Online Lightning Talks
The Effects of Joint Sports Injuries on College Students
Virtual Lightning Talk Ezzeldin R. Aly
The findings will determine the injury prevention program each athlete receives. After evaluating the patient’s pre-evaluation and post discharge performance, we will see much healthier athletes as a result of proper nutrition, training, and the use of proper body mechanics with therapeutic exercises. The goal is to obtain the most efficient regime that will keep the athletes healthier and stronger throughout their sports tenure. Colligate athletes from various campus sports will be evaluated and prescribed injury prevention programs to decrease the likelihood of mutual joint injury. 25 subjects, matched for age, sex, activity level, and sport specificity, will be selected randomly to a control or injury prevention training group. All subjects will receive the same standard during the initial evaluation to determine problematic joint areas. The initial physical therapy & injury prevention evaluation will consist of passive and active range of motion assessment of the shoulder, ankle, knee, and elbow using an electronic goniometer. All subjects will conduct a manual muscle testing of all joints supporting muscles, to check for weakness. There will be documentation of the clinicians examining the athlete’s posture from an anterior view, lateral view, and posterior view. In addition, all athletes will be evaluated with an overhead squat test. This test is used to determine overactive and/or underactive anatomy at the shoulder, ankle, knee, and elbow. All findings will be documented in the athlete undisclosed chart for further research to determine the best injury prevention program for the athlete.
Health and Fitness Status of Australian Paramedics: A Cause for Concern
Virtual Lightning Talk Jayden R Hunter
Paramedics are among the most frequently injured health professionals in Australia, performing duties that require awkward and heavy manual handling tasks interspersed with periods of sedentary behaviour throughout a shift. However, few data are available on health and fitness profiles or how to monitor and facilitate paramedic fitness levels to reduce occupational injury risk. A group of regional Australian paramedics (n=140; 78 male; mean±SD 37.6±10.2 years; BMI 28.5±5.5 kg/m2) underwent health and fitness assessment. Measures included resting blood pressure (BP; Omron HEM-7322, Japan), body composition (body fat % by bioelectrical impedance; Inner Scan V, Tanita, Japan), upper, lower and core-body muscular strength (maximum push-ups (modified for females), single-leg (SL) wall squat (total of left and right; sec) and prone plank hold; sec) and flexibility (sit and reach; cm). Outcomes were compared between sex using multivariate ANOVA and against ACSM norms. Males had higher mean BP vs. females (p<0.01): 136 (95% CI 133-139)/86 (84-89) mmHg vs. 122 (118-126)/80 (77-83) mmHg (both pre-hypertensive); less body fat (p<0.001): 23.6 (95% CI 21.6-25.5) % (poor) vs. 35.0 (32.6-37.3) % (very poor); greater upper body strength (p<0.05; push-ups): 23 (20-25) (very good) vs. 18 (14-21) (good); similar lower body strength (SL wall squat): 35.2 (29.5-40.9) sec vs. 29.0 (22.2-35.7) sec (both below average); similar core strength (plank hold): 88.0 (77.6-98.4) sec (average) vs. 74.0 (61.6-86.5) sec (below average); and less flexibility (p<0.01; sit and reach): 20.4 (17.9-22.9) cm (poor) vs. 27.4 (24.4-30.4) cm (fair). Insufficient core and lower body strength and flexibility coupled with demanding manual handling tasks may increase the risk of work-related musculoskeletal injuries in paramedics. High body fat and pre-hypertensive BP levels suggest increased cardiometabolic disease risk in this population.
Plug into Nature: Wellness, Nature and Technology in the Digital Age
Virtual Lightning Talk Melusine Martin
Nature deficit disorder refers to a wide range of behavorial problems, including anxiety, distraction, depression, resulting from spending little or no time outside in natural environments. Researchers today acknowledge that our nervous systems are built to resonate with set points derived from the natural world. Studies about the effects of nature on brains come from a convergence of ideas and events: the growing rate of obesity, depression and anxiety (even in affluent communities and despite more medication), and the growing recognition of the role of the environment on genes. Scientists suggests that nature has specific restorative effects on the nervous system, which can become depleted with overuse. High levels of engagement with technology and multitasking place demands on attention to switch amongst tasks, and inhibit irrelevant actions. This conference paper, made following a literature based research methodology, offers a critical analysis of studies supporting the notion of nature deficit disorder and the benefits of nature in a digital context. It reflects on the effects of technology on our well-being and how nature can help us establish a healthy relationship with digital technology.
Key Factors in Health Management: Investigation of Web-Based Health Education and Health Confidence
Virtual Lightning Talk Barbara Arnoldussen
The potential of web-based health education to improve healthcare has not yet been fully realized. Neither has the assessment of consumer confidence to manage health been thoroughly explored. Data from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and the 2015 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) were analyzed to better understand those concepts. Gender, age, education, and lack of activity limitations were strongly associated with web-based education use in the general US population and in California residents. In both sets of data, the rate of searching for online health information was higher in women, younger people, more educated people, those not having an activity limitation and those in excellent/good health, as opposed to fair/poor health. In California residents, case studies of asthmatics, diabetics, and people with heart disease showed that health confidence levels were correlated with a lack of physical activity limitations and excellent/good health, instead of fair/poor health. For specific chronic illnesses, more men than women reported higher levels of health confidence. No previous studies have compared the health confidence levels of people with specific chronic diseases, or explored obstacles to health confidence in those same populations. The findings about health confidence and implications for health education were shared with a group of subject matter experts. They confirmed the usefulness of this research contribution.
Teaching Mental Health and Obesity Prevention Classes to Children in Community Settings
Virtual Lightning Talk Laura Nabors, Erin Rockstroh
This online lightning talk will present ideas for health professionals interested in providing health education regarding mental health prevention classes in stress management, emotional expression and problem solving as well as obesity prevention lessons in children's programs. Programming will focus on curriculum and program evaluation ideas for primary school-age children. Ideas for activities to promote child social and emotional development and websites with educational material will be reviewed. In addition, insights for teaching health classes to promote healthy eating and physical activity will be shared and evidence-based programs will be highlighted. Health professionals will learn valuable information about teaching young children. Ideas for evaluation will be shared. Health professionals participating in this lightning talk will learn about educational tools to promote health knowledge and behavior change for young children and creative ideas for evaluation, such as having children develop commercials for peers to share their new knowledge. Further research in the field should focus on transmitting health knowledge to parents and ideas for accomplishing this will be reviewed. Health professionals will be able to gain valuable information about promoting young children's mental health and health from this online lightning talk.
