An interdisciplinary team approach to nursing scholarship.
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Humans↗
Biomedical subjects
M A Nies
Publications and source records attributed to M A Nies.
Physical activity research in nursing.
PURPOSE: To present exemplars of physical activity research in nursing, illustrate the importance of physical activity research across the lifespan, and recommend directions for theory development and research. METHODS: Studies of physical activity and exercise currently being conducted by nurse investigators were reported and critiqued by attendees of the Midwest Nursing Research Society 2000 Preconference session entitled "Promoting Physical Activity Among Diverse Groups Across the Health Continuum." Physical activity and exercise literature during the past decade was reviewed. Databases searched included Medline, CINAHL, Wilson, and ERIC. FINDINGS: Investigators have emphasized the need to evaluate the effects of theory-based physical activity interventions designed to alter key correlates of physical activity identified through descriptive research. CONCLUSIONS: Regular physical activity is necessary for health promotion and disease prevention for all populations. Continued research in this important area of health behavior is critical to identify the most effective interventions to increase physical activity among diverse populations.
Adolescent↗
Evaluation of an instrument for assessing behavioral change in sedentary women.
PURPOSE: To construct and evaluate a psychometric instrument for the assessment of behavioral change as a means for gaining insight into the development of more effective programs for promoting physical activity in women. DESIGN: A 16-item questionnaire was created and was administered three times (0, 6, and 12 months) to 181, 90, and 82 women, respectively, to determine the validity and reliability of the instrument. Participants were women 30-60 years of age, literate in English, and sedentary. METHODS: The data were analyzed using factor analysis to determine the most appropriate model for evaluating three theoretical constructs: (a) goal setting, (b) restructuring plans, and (c) relapse prevention and maintenance. RESULTS: A 3-factor model was shown to be appropriate; the instrument adequately distinguished the constructs goal setting and relapse prevention and maintenance, but did less well with the concept of restructuring plans, indicating that this concept may not be a separate entity. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that this new instrument to evaluate behavioral change has important empirical applications. Each subscale can be used independently, depending on the needs of the investigator. This instrument will be useful for public health programs promoting physical activity in a sedentary population.
Adult↗
African American women's experiences with physical activity in their daily lives.
Sedentary behavior is a major public health problem for African American women. A qualitative study used focus groups to explore African American women's experiences with physical activity in their daily lives. Women aged 35-50 were recruited to participate in the focus groups. Transcripts from the focus groups were coded and analyzed. African American women's facilitators of physical activity were daily routine, practical and convenient activities, personal safety, child care, weight loss, stress reduction, knowledge and commitment, enjoyment, pets, family and peer support, home and work facilities, and daylight and climate conditions. Barriers to physical activity were lack of child care, no person to exercise with, competing responsibilities, lack of space in the home, inability to use exercise facilities at work, lack of motivation, fatigue, and unsafe neighborhood. This information will provide the basis for generating new strategies to increase physical activity for African American women in the community.
Activities of Daily Living↗
Comparison of air-displacement plethysmography with hydrostatic weighing and bioelectrical impedance analysis for the assessment of body composition in healthy adults.
BACKGROUND: Over the past decade, considerable attention has been paid to accurately measuring body composition in diverse populations. Recently, the use of air-displacement plethysmography (AP) was proposed as an accurate, comfortable, and accessible method of body-composition analysis. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare measurements of percentage body fat (%BF) by AP and 2 other established techniques, hydrostatic weighing (HW) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), in adults. DESIGN: The sample consisted of healthy men (n = 23) and women (n = 24). %BF was measured by AP, HW, and BIA. RESULTS: In the total group, %BF(AP) (25.0+/-8.9%) was not significantly different from %BF(HW) (25.1+/-7.7%) or %BF(BIA) (23.9+/-7.7%), and %BF(AP) was significantly correlated with %BF(HW) (r = 0.944, P < 0.001) and with %BF(BIA) (r = 0.859, P < 0.01). Compared with HW, AP underestimated %BF in men (by -1.24+/-3.12%) but overestimated %BF in women (by 1.02+/-2.48%), indicating a significant sex effect (P < 0.05). The differences in estimation between AP and BIA and between BIA and HW were not significantly different between the sexes. CONCLUSION: AP is an accurate method for assessing body composition in healthy adults. Future studies should assess further the cause of the individual variations with this new method.
