Functional electrical stimulation-induced muscular fatigue: Effect of fiber composition and stimulation frequency on rate of fatigue development.

This investigation evaluated the progression towards fatigue in two muscles of differing fast- and slow-twitch fiber proportions (abductor pollicis brevis (APB) and vastus lateralis (VL)) when activated by functional electrical stimulation (FES) at three frequencies (10, 35, and 50 Hz). Fatigue was defined as a 50% drop from the initial FES-induced force of 25% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Ten healthy adults (mean age: 23.

Perceived Self-Efficacy and Financial Incentives: Factors Affecting Health Behaviors and Weight Loss in a Workplace Weight Loss Intervention.

Objective: To evaluate if self-efficacy (SE) and financial incentives (FI) mediate the effect of health behavior on weight loss in a group of overweight and obese nursing-home employees participating in a 16-week weight-loss intervention with 12-week follow-up.

Methods: Ninety nine overweight/obese (body mass index [BMI] > 25) employees from four nursing-homes participated, with a mean age of 46.98 years and BMI of 35.

Associations Among Work and Family Health Climate, Health Behaviors, Work Schedule, and Body Weight.

Objectives: Correctional employees exhibit elevated obesity rates. This study examines interrelations among health behaviors, health climate, body mass index (BMI), and work schedule.

Methods: Using survey results from correctional supervisors (n = 157), mediation and moderated-mediation analyses were performed to examine how health behaviors explain relationships between obesity, work health climate (WHC) and family health climate (FHC), and work schedule.

Electrically and Hybrid-Induced Muscle Activations: Effects of Muscle Size and Fiber Type.

The effect of three electrical stimulation (ES) frequencies (10, 35, and 50 Hz) on two muscle groups with different proportions of fast and slow twitch fibers (abductor pollicis brevis (APB) and vastus lateralis (VL)) was explored. We evaluated the acute muscles' responses individually and during hybrid activations (ES superimposed by voluntary activations). Surface electromyography (sEMG) and force measurements were evaluated as outcomes.

Psychological Health and Overweight and Obesity Among High Stressed Work Environments.

Correctional employees are recognized to underreport stress and stress symptoms and are known to have a culture that discourages appearing "weak" and seeking psychiatric help. This study assesses underreporting of stress and emotions. Additionally, it evaluates the relationships between stress and emotions on health behaviors.

The weight loss blogosphere: an online survey of weight loss bloggers.

Blogging is a form of online journaling that has been increasingly used to document an attempt in weight loss. Despite the prevalence of weight loss bloggers, few studies have examined this population. We examined characteristics of weight loss bloggers and their blogs, including blogging habits, reasons for blogging, like and dislikes of blogging, and associations between blogging activity and weight loss.

Work Characteristics as Predictors of Correctional Supervisors' Health Outcomes.

Objective: This study examined associations among health behaviors, psychosocial work factors, and health status.

Methods: Correctional supervisors (n = 157) completed a survey that assessed interpersonal and organizational views on health. Chi-square and logistic regressions were used to examine relationships among variables.

Demographic, health-related, and work-related factors associated with body mass index and body fat percentage among workers at six Connecticut manufacturing companies across different age groups: a cohort study.

Background: Effective workplace interventions that consider the multifactorial nature of obesity are needed to reduce and prevent obesity among adults. Furthermore, the factors associated with obesity may differ for workers across age groups. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify demographic, health-related, and work-related factors associated with baseline and changes in body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BFP) and among Connecticut manufacturing workers acrossage groups.

The Link between Musculoskeletal Pain, Lifestyle Behaviors, Exercise Self-Efficacy, and Quality of Life in Overweight and Obese Individuals.

Objective: To determine the extent musculoskeletal (MS) pain in the low back and knee (weight-bearing (WB) joints), shoulder and wrist (non-weight bearing joints), and exercise self-efficacy mediates associations between overweight and obesity levels based on BMI (4 levels: overweight, obese class I, II, or III), physical function, emotional role, social interference, and physical activity (PA) levels.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Four long-term nursing home facilities in the Northeast U.

Lower-extremity joint kinematics and muscle activations during semi-reclined cycling at different workloads in healthy individuals.

Background: A better understanding of lower-extremity muscles' activation patterns and joint kinematics during different workloads could help rehabilitation professionals with prescribing more effective exercise regimen for elderly and those with compromised muscles. We examined the relative contribution, as well as activation and co-activation patterns, of lower-extremity muscles during semi-reclined cycling at different workloads during a constant cadence.

