Scott Martin | University of North Texas (original) (raw)

Papers by Scott Martin

JAMA Psychiatry, Sep 1, 2018

IMPORTANCE Cardiorespiratory fitness (hereinafter referred to as fitness) as estimated by exercis... more IMPORTANCE Cardiorespiratory fitness (hereinafter referred to as fitness) as estimated by exercise testing is a modifiable risk factor independently associated with chronic diseases, cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, and mortality, but the association of fitness at midlife with incidence of later-life depression and the risk of CVD mortality after a depression diagnosis is unknown. OBJECTIVE To determine whether fitness measured in midlife would be inversely associated with later-life CVD mortality with antecedent depression. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective cohort study at a single-center, community-based preventive medicine clinic was performed as part of the Cooper Center

International journal of sport and exercise psychology, 2004

contact) MANCOVA was conducted with past sport psychology consulting experience as a covariate an... more contact) MANCOVA was conducted with past sport psychology consulting experience as a covariate and attitudes about sport psychology as dependent variables. Follow-up univariate and discriminant function analyses were then performed to identify the attitudes that maximized differences related to gender, nationality and type of sport. Results revealed that attitudes about sport psychology services might be influenced by gender, nationality, and type of sport. Sport psychology practitioners must be sensitive to how personal characteristics and past experiences influence athletes' expectations and attitudes toward sport psychology consulting to improve the services they offer. Attitudes toward Sport Psychology Consulting of Adult Athletes from the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany The role of culture in professional help service delivery has received much attention in recent years, and evidence suggests that gender and ethnicity/race can have a significant influence on clients' opinions about the efficacy of professional help (Feltham & Horton, 2000). These same variables as well as the type of sport experience have been shown to influence athletes' expectations and attitudes about seeking sport psychology consultation and counseling

Journal of The American Dietetic Association, Sep 1, 2009

Learning Outcome: Become aware of how change in eating and exercise habits from senior year to co... more Learning Outcome: Become aware of how change in eating and exercise habits from senior year to college may in part contribute to increase in body fat during the first semester of college. Habits established with independence gained in high school are often carried forth to college. Once healthy habits established at home may be usurped by further independence and peer influence. Purpose: This study was designed to measure reported change among college freshmen in terms of maintaining a healthy active lifestyle. Subjects were 294 freshmen (57% women, 43% men.) Methods: Twice(Sept/Dec), students completed an online survey of concerns, exercise, and eating habits indicative of high school senior and fall semester of college. Ht, wt, %body fat, and waist circumference were measured. Frequencies, chi squares, and paired t-tests described changes. Significance was pϽ.05. Results: Freshmen major eating concerns changed slightly, except for the issue of gaining weight: gain weight (53.1%SR, 53.2%FR); balanced diet (39.1%, 46.8%); losing weight (22.6%, 17.9%); eat if not hungry (21.8%, 22.1%). Compared to senior year, Freshmen less often ate lunch (6.7Ϯ0.9da/wkSR, 6.1Ϯ1.4da/wkFR; pϽ0.001) and dinner (6.9Ϯ0.5da/wk, 6.6Ϯ0.9da/wk; pϭ0.005), and less frequently exercised intensely (vigorous 4.1Ϯ1.9, 3.1Ϯ1.9da/wk; pϽ0.001 and strengthening 3.3Ϯ1.8, 2.7Ϯ1.7da /wk; pϽ0.001.) Many reported eating less fruit, vegetables, and milk at semester end than at home (38.9%, 40.5%, 32.1%, respectively.) Over the semester weight rose (68.3Ϯ12.3kg, 70.14Ϯ12.7 kg, pϽ.001), with a rise in body fat and waist circumference (20.5Ϯ8.4, 22.1Ϯ8.3%, pϽ.001; 76.4Ϯ10.5, 77.5Ϯ8.5cm, pϭ.024, respectively.) Conclusions: Despite concerns for weight gain and healthy eating, freshmen choose to alter established exercise and eating habits, possibly contributing to increase body fat. Future studies may investigate increasing fruit, vegetable, and dairy at alternative sources on campus, especially near fitness facilities.

