Posteriormente, um método de calorimetria indireta foi utilizado para determinar o DE em repouso, assim como o DE relativo a cada condição experimental. As diferenças entre condições foram determinadas com recurso ao teste estatístico Anova com medidas repetidas (IC 95%). Resultados: Nas mulheres, as condições SIT (2.86 ± 0.07 ml·kg−1·min−1; 0.88 ± 0.03 kcal·min−1), STAND (3.03 ± 0.08 ml·kg−1·min−1; 0.94 ± 0.03 kcal·min−1), SS_SIT (3.18 ± 0.08 ml·kg−1·min−1; 0.98 ± 0.02 kcal·min−1) e SS_STAND (3.59 ± 0.13 ml·kg−1·min−1; 1.11 ± 0.04 kcal·min−1) apresentaram diferenças significativas face às variáveis consumo de oxigénio (VO2) (ml·kg−1·min−1) e dispêndio energético (DE) (kcal·min−1), ajustando para a ordem das condições atribuída aleatoriamente (p-value < 0.001). Nos homens, as condições SIT (2.96 ± 0.13 ml·kg−1·min−1; 1.14 ± 0.05 kcal·min−1), STAND (3.18 ± 0.14 ml·kg−1·min−1; 1.23 ± 0.05 kcal·min−1), SS_SIT (3.34 ± 0.16 ml·kg−1·min−1; 1.28 ± 0.06 kcal·min−1) e SS_STAND (3.68 ± 0.19 ml·kg−1·min−1; 1.43 ± 0.08 kcal·min−1) apresentaram diferenças significativas face às variáveis VO2 (ml·kg−1·min−1) e DE (kcal·min−1). No entanto, apesar de ter sido considerada a ordem das condições atribuída aleatoriamente, não foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre as condições STAND e SS_SIT (p-value ≥ 0.05). Em ambos os sexos, a variável frequência cardíaca apenas variou significativamente entre a condição SIT e todas as outras (~13 bpm) (p-value < 0.001), enquanto que nenhuma diferença significativa para a variável quociente respiratório foi detetada (p-value ≥ 0.05). Após o ajustamento dos resultados para a variável idade, não foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre as condições nos indicadores metabólicas e energéticas considerados, em ambos os géneros (p-value ≥ 0.05). Conclusões: Tendo por base uma condição intermitente (alternância entre estar sentado e de pé), verificou-se que custo metabólico e energético associado a uma determinada postura é influenciado pela postura em que o individuo se encontrava imediatamente antes. Os resultados sugerem que a interrupção de períodos contínuos na postura sentada com breves períodos na postura de pé, poderá resultar num potencial efeito cumulativo ao longo do tempo. Nesse sentido, as recomendações gerais para a redução do comportamento sedentário deverão ter em conta a sua implicação metabólica e energética associada à frequente interrupção deste comportamento.

碩士
國立臺中教育大學
數位內容科技學系碩士班
101
The purpose of this study was to Invention a Sitting Hug Machine which used some mechanical squeezing action to lead to Deep pressure , and investigated the effects of Sitting Hug Machine on stereotypic behavior for elementary school students with severe autism. The Single subject research withdrawal design was utilized in the study. The independent variable was the Intervention of Sitting Hug Machine, and the dependent variable was the immediate effects of stereotypic behaviors. The Intervention of Sitting Hug Machine lasted for consecutive 6 weeks and it was conducted 5 periods a week. Each period lasted 5 minutes. The data were collected on the two subjects during baseline, withdrawal and interventions phases. Visual analysis and C statistic were used in this study in order to analyze the data. The social validity analysis was also supplemented by the Journals of Observing two subjects’ behavior and interviewing their teachers. Results of this study were summarized as followings : 1. subjects and their parents, teachers undoubtedly agreed The design of Sitting Hug Machine. 2. the Interventions of Sitting Hug Machine immediately improved one of the stereotypic behaviors in one of two elementary school students with severe autism. 3. The teachers of two subjects agreed the effects of the Intervention of Sitting Hug Machine. This research had a high social validity. According to the above-mentioned results, some suggestions for the instruction and further researches were made .