Methods: Fifteen healthy novice cyclists participated at three 90-second cycling trials with randomly assigned workloads of 0, 50, and 100 W, at a constant cadence of 60 rpm.

Effectiveness of Financial Incentives in a Worksite Diabetes Prevention Program.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of financial incentive in a diabetes prevention weight loss program at worksites.

Design: Group-level randomized intervention study.

Setting: Four long-term care facilities, randomly assigned to "incentive-IG" or "non incentive-NIG" groups.

Workplace-based participatory approach to weight loss for correctional employees.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a participatory approach using an employee design team for a 12-week weight-loss program with an 8-week follow-up.

Methods: Twenty-four employees with mean [standard error (SE)] for weight 233.24 lb [8.

Cost-effectiveness of a workplace-based incentivized weight loss program.

Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness ratios of a nursing home-based incentivized Behavioral Weight Management Program (BWMP) from the employer's perspective.

Methods: Seventy-two overweight and obese health care workers completed the BWMP (n = 35 incentivized; n = 37 nonincentivized). Weight change outcomes were compared for the pre- (0) and postintervention (28 weeks) follow-up periods within and between sites.

Assessment of a Worksite Health Promotion Readiness Checklist.

Objective: To assess the utility of a Worksite Health Promotion Readiness Checklist (WRCL) designed to evaluate the worksite's readiness for implementing health promotion and health protection programs.

Methods: The WRCL was pilot tested in worksites with (WHPy) and without (WHPn) health promotion programs. The two parts of WRCL scores (observational and administrative) for WHPy and WHPn sites were compared within and between the worksites to establish WRCL utility and sensitivity.

The role of tailored consultation following health-risk appraisals in employees' health behavior.

Objectives: This study evaluates employees' health and lifestyle changes following health risk appraisal only and health risk appraisal with a consultation (HRAC) based on the constructs of Transtheoretical model (TTM).

Methods: Sixty employees self-selected to an HRAC or health risk appraisal only, implemented in 6-month interval. Demographics, lifestyle behavior, and stage of change (SOC) assessments based on TTM along with weight, height, body mass index, blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol were measured.

Leg joint power output during progressive resistance FES-LCE cycling in SCI subjects: developing an index of fatigue.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the biomechanics of the hip, knee and ankle during a progressive resistance cycling protocol in an effort to detect and measure the presence of muscle fatigue. It was hypothesized that knee power output can be used as an indicator of fatigue in order to assess the cycling performance of SCI subjects.

Methods: Six spinal cord injured subjects (2 incomplete, 4 complete) between the ages of twenty and fifty years old and possessing either a complete or incomplete spinal cord injury at or below the fourth cervical vertebra participated in this study.

E-technology and pedometer walking program to increase physical activity at work.

This study examined the application of the transtheoretical model (TTM) as a means to increase physical activity at the worksite through the introduction of a 10-week pedometer walking program combined with internet-based motivational messages. Participants (N = 206) were employees of two worksites who completed a health history questionnaire and assessment based on the TTM. There were significant improvements in the number of steps per week, level of physical activity, movement through stage of change and other health related indicators (p < 0.

Prediction of calf volume during muscle contraction.

This study evaluated the relationship between calf volume changes and different intensities of maximum voluntary contractions (MVCs) of a lower limb performing plantar flexions. An electronic plethysmography instrument (EPI) was developed, and after testing for its reliability, it was used to measure calf volume changes. For EPI, the reliability correlation coefficients (r) to measure calf volume consistently were .

Identifying offline muscle strength profiles sufficient for short-duration FES-LCE exercise: a PAC learning model approach.

Unlabelled: Functional electrical stimulation-induced leg cycle ergometry (FES-LCE) provides therapeutic exercise for persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, there exists no systematic approach to predict whether an individual has sufficient thigh muscle strength necessary for FES-LCE exercise.

Objective: To develop and test a Probably Approximately Correct (PAC) learning model as a predictor of thigh muscle strengths sufficient for short-duration FES-LCE exercise and compare the model's performance with other well-known statistical methods.

Electrically induced and voluntary activation of physiologic muscle pump: a comparison between spinal cord-injured and able-bodied individuals.

Objective: To evaluate the central haemodynamic responses during position changes from supine to sitting and during 30 min of standing between able-bodied and spinal cord-injured subjects. Also to assess the effects of the physiologic muscle pump in both groups during 30 min of standing.

Design: A repeated measure design.