Revue Européenne de Psychologie Appliquée, May 1, 2017

Exploring weight-related teasing and depression among overweight and obese adolescents Exploratio... more Exploring weight-related teasing and depression among overweight and obese adolescents Exploration des taquineries à l'égard du poids et de la dépression chez les adolescents en surpoids et obèses

Eating Behaviors, Dec 1, 2013

Dieting to lose weight, with its focus on restriction of caloric intake, may disrupt intuitive ea... more Dieting to lose weight, with its focus on restriction of caloric intake, may disrupt intuitive eating processes, though other forms of weight loss, such as exercising, which do not emphasize food may not. In a sample of 669 middle school boys and 708 girls, regardless of sex or exercising, dieting was related to feeling less free to eat what was wanted and to eating more to soothe emotions than to satisfy actual physical hunger. Exercising, independent of dieting, was associated with feeling less permission to eat what was wanted, but also eating to satisfy physical hunger as opposed to coping with emotional distress. Overall, girls were more aware and trusting of their bodily hunger and satiety cues than boys, but when boys were exercising, they scored similarly to girls on this dimension. These findings suggest that different weight loss approaches - dieting vs. exercising - have unique relationships to young adolescents' intuitive eating and these associations tend to be stable across sex. Longitudinal studies now are needed to examine how dieting that begins in childhood or early adolescence might have long-term effects on the progression of intuitive eating.

Sex Roles, Aug 26, 2010

Boys (n=629) and girls (n=659) in grades 6 through 8 in the U.S. completed self-report measures o... more Boys (n=629) and girls (n=659) in grades 6 through 8 in the U.S. completed self-report measures of pubertal development, weight pressures, internalization, social appearance comparison, self-esteem, depression, and physical self-concept, and objective measures of cardiorespiratory fitness and BMI. Regression analyses revealed that gender moderated the strength of the relationships between the variables and body satisfaction (girls-Adj. R 2 =.49; boys-Adj. R 2 =.20), though BMI, pressures, physical self-concept, and self-esteem were related significantly for each gender. Girls were most affected by pressures related to weight loss, whereas gaining weight and musculature was most salient for boys. Future research needs to examine longitudinally how these variables contribute to the development of body satisfaction.

Journal of Counseling Psychology, 2012

Journal of School Health, Dec 10, 2013

BACKGROUND: To date, research has focused primarily on psychological correlates of weight-based t... more BACKGROUND: To date, research has focused primarily on psychological correlates of weight-based teasing. In this study, we extended previous work by also examining physical health-related variables (eg, physical self-concept and physical fitness [PF]). METHODS: Participants included 1419 middle school students (637 boys and 782 girls). Of these, 245 (17.3%) reported being teased about being overweight. Participants completed measures of self-esteem, depression, physical self-concept, physical activity (PA) self-efficacy, and self-report physical and sedentary activities. Participants also completed PF testing. RESULTS: After controlling for demographic characteristics, participants who were teased about being overweight had higher scores on depression and lower scores on self-esteem, physical self-concept, PA self-efficacy, and health-related measures of PF in comparison to participants who were not teased. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study support previous research indicating relationships between teasing and low levels of psychological well-being, physical self-concept, and PA self-efficacy, and establishes one between weight-based teasing and different types of PF. Research is needed to determine the potential causal nature of the relationships between teasing and fitness and evidence-based interventions are needed to reduce weight-based teasing and its potential effects on health and well-being.

Journal for the Study of Sports and Athletes in Education, 2022

Undergraduate Kinesiology Students. Master of Science (Kinesiology), August 2020, 26 pp., 6 table... more Undergraduate Kinesiology Students. Master of Science (Kinesiology), August 2020, 26 pp., 6 tables, references, 42 titles. The purpose of this study was to examine current kinesiology students' athletic identity, identity foreclosure, perceived task value in sport, and perfectionism. An online survey was distributed via email to current kinesiology students. The survey contained questions regarding demographic information and items from the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale, Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status, Perceived Task Value in Sport, Sport Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale-2, and Multidimensional Inventory of Perfectionism in Sport. Results of the Pearson moment correlations indicated that the higher the athletic identity, the higher the subjective task value, identity foreclosure, perfectionistic strivings, and perfectionistic concerns. Multiple regression analyses were performed to further examine the predictive power of athletic identity, subjective task value, and identity foreclosure for perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns. Results indicated that athletic identity and subjective task value were significant predictors of perfectionistic strivings. Results also showed that athletic identity and identity foreclosure were significant predictors of perfectionistic concerns. Future research should replicate the study using participants from different geographical regions. Furthermore, future research should consider a longitudinal and qualitative study to investigate the development of subjective task value in sport.

