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Biomedical subjects

J F Sallis

Publications and source records attributed to J F Sallis.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Assessing perceived physical environmental variables that may influence physical activity.

The present study evaluated a measure of perceived physical environments that may influence physical activity. Forty-three self-report items were used to assess environmental variables at homes, in neighborhoods, or on frequently traveled routes. The presence of facilitators of (e.g., equipment, programs, attractive surroundings) and barriers to (e.g., high crime) physical activity was assessed. In 110 college students, test-retest reliabilities were .89 for the home equipment scale, .68 for the neighborhood scale, and .80 for the convenient facilities scale. Home equipment and convenient facilities scales were correlated with self-reported physical activity. In multiple regression analyses, the only significant association, after adjusting for neighborhood socioeconomic status, was home equipment with strength exercise. Further research is needed to identify other environmental characteristics that may influence physical activity.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

A randomized trial of cardiovascular risk factor reduction: patterns of attrition after randomization and during follow-up.

BACKGROUND: The Preventive Cardiology Center compared two intensities of behavior modification for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in persons at risk and their families. Characteristics of drop-outs both before and after intervention were compared with subjects who completed the 6-month trial. METHODS: A total of 333 individuals of all ages were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned by family to a single-session ('skills' group-low-intensity) or a five-session ('practice' group-high intensity) intervention. Baseline and follow-up assessments included a personal and family health questionnaire, nutritional intake survey, and clinic visit to obtain blood pressure, lipids, and height and weight data. RESULTS: Two hundred and forty adults over 18 years of age were randomly assigned to one of the two intervention groups. Of these, 68 subjects (28.3%) did not participate in the intervention. Multivariate analysis revealed that these 'early drop-outs' were significantly more likely to be non-white and to have had a lower LDL cholesterol. Of the 172 subjects attending the intervention, 70 (40.7%) did not attend the 6-month follow-up ('late drop-outs'). Multivariate analysis revealed that, compared with follow-up attendees, non-attendees were significantly more likely to be white and to be current smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Both early and late drop-outs in a randomized trial of CVD risk reduction were significantly different than continuing participants in several key factors. These differences suggest the use of caution in both interpreting and making generalizations about behavioral trials of risk factor reduction when attrition is high.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Assessing children's ultraviolet radiation exposure: the use of parental recall via telephone interviews.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the validity of a parental report measure of children's solar protection behaviors. METHODS: Fifty-eight children had skin color assessed twice with a colorimeter. Between measurement sessions, parents were interviewed by telephone to assess children's indoor-outdoor status and solar protection across 40 hourly intervals. RESULTS: Parental report of child's indoor-outdoor status was significantly correlated with the colorimeter values, whereas the use of sunscreen and protective clothing was not. CONCLUSIONS: This measure was feasible for assessing ultraviolet exposure in young children. The component that assessed the number of intervals spent outdoors evidenced predictive validity.

Child↗
PubMed1997

The effects of a 2-year physical education program (SPARK) on physical activity and fitness in elementary school students. Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated a health-related physical education program for fourth- and fifth-grade students designed to increase physical activity during physical education classes and outside of school. METHODS: Seven schools were assigned to three conditions in a quasi-experimental design. Health-related physical education was taught by physical education specialists or trained classroom teachers. Students from these classes were compared with those in control classes. Analyses were conducted on 955 students with complete data. RESULTS: Students spent more minutes per week being physically active in specialist-led (40 min) and teacher-led (33 min) physical education classes than in control classes (18 min; P < .001). After 2 years, girls in the specialist-led condition were superior to girls in the control condition on abdominal strength and endurance (P < .001) and cardiorespiratory endurance (P < .001). There were no effects on physical activity outside of school. CONCLUSIONS: A health-related physical education curriculum can provide students with substantially more physical activity during physical education classes. Improved physical education classes can potentially benefit 97% of elementary school students.

California↗
PubMed1996

Ethnic, socioeconomic, and sex differences in physical activity among adolescents.

