• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.73-82
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• 2010

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of a weight control programs on BMI, nutrition knowledge, physical fitness and stress level of adult obese women. The subjects of this study were 36 adult obese women aged 30-65 years whose BMI were above $23\;kg/m^2$. The weight control program for obese women included nutritional education, exercise and cognitive behavioral therapy for 12 weeks. The BMI of the subjects was significantly decreased (p < 0.001) from $27.1\;kg/m^2$ to $26.4\;kg/m^2$ after the 12 weeks of the weight control program. In addition, the weight of body fat was significantly decreased (p < 0.001) and % body fat was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) from 35.4% to 34.9% after completion of the weight control program. In addition, nutritional knowledge (p < 0.001) and eating behavior scores (p < 0.01) were significantly increased. However, the food intake scores were not changed after the program. Stress levels of the adult obese women were significantly decreased (p < 0.001) from 85.63 to 66.88 and also obesity stress levels were significantly decreased (p < 0.01) after the weight control program. In the physical fitness levels of the subjects, muscle endurance (p < 0.05) and ability of balance (p < 0.01) were significantly improved after completion of the weight control program. There were positive significant correlations between general stress and obesity stress level (p < 0.05), and negative correlations between stress level and food intake score (p < 0.05). These results showed that the weight control program for adult obese women may be effectively used to improve weight reduction, physical fitness and stress levels.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.138-148
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was conducted in order to determine the effects of a health promotion program on perception of health behavior, physical fitness, and body composition in child care helpers. Methods: The study had a one group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. Data were collected from 38 child care helpers from July 6 to November 9, 2013. The health promotion program consisted of health education, self-exercise, encouragement, and identification. The following data were collected perception(perceived benefit, barrier, and self-efficacy), physical fitness(balance, grasp power, and flexibility), and body composition(body mass index, body fat ratio, waist circumference, and basal metabolic rate) and analysis was performed using on SPSS WIN 18.0. Results: Self-efficacy showed a significant increased. Body mass index, body fat ratio, and waist circumference showed a significant decreased. No significant difference in perceived benefit, barrier, physical fitness, and basal metabolic rate was observed between pre-test and post-test. Conclusion: This health promotion program had an effect on self-efficacy and body composition in child care helpers. Therefore, this health promotion program for child care helpers can be recommended as an effective nursing intervention.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.252-260
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of physical fitness improvement program on work intensity of persons with Down syndrome. For this, 8 adults with Down syndrome participated in program and were evaluated. The physical fitness improvement program consisted of grasp, lifting, carrying exercise for 12 weeks, 1 day a week for 2 hours per session. Compared with pre-program conditions, participants in program improved significantly in right grasp power, lifting ability but there was not significant improvement in carrying ability. In view of work intensity, work intensity level of two subjects was changed from average to hard in lifting. One subject was changed from very light to average and two subjects was changed from light to average in carrying. This results suggested that physical fitness improvement program was helpful for promotion the intensity of adults with Down syndrome.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.217-226
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• 2017

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the effects of Tai Chi training program on physical fitness, stress response and ego-resiliency in nursing students. Methods: 28 nursing students of D metropolitan city participated in non-equivalent control group pre- and post-test group test in quasi experimental design with written consent. Fourteen participants in the control group who did usual activities and 14 experimental participants who promised to participate 24 Tai Chi training sessions for 12 weeks. Both groups completed pre- and post-test measurement for physical fitness, a questionnaire regarding their stress response and ego-resiliency. Each 60-minute Tai Chi session was consisted of 5-minute warm up, 10-minute meditation, 40-minute Tai Chi, and 5-minute finishing exercise. Results: After 12 weeks, participants in the Tai Chi group reported significantly higher score in muscle endurance (t=3.77, p=.001), leg muscular strength (t=2.14, p=.042), and balance (t=2.12, p=.044) compared to the control group. The Tai Chi group recorded significantly lower score than the control group on stress response (t=2.75, p=.011). Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of Tai Chi for a reduction in stress response and promotion in physical fitness in nursing students. Applying Tai Chi training to nursing program will help nursing students to have better academic performance.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.269-279
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• 2008