The Sport Psychologist, 2004

Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, Sep 1, 2010

Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, May 1, 2005

Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, Jun 1, 2002

Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, Sep 1, 1999

Abstract This study compared preferred coaching styles of children and their parents using the Le... more Abstract This study compared preferred coaching styles of children and their parents using the Leadership Scale for Sport (LSS; Chelladurai & Saleh, 1980). The LSS preferred form was revised and then administered to children ranging from 10 to 18 years of age who ...

Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, Sep 1, 2010

This paper summarizes the historical and legislative backgrounds leading to statewide testing of ... more This paper summarizes the historical and legislative backgrounds leading to statewide testing of health-related physical fitness in Texas children grades 3-12 as mandated by Texas Senate Bill 530. The rationale and goals for an associated research project (the Texas Youth Fitness Study, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) to evaluate data collected from the statewide initiative are provided. The study investigated the relations between health-related physical fitness and educational variables, including academic achievement, absenteeism, and negative school incidents. It also provides unique insights into the quality (both reliability and validity) of collected data and implications of large-scale school-based physical fitness testing. Teacher commentary and experiences add to the description of the data collection processes. Last, the relations between psychosocial variables and health-related fitness in middle school students are described.

Journal of sport behavior, Jun 1, 2001

... in organized youth sport programs is an accepted part of childhood development in the UnitedS... more ... in organized youth sport programs is an accepted part of childhood development in the UnitedStates (Coakley, 1998 ... Newsletter | Privacy Policy | User Agreements | Questia School | AboutUs | Advertise with Us | Contact | Tools for Webmasters ... 2010 - Questia Media America, Inc ...

International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, Sep 1, 2011

This study examined 235 American high-school football coaches' attitudes toward sport psychology ... more This study examined 235 American high-school football coaches' attitudes toward sport psychology (SP) consultation, intentions to use SP, and actual use of SP services. The coaches' attitudinal data fit the a priori hypothesized four factor model (i.e., stigma tolerance, confidence in SP consultation, personal openness, and cultural preferences). Of the coaches surveyed, 13% reported being familiar with the Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) certification for SP consultants, 3% had used SP services, and 62% did not intend to use SP services within the next six months. Past coaching experience, age, and education level influenced their stigma tolerance, confidence, and personal openness of using SP services. American high-school football coaches who were confident in SP outcomes and open to suggestions were more likely to consider using SP services.

Obesity, Nov 1, 2008

The purpose of this study was to examine college students' beliefs about youth obesity, the roles... more The purpose of this study was to examine college students' beliefs about youth obesity, the roles of schools and physical education in addressing obesity, and the training they receive to work with overweight youth. Methods and Procedure: Physical education-related (n = 212) and nonphysical education-related (n = 218) majors completed a demographic questionnaire, a Modified Fat Stereotypes Questionnaire (M-FSQ), and a Perceptions of Physical Education Questionnaire. On the basis of M-FSQ scores, participants were identified as endorsing stereotypes (n = 360) or not endorsing stereotypes (n = 70). Results: The importance of youth being normal weight was rated most highly among participants in physical education-related majors and among those who endorsed fat stereotypes. Participants who endorsed fat stereotypes, compared to those who did not, were more likely to believe that all school professionals should be involved in treating childhood obesity. Participants who endorsed fat stereotypes, compared to those who did not, more strongly agreed that physical educators should be role models by maintaining normal weight and educating parents on childhood obesity, and PE classes should focus on lifelong fitness. No group differences in perceived competencies to develop exercise, weight loss, nutritional, and educational programs for overweight youth were found. Discussion: Future research is needed to determine the extent to which these types of differences result from educational curricula that link weight and health and, possibly, reinforce negative stereotypes of overweight children. Methods for effectively intervening in educational training environments to reduce fat stereotypes among preprofessionals need to be investigated. s54