Regular physical activity is recommended for health maintenance in adolescence, but basic descriptive epidemiological data are lacking for this age group. The present study examined socioeconomic status (SES), ethnic, and sex differences in physical activity in a multiethnic sample of 1871 high school students in San Diego, California. Surveys were completed in required classes by a diverse sample of students from a low-income school district and by Anglo students from a nearby more affluent district. Boys reported more vigorous exercise outside of school and during school physical education, as well as more participation in sports teams, but girls reported taking more activity-related lessons and classes. High-SES students had more frequent physical education classes, spent more time in vigorous exercise in those classes, and participated in more activity lessons outside of school. There were few ethnic differences on summary physical activity or physical education variables. There were no SES differences, but there were ethnic differences on 5 of 22 specific activities. Demographic differences in 25 psychological, social, and environmental variables that may influence physical activity were also examined. Differences between boys and girls were found on several variables, which may explain some of the boys' higher activity levels. Ethnic and/or SES differences were found in 10 of 25 potential correlates of physical activity. These data may be used to identify specific activities that may be preferred by subgroups of adolescents and specific mediating variables that can be targeted in physical activity promotion programs for adolescents.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Validation of interviewer- and self-administered physical activity checklists for fifth grade students.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate two physical activity recall instruments appropriate for use in epidemiologic studies of fifth grade children. The instruments were similar, except one (PACI) was administered in a personal interview, and the other (SAPAC) was self-completed in a group setting. Both forms required children to report the minutes during the previous day they spent in 21 common physical activities that represented a range of intensities, plus sedentary pursuits. To validate the recalls, children simultaneously wore an accelerometer (motion sensor) and a heart rate monitor for at least 8 h the day before the interview. Subjects were 55 boys and 70 girls from four regions of the United States. The Pearson correlation between the self- and interviewer-administered forms was 0.76 (P < 0.001). The interviewer-administered form correlated 0.51 (P < 0.001) with the heart rate index and 0.33 (P < 0.001) with the accelerometer score. The self-administered form correlated 0.57 (P < 0.001) with the heart rate index and 0.30 (P < 0.001) with the accelerometer score. It is concluded that both self-report forms received moderate support for their validity in all gender and ethnic subgroups. The self-administered format is more cost-effective.

Child↗
PubMed1996

Assessing children's ultraviolet radiation exposure: the potential usefulness of a colorimeter.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the colorimeter as an objective measure of children's ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure. METHODS: Fifty-eight children, ages 6 to 9 years, attended two summer measurement sessions, with 46 attending a subsequent winter session. RESULTS: Comparisons between summer sessions for the L* scale showed that only the upper arm significantly changed in the tanner direction, while b* scale values indicated significant tanning for all body sites. All exposed body sites changed significantly in the less tan direction between summer and winter measurements. CONCLUSIONS: Using colorimeters to objectively measure children's UV exposure has potential applications for skin cancer prevention programs.

Child↗
PubMed1995

Variability and tracking of physical activity over 2 yr in young children.

The purpose of this study was to examine tracking of physical activity at home and recess in young children. Three hundred fifty-one Mexican-American and Anglo-American children entered the study (mean age = 4.4 yr), and 83% completed 2 yr of measurement. Physical activity was directly observed on 10 d over 2 yr. Measurement waves occurred every 6 months, and each wave consisted of 2 d of observation within 1 wk. Children were observed for 60 min at home on a weekday evening and up to 30 min during recess at preschool or school. Maximum likelihood procedures using a linear mixed-effects model indicated that most of the variance in home and recess physical activity was accounted for by short-term/weekly factors. Tracking of physical activity accounted for 15% of the total variance at home and 8% at recess. Pearson correlations for physical activity over time were higher at home than at recess. Tracking of home physical activity was r = 0.15 when single days were correlated and r = 0.36 when the means of 4 d were correlated. There was a small, but detectable, stable component of physical activity in young children, at least at home.

Child Behavior↗
PubMed1995

A prospective study of ponderosity, body image, self-concept, and psychological variables in children.

The association between changes in body mass index over 1 year and measures of psychological functioning was evaluated in 314 boys and 253 girls with a mean age of 9 years. Anthropometric evaluations and standardized surveys were administered to students in all four-grade classes of seven suburban schools in the fall of two consecutive school years. Increases in body mass index were significantly associated with unfavorable changes in physical activity attitudes, activity preferences, perceived physical activity competence, self-concept, and body image. There was limited support for a hypothesis that overweight children are more sensitive to changes in body shape than non-overweight children. The finding of negative psychological consequences associated with increases in body mass index among children suggests that children may be overconcerned with body weight and shape.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Child's home environment in relation to the mother's adiposity.

OBJECTIVE: There are conflicting findings regarding the role of non-genetic family factors on obesity in children, but specific characteristics of the family environment that may influence childhood obesity have not been identified. The purpose of the present study was to explore the association between mother's adiposity and family environment factors that could influence the child's risk of obesity, primarily through effects on eating and physical activity behaviors. DESIGN AND MEASURES: Cross-sectional, correlational study. Adiposity was estimated by the sum of mothers' triceps and subscapular skinfolds. Family environment measures were assessed by direct observation and by structured interviews with mothers. SUBJECTS: A sample of 347 mothers of preschool children were assessed. RESULTS: Mother's adiposity was related to marital status, with married mothers having thicker skinfolds. Only two of 23 family environment variables were significantly correlated with mother's adiposity, and both of these variables were related to television. The demographic and family environment variables accounted for only 4% of the variance in mothers' skinfolds. CONCLUSION: The present study identified few characteristics of the family environment that were related to mother's adiposity.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1994

Parental influences to smoke in Latino youth.