Adipose Tissue↗
Health-promoting lifestyles and exercise: a comparison of older African American women above and below poverty level.
The purpose of this study was to compare the health-promoting behaviors and exercise behaviors of older African American women above and below poverty level. Fifty-eight African American women completed a demographic form and the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP). Results indicated that African American women living above the poverty level had higher overall scores on the total HPLP and higher scores on the exercise subscale of the HPLP than women living below poverty level. Implications include teaching culturally specific, practical, and inexpensive exercise activities in primary care and community settings.
Black or African American↗
Measures of body size based on height, weight, and reported ideal weight: conceptual distinctions and empirical demonstrations.
Using height, weight, and self-reported weight, eight additional measures of body size were computed. The purpose of this paper was to specify conceptual distinctions and test hypothesized relationships among those newly constructed measures. Using a sample of healthy African American and European American women, correlations among the measures and race differences were assessed. High correlations suggested only two independent constructs, but theoretical considerations would suggest retaining, in addition to the traditional measure of body mass index, three new constructs: ideal body mass, a discrepancy measure, and a desirability measure. The only significant race difference was on ideal body mass. African American women reported a larger ideal body mass index than European American women. The use of actual versus self-report measures of height and weight, different conceptualizations of ideal weight, and clinical implications also were discussed.
Adult↗
Facilitators, barriers, and strategies for exercise in European American women in the community.
A qualitative study was undertaken to explore the facilitators, barriers, and strategies that contribute to exercise performance in European American (EA) women. Focus groups were used to obtain information about the experiences of EA women concerning physical activity in their daily lives. Sixteen women aged 35-50 were recruited to participate in one of two focus groups. Focus group transcripts were coded and content analyzed. Major facilitators identified were social support, accommodating schedule, self improvement, supportive environment, and individual factors. Major barriers were lack of family support, unaccommodating schedule, consequences of exercise, environmental barriers, and individual barriers. The findings of this study can be used to develop nursing interventions designed to decrease sedentary behavior in EA women.
Adult↗
The effects of daily hassles on exercise participation in perimenopausal women.
Exercise is a key factor in the prevention of many chronic conditions. There are gaps in the research pertaining to social roles, daily hassles women experience, and exercise participation. The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine the effects of daily hassles, age, and race on regular physical activity in perimenopausal women. This study utilized a convenience sample of 35 women aged 35-55 from a large southern university. The Exercise subscale of the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP), a 5-item Likert scale, was used to measure exercise participation. Daily hassles were measured using the 53-item hassles portion of the Hassles and Uplifts Scale. Age and race were also collected from each participant. There was no statistically significant interaction between overall hassles scale scores and Exercise scale scores. There was, however, a statistically significant effect of the Household subscale on exercise. The Environmental and Social Issues subscale with race had an effect on exercise participation, although neither of these variables alone had any effect. Further understanding of the effects of daily hassles on exercise participation in women will help nurses to develop client-centered exercise programs to better assist them in changing lifestyle behaviors.
Adult↗
Health promotion needs of students in a college environment.
A significant amount of the mortality and morbidity experienced by Americans of all ages today is preventable. Research directed toward the identification of health promotion needs of traditional students in college environments may contribute to the development and implementation of programs and activities that assist students to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors throughout their life spans. The purpose of this descriptive survey study was to identify the health promotion needs of traditional students in a college environment. More specifically, the research question was: What are the health promotion needs of traditional students in a college environment? Subjects were male and female students, 18-21 years of age, and enrolled in a full-time (minimum of 12 hours) program of study at one of two college campuses in a metropolitan southern city. One of these was a 2-year state-affiliated community college and the other was a private 4-year coeducation university. A randomized sample of 148 subjects was computed. Results of this study emphasize the distinctive individual and group health promotion needs of traditional students in a college environment. Identification of the health promotion needs of this population will enable health care providers to develop interventions to assist students in developing healthy lifestyle behaviors.