Sport Psychologist, Jun 1, 1997

A 50-item questionnaire measuring athletes' attitudes toward seeking a sport psychology consultan... more A 50-item questionnaire measuring athletes' attitudes toward seeking a sport psychology consultant (ATSSPCQ) was initially developed and then administered to 48 African American and 177 Caucasian student-athletes at a NCAA Division I university. Principal components factor analyses were conducted to extract initial factors and then varimax orthogonal rotation was performed. The analyses produced three dimensions of athlete attitude that accounted for 35% of the variance: stigma tolerance, confidence in a SPCIrecognition of need, and interpersonal opemess/willingness to try a SPC. A MANOVA and follow-up discriminant function analyses were then performed to identify the factors that maximized differences between gender and race. Significant differences in stigma tolerance were found for both gender and race. SPCs were stigmatized more by male athletes than by female athletes and more by African American athletes than by Caucasian athletes. No other significant effects were obtained.

JAMA Psychiatry, Sep 1, 2018

IMPORTANCE Cardiorespiratory fitness (hereinafter referred to as fitness) as estimated by exercis... more IMPORTANCE Cardiorespiratory fitness (hereinafter referred to as fitness) as estimated by exercise testing is a modifiable risk factor independently associated with chronic diseases, cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, and mortality, but the association of fitness at midlife with incidence of later-life depression and the risk of CVD mortality after a depression diagnosis is unknown. OBJECTIVE To determine whether fitness measured in midlife would be inversely associated with later-life CVD mortality with antecedent depression. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective cohort study at a single-center, community-based preventive medicine clinic was performed as part of the Cooper Center

International journal of sport and exercise psychology, 2004

contact) MANCOVA was conducted with past sport psychology consulting experience as a covariate an... more contact) MANCOVA was conducted with past sport psychology consulting experience as a covariate and attitudes about sport psychology as dependent variables. Follow-up univariate and discriminant function analyses were then performed to identify the attitudes that maximized differences related to gender, nationality and type of sport. Results revealed that attitudes about sport psychology services might be influenced by gender, nationality, and type of sport. Sport psychology practitioners must be sensitive to how personal characteristics and past experiences influence athletes' expectations and attitudes toward sport psychology consulting to improve the services they offer. Attitudes toward Sport Psychology Consulting of Adult Athletes from the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany The role of culture in professional help service delivery has received much attention in recent years, and evidence suggests that gender and ethnicity/race can have a significant influence on clients' opinions about the efficacy of professional help (Feltham & Horton, 2000). These same variables as well as the type of sport experience have been shown to influence athletes' expectations and attitudes about seeking sport psychology consultation and counseling

Journal of The American Dietetic Association, Sep 1, 2009

Learning Outcome: Become aware of how change in eating and exercise habits from senior year to co... more Learning Outcome: Become aware of how change in eating and exercise habits from senior year to college may in part contribute to increase in body fat during the first semester of college. Habits established with independence gained in high school are often carried forth to college. Once healthy habits established at home may be usurped by further independence and peer influence. Purpose: This study was designed to measure reported change among college freshmen in terms of maintaining a healthy active lifestyle. Subjects were 294 freshmen (57% women, 43% men.) Methods: Twice(Sept/Dec), students completed an online survey of concerns, exercise, and eating habits indicative of high school senior and fall semester of college. Ht, wt, %body fat, and waist circumference were measured. Frequencies, chi squares, and paired t-tests described changes. Significance was pϽ.05. Results: Freshmen major eating concerns changed slightly, except for the issue of gaining weight: gain weight (53.1%SR, 53.2%FR); balanced diet (39.1%, 46.8%); losing weight (22.6%, 17.9%); eat if not hungry (21.8%, 22.1%). Compared to senior year, Freshmen less often ate lunch (6.7Ϯ0.9da/wkSR, 6.1Ϯ1.4da/wkFR; pϽ0.001) and dinner (6.9Ϯ0.5da/wk, 6.6Ϯ0.9da/wk; pϭ0.005), and less frequently exercised intensely (vigorous 4.1Ϯ1.9, 3.1Ϯ1.9da/wk; pϽ0.001 and strengthening 3.3Ϯ1.8, 2.7Ϯ1.7da /wk; pϽ0.001.) Many reported eating less fruit, vegetables, and milk at semester end than at home (38.9%, 40.5%, 32.1%, respectively.) Over the semester weight rose (68.3Ϯ12.3kg, 70.14Ϯ12.7 kg, pϽ.001), with a rise in body fat and waist circumference (20.5Ϯ8.4, 22.1Ϯ8.3%, pϽ.001; 76.4Ϯ10.5, 77.5Ϯ8.5cm, pϭ.024, respectively.) Conclusions: Despite concerns for weight gain and healthy eating, freshmen choose to alter established exercise and eating habits, possibly contributing to increase body fat. Future studies may investigate increasing fruit, vegetable, and dairy at alternative sources on campus, especially near fitness facilities.