BACKGROUND: Latino youth have been found to have a higher prevalence of tobacco use than do other ethnic groups, possibly due to cultural factors and parental influences. METHODS: Seventh-grade students (N = 589) were surveyed in San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Mexico, to assess parental influences to smoke. These parental influence variables were studied with logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex, and number of parents who smoke. RESULTS: Among those whose parents smoke, Mexican students were asked to strike a match to light their parents' cigarettes significantly more often (57%) than Mexican-American students (37%) and U.S. Others (37%) (P < 0.05). Seventeen percent of the Mexican students reported having lit a cigarette in their own mouth for their parents, compared to 18% of Mexican-Americans and only 3% of U.S. Others (P < 0.01). Mexicans reported buying cigarettes for their parents more often (62%), compared with 36% for Mexican-Americans and 30% for U.S. Others (P < 0.01). Child smoking was only associated with friend offers of tobacco and parental prompts to light cigarettes in their mouths. CONCLUSION: Latino parents are inadvertently prompting their children to smoke. Smoking prevention programs targeting Latino youth may need to include a parental tobacco education component.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Correlates of vigorous exercise in a predominantly low SES and minority high school population.

BACKGROUND: This study identifies correlates of vigorous exercise among minority and low-socioeconomic-status adolescents. METHODS: Ninth and 11th grade students completed 1,634 questionnaires regarding vigorous exercise and possible correlates. RESULTS: While 76% of students participated in vigorous exercise 3 or more times per week (the year 2000 goal for the nation), only 55% participated in vigorous exercise 3 or more times per week outside of school. A substantial minority of students (20%) did not participate in any vigorous exercise outside of school, and 11% did not participate in any vigorous exercise at all. Males and 9th graders participated in significantly more vigorous exercise than did females and 11th graders both in school physical education and outside of school. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses with 28 independent variables were computed separately for males (R = 0.44, F(28,625) = 5.27, P < 0.001) and females (R = 0.45, F(28,622) = 5.56, P < 0.001). Correlates were similar for both groups and included self-efficacy, family, and friend support. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that among minority and lower socioeconomic status adolescents the prevalence of vigorous exercise decreases with age or when students are not required to participate in school physical education and that social factors may be instrumental for sustaining vigorous exercise.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Effects of health facilitator performance and attendance at training sessions on the acquisition of tobacco refusal skills among multi-ethnic, high-risk adolescents.

The study examined the effectiveness of a psycho-social tobacco use prevention intervention with a refusal skills training component on the refusal skills of high-risk adolescents, and investigated skill acquisition as related to subject demographics, performance of health facilitators and attendance at skills training sessions. Tobacco refusal skills were assessed for a group (n = 389) of high-risk, seventh-grade students participating as intervention and control subjects in Project SHOUT, a large tobacco use prevention program in the San Diego area. In addition, subject demographics, ratings of health facilitator performance and information about subjects' attendance at skills training sessions were collected. Subjects' responses to audiotaped peer offers of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco were coded for content and quality. Greater tobacco refusal skills among intervention subjects was hypothesized. Further health facilitator performance, attendance at training sessions and subject demographics were thought to be related to skill acquisition. High-risk intervention subjects gave significantly higher quality tobacco-refusal responses than did controls, although the differences between means were small. Results suggested that Hispanic adolescents were particularly receptive to the refusal skills training. The association between health facilitator performance and skill acquisition varied by subject ethnicity, as did the relationship between attendance at training sessions and skill acquisition.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Parental prompting of smoking among adolescents in Tijuana, Mexico.

Latino adolescents in the United States and Mexico may have higher rates of tobacco experimentation than other ethnic groups, possibly due to cultural factors and parental influences. This study examined three parental behaviors that may prompt smoking in children in Grades 3, 5, 7, and 9 in Tijuana. Mexico. Surveys were administered to 758 students in randomly selected classes in randomly selected schools in Tijuana. The most frequent prompt was the smoking parent asking the child to buy cigarettes (about two thirds), whereas about 60% asked the child to light the parent's cigarette, and about 20% of smoking parents asked the child to place the cigarette in his or her mouth to light it. Rates of prompting were very low among third graders but increased by Grade 5. Mother's smoking was associated with higher rates of all three types of parental prompting.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1993

Project SPARK. Effects of physical education on adiposity in children.

Project SPARK evaluates multiple effects of a health-related physical education (PE) program for elementary school students. Seven schools were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: usual PE or control, trained classroom teachers, or PE specialists. The intervention was implemented throughout the fourth and fifth grades. Data are available from one cohort of 550 children who were measured in the fall and spring of both grades. Adiposity was assessed by triceps and calf skinfolds, and body mass index (BMI) was also measured. Data at each measurement point were analyzed by ANOVAs, covarying for baseline values. At no measurement point were there significant group differences in total skinfold. At both fifth grade measurement points for boys and girls, however, there was a trend for the control group to have higher skinfold values than the two intervention groups. At the final measure, the difference between the highest and lowest groups was about 3 mm for girls and 2 mm for boys. BMIs were significantly lower at some measurement points for boys and girls, but this could be due to increased lean body mass in intervention students. After two years, there was a trend for the children exposed to the PE intervention to have lower levels of body fat, but the differences were not significant.

Adipose Tissue↗