Adolescent↗
The relationship of perceived benefits of and barriers to reported exercise in older African American women.
The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine the perceived benefits of and barriers to exercise of a convenience sample of older African American women in senior citizen centers in an urban area in the mid-South. This descriptive study utilized a convenience sample of older African American women over 60 years of age and examined the relationship among their current exercise levels, their perceptions regarding the importance of exercise, and the benefits of and barriers to engaging in regular exercise. The level of exercise was measured using the Exercise scale of the Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile (HPLP), the perceptions of the importance of exercise were measured by a Cantril ladder, and the benefits of and barriers to exercise were measured by the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale (EBBS) and one open-ended question on perceived barriers. A significant relationship was found between reported exercise levels and perceived benefits of and barriers to exercise (p < 0.001). Benefits most cited by participants reflected those categorized as life enhancing. Barriers cited most often related to exercise accessibility and availability. Results of this study support the need for community-based exercise programs for specific populations. Nursing interventions are needed that help women in general and African American women in particular to adopt exercise as a daily health-promotive activity.
Black or African American↗
Teleform: a blessing or burden?
Burgeoning technology has created numerous alternatives for even the most mundane aspect of research, that is, data entry. Our research team is conducting a large NIH NINR clinical trial, and data entry and management are important aspects of this study. Our research team needed to decide whether to use manual data entry or a scannable form of data entry. This article describes some of the advantages and disadvantages related to our decision to use scannable data entry Teleformtrade mark.
Clinical Trials as Topic↗
Race differences in the relationships between dietary nutrients and overweight in women.
Increasingly overweight is a health problem in the United States, especially for African American (AA) women. Height, weight, and 24-hour dietary recall measurements from 46 European American (EA) and 44 AA women were used to assess the relationships between nutrients and overweight and the possible modifying effects of race. Significant race interactions were found when assessing the relationships between overweight and fats and mineral supplements. More EA women were overweight who had excessive fat intake, whereas more AA women were overweight who had appropriate fat intake. This reversed pattern for AA women was unexpected. Another unexpected finding was that overweight EA women used mineral supplements more frequently than nonoverweight EA women. These results were discussed in terms of energy imbalances, metabolic differences, and cultural differences. Additional studies of overweight assessing race and other biological factors that also include measures of energy expenditure and more precise measures of dietary energy intake are recommended.
Adult↗
Comparison of lifestyles among obese and nonobese African American and European American women in the community.
BACKGROUND: Gender and race differences in preventive health behavior have been examined in several studies. A few race- and gender-specific studies of health-promoting activities have been conducted although none of these specifically addresses race, female gender, obesity, and health-promoting activities. Such a study would fill an important gap in the literature. OBJECTIVES: To examine the effects of race and obesity on health-promoting behaviors in women. METHOD: A comparative descriptive design was used with two levels of body size (obese and nonobese) and two levels of race (African American and European American). RESULTS: Obese women scored lower than nonobese women on all Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP) scales. African American women scored lower than European women only on nutrition. CONCLUSIONS: Health promotion counseling should be considered for all obese women because obesity may be a mediating variable between race and health-promoting behaviors.
Adult↗
Health promoting lifestyles: healthy women and women with breast cancer.
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Breast Neoplasms↗
Concept analysis of outcomes for advanced practice nursing.
The importance of accurately measuring health care outcomes is mentioned frequently in the literature. To do so, a common understanding of what constitutes a care delivery outcome is needed. In this article, a concept analysis of outcomes is provided, with identification of potential outcomes relevant to advanced practice.
Health Promotion↗