Revue Européenne de Psychologie Appliquée, May 1, 2017

Exploring weight-related teasing and depression among overweight and obese adolescents Exploratio... more Exploring weight-related teasing and depression among overweight and obese adolescents Exploration des taquineries à l'égard du poids et de la dépression chez les adolescents en surpoids et obèses

Eating Behaviors, Dec 1, 2013

Dieting to lose weight, with its focus on restriction of caloric intake, may disrupt intuitive ea... more Dieting to lose weight, with its focus on restriction of caloric intake, may disrupt intuitive eating processes, though other forms of weight loss, such as exercising, which do not emphasize food may not. In a sample of 669 middle school boys and 708 girls, regardless of sex or exercising, dieting was related to feeling less free to eat what was wanted and to eating more to soothe emotions than to satisfy actual physical hunger. Exercising, independent of dieting, was associated with feeling less permission to eat what was wanted, but also eating to satisfy physical hunger as opposed to coping with emotional distress. Overall, girls were more aware and trusting of their bodily hunger and satiety cues than boys, but when boys were exercising, they scored similarly to girls on this dimension. These findings suggest that different weight loss approaches - dieting vs. exercising - have unique relationships to young adolescents' intuitive eating and these associations tend to be stable across sex. Longitudinal studies now are needed to examine how dieting that begins in childhood or early adolescence might have long-term effects on the progression of intuitive eating.

Sex Roles, Aug 26, 2010

Boys (n=629) and girls (n=659) in grades 6 through 8 in the U.S. completed self-report measures o... more Boys (n=629) and girls (n=659) in grades 6 through 8 in the U.S. completed self-report measures of pubertal development, weight pressures, internalization, social appearance comparison, self-esteem, depression, and physical self-concept, and objective measures of cardiorespiratory fitness and BMI. Regression analyses revealed that gender moderated the strength of the relationships between the variables and body satisfaction (girls-Adj. R 2 =.49; boys-Adj. R 2 =.20), though BMI, pressures, physical self-concept, and self-esteem were related significantly for each gender. Girls were most affected by pressures related to weight loss, whereas gaining weight and musculature was most salient for boys. Future research needs to examine longitudinally how these variables contribute to the development of body satisfaction.

Journal of Counseling Psychology, 2012

Journal of School Health, Dec 10, 2013

BACKGROUND: To date, research has focused primarily on psychological correlates of weight-based t... more BACKGROUND: To date, research has focused primarily on psychological correlates of weight-based teasing. In this study, we extended previous work by also examining physical health-related variables (eg, physical self-concept and physical fitness [PF]). METHODS: Participants included 1419 middle school students (637 boys and 782 girls). Of these, 245 (17.3%) reported being teased about being overweight. Participants completed measures of self-esteem, depression, physical self-concept, physical activity (PA) self-efficacy, and self-report physical and sedentary activities. Participants also completed PF testing. RESULTS: After controlling for demographic characteristics, participants who were teased about being overweight had higher scores on depression and lower scores on self-esteem, physical self-concept, PA self-efficacy, and health-related measures of PF in comparison to participants who were not teased. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study support previous research indicating relationships between teasing and low levels of psychological well-being, physical self-concept, and PA self-efficacy, and establishes one between weight-based teasing and different types of PF. Research is needed to determine the potential causal nature of the relationships between teasing and fitness and evidence-based interventions are needed to reduce weight-based teasing and its potential effects on health and well-being.