Purpose: The study was to examine the effect of lumbar stabilization exercise on back pain, physical fitness, sleep, and depression in middle-aged women who have chronic back pain. Methods: With one group pre-post test design, 18 subjects who have had more than 6 months of back pain were recruited by convenience sampling in D metropolitan area. Lumbar stabilization exercise was based on Tai Chi for back pain program developed by Lam(2003). This program was mainly focusing on strengthening lumbar stabilizing muscle for one hour per session, twice a week for 20 weeks. Degree of back pain, back pain disability, sleep, and depression were measured at three time points(pretest, 12 weeks, and 20 weeks) by a structured study questionnaire. Physical fitness variables including waist flexibility, mobility, and back muscle strength were measured three times at health promotion center located in the university hospital. Data were analyzed by frequency, descriptive statistics, and repeated measures of ANOVA. Results: Mean age of subjects was 52 years(SD = 6.4). Most of them(90%) had suffered from back pain more than one year and 67% was taking medicine to relieve their back pain. Results showed that back pain score and disability score were not significantly decreased after the exercise. On physical fitness variables, however, waist flexibility(F = 3.50, p = .04) and mobility(F = 3.31, p = .04) were improved after the exercise. Quality of sleep(F = 4.48, p = .03) was improved gradually and depression scores were also decreased(F = 3.12, p = .05) after the exercise. Conclusion: This lumbar stabilization exercise was not able to reduce chronic back pain, but could improve physical fitness and psycho-social variables for community dwelling women who have chronic back pain. Further study is needed to replicate this exercise with control group to confirm the positive effect.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.351-363
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Pilates exercise on the back pain index, pelvic tilt angle, and physical fitness of pregnant women with low back pain. Methods: All study participants, all of whom had pregnancy-induced back pain, were randomly assigned to either a Pilates exercise group (PG, n = 8) or control group (CG, n = 7). The PG performed a Pilates exercise for 50 minutes three times a week for eight weeks. The back pain scale and pelvic tilt angle were measured using a visual analogue scale and angulometer, respectively. Cardiopulmonary endurance, flexibility, and grip strength were measured to examine the physical fitness. The variables were analyzed using two-way repeated-measures ANOVA with the Holm-Sidak post hoc procedure. Results: Back pain in the PG significantly decreased from 4.69 ± 1.28 to 1.06 ± 0.94, whereas the CG showed significantly increased back pain from 2.63 ± 2.20 to 4.71 ± 2.56. The left pelvic angle in the PG showed a significant decrease from 13.94 ± 3.70° to 12.29 ± 2.95°, while the CG showed a non-significant difference from 13.07 ± 4.42° to 17.37 ± 3.13°. The right pelvic angle in the PG showed a significant decrease from 13.50 ± 4.47° to 10.34 ± 3.66°, while a non-significant difference in the CG from 44 ± 4.98° to 15.30 ± 3.61° was found. These results showed that the regular participation in Pilates exercise was effective in reducing the pelvic tilt angle. In terms of physical fitness, the PG showed a significant increase in cardiopulmonary endurance, flexibility, and grip strength. However, the CG showed any significance increase in those variables. Conclusion: Eight weeks of Pilates exercise was associated with a decrease in lower back pain, a maintained or reduced pelvic tilt angle, and increased cardiopulmonary endurance, grip strength, and flexibility in pregnant woman with lumbar pain.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2012

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of a 24-week combined exercise training program in older women with hypertension. Women with hypertension who were 70 years and older were randomized into two groups: combined exercise group (CE; n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). The CE group performed a combined exercise training program four times per week for 24 weeks and the control group did not. Five factors, including body composition (percent body fat and skeletal muscle mass), health-related physical fitness, adipocytokines (interleukin-6 [IL-6] and tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α]), kidney risk factors (glomerular filtration rate [GFR] and cystatin C), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured before and after the program. The findings showed that total muscle mass, health-related physical fitness factors, and GFR increased significantly in the CE group compared to those in the control. Additionally, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and IL-6, TNF-α, and cystatin C levels in the CE group decreased significantly after the intervention. In contrast, total muscle mass decreased significantly and blood pressure remained unchanged in the control group. These results suggest that CE training may positively impact circulating levels of adipocytokines and cystatin C and improve physical fitness levels in elderly women with hypertension. Therefore, CE training helps to prevent renal disease and improve health-related physical fitness, eventually leading to a better quality of life.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.103-112
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• 2017

PURPOSE: Regular physical activity in the elderly population has significant benefits for health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of aquatic group exercise on body composition and mental health of the elderly females. METHODS: This study included 40 elderly women. The aquatic group exercise program was performed for an hour a day, 3 times a week for 12 weeks with moderate-intensity level. The body composition, physical fitness mental health instruments were used to measure the outcome variables before and after the program. Data was analyzed with SPSS using descriptive statistics and the t-test. RESULTS: It was found that the 12 week aquatic group exercise program had effects on body mass and BMR were significantly improved after the intervention of this study. In health related physical fitness, flexibility and sense of balance were significantly increased in the participants. In the mental health of the female elderly participants were evaluated in areas such as depression, sense of isolation, interpersonal anxiety, and sociality. They showed significant change in a positive way. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that aquatic group exercise should be activated and encouraged to enhance physical and mental health of elderly women and various types of manuals should be developed according to characteristics of programs to operate this exercise more effectively.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.393-397
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• 2017

Background: It has been suggested that engaging technology can empower individuals to be more proactive about their health and reduce their health risks. The aim of the present intervention was to study the effects of technology-aided testing and feedback on physical activity and biological age of employees in a middle-sized enterprise. Methods: In all, 121 employees (mean age $42{\pm}10$ years) participated in the 12-month three-arm cluster randomized trial. The fitness measurement process (Body Age) determined the participants' biological age in years. Physical activity was measured with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form. Results: Physical activity did not change during the intervention. Biological age (better fitness) improved in all groups statistically significantly (p < 0.001), but with no interaction effects. The mean changes (years) in the groups were -2.20 for the controls, e2.83 for the group receiving their biological age and feedback, and -2.31 for the group receiving their biological age, feedback, and a training computer. Conclusion: Technology-aided testing with feedback does not seem to change the amount of physical activity but may enhance physical fitness measured by biological age.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.97-104
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• 2011

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of smoking on aerobic physical fitness among physical education major male university students participating in regular exercise. Methods: A group of 42 healthy male students majoring physical education were divided into two groups: non-smokers (n=$26, 20.61{\pm}2.78 $yrs) and smokers (n=16, $21.25{\pm}2.29 $ yrs). Graded exercise testing for maximal oxygen consumption ($VO_2max$) was measured by Bruce protocol. Results: $VO_2max$ was not different between non-smokers and smokers, however, exercise duration time in non-smokers was more longer than smokers'. In non-smokers, ventilatory threshold (VT) time was delayed longer than smokers (p<0.01). %VT/VEmax was significantly different between non-smokers and smokers (p<0.01). Resting heart rate (p<0.01) and recovery heart rate at 80 seconds (p<0.01) in non-smokers were significantly lower than those of smokers. The decrease in heart rate recovery in non smokers was greater than in smokers at 40(p<0.05), 60(p<0.05) and 80(p<0.01) seconds. Conclusions: These results suggest that smoking has negative effects on aerobic fitness of male university students in physical education major.