Journal for the Study of Sports and Athletes in Education, 2022

Undergraduate Kinesiology Students. Master of Science (Kinesiology), August 2020, 26 pp., 6 table... more Undergraduate Kinesiology Students. Master of Science (Kinesiology), August 2020, 26 pp., 6 tables, references, 42 titles. The purpose of this study was to examine current kinesiology students' athletic identity, identity foreclosure, perceived task value in sport, and perfectionism. An online survey was distributed via email to current kinesiology students. The survey contained questions regarding demographic information and items from the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale, Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status, Perceived Task Value in Sport, Sport Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale-2, and Multidimensional Inventory of Perfectionism in Sport. Results of the Pearson moment correlations indicated that the higher the athletic identity, the higher the subjective task value, identity foreclosure, perfectionistic strivings, and perfectionistic concerns. Multiple regression analyses were performed to further examine the predictive power of athletic identity, subjective task value, and identity foreclosure for perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns. Results indicated that athletic identity and subjective task value were significant predictors of perfectionistic strivings. Results also showed that athletic identity and identity foreclosure were significant predictors of perfectionistic concerns. Future research should replicate the study using participants from different geographical regions. Furthermore, future research should consider a longitudinal and qualitative study to investigate the development of subjective task value in sport.

The Sport Psychologist, 2004

Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, Sep 1, 2010

Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, May 1, 2005

Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, Jun 1, 2002

Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, Sep 1, 1999

Abstract This study compared preferred coaching styles of children and their parents using the Le... more Abstract This study compared preferred coaching styles of children and their parents using the Leadership Scale for Sport (LSS; Chelladurai & Saleh, 1980). The LSS preferred form was revised and then administered to children ranging from 10 to 18 years of age who ...

Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, Sep 1, 2010

This paper summarizes the historical and legislative backgrounds leading to statewide testing of ... more This paper summarizes the historical and legislative backgrounds leading to statewide testing of health-related physical fitness in Texas children grades 3-12 as mandated by Texas Senate Bill 530. The rationale and goals for an associated research project (the Texas Youth Fitness Study, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) to evaluate data collected from the statewide initiative are provided. The study investigated the relations between health-related physical fitness and educational variables, including academic achievement, absenteeism, and negative school incidents. It also provides unique insights into the quality (both reliability and validity) of collected data and implications of large-scale school-based physical fitness testing. Teacher commentary and experiences add to the description of the data collection processes. Last, the relations between psychosocial variables and health-related fitness in middle school students are described.

Journal of sport behavior, Jun 1, 2001

... in organized youth sport programs is an accepted part of childhood development in the UnitedS... more ... in organized youth sport programs is an accepted part of childhood development in the UnitedStates (Coakley, 1998 ... Newsletter | Privacy Policy | User Agreements | Questia School | AboutUs | Advertise with Us | Contact | Tools for Webmasters ... 2010 - Questia Media America, Inc ...

International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, Sep 1, 2011

This study examined 235 American high-school football coaches' attitudes toward sport psychology ... more This study examined 235 American high-school football coaches' attitudes toward sport psychology (SP) consultation, intentions to use SP, and actual use of SP services. The coaches' attitudinal data fit the a priori hypothesized four factor model (i.e., stigma tolerance, confidence in SP consultation, personal openness, and cultural preferences). Of the coaches surveyed, 13% reported being familiar with the Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) certification for SP consultants, 3% had used SP services, and 62% did not intend to use SP services within the next six months. Past coaching experience, age, and education level influenced their stigma tolerance, confidence, and personal openness of using SP services. American high-school football coaches who were confident in SP outcomes and open to suggestions were more likely to consider using SP services.

Obesity, Nov 1, 2008

The purpose of this study was to examine college students' beliefs about youth obesity, the roles... more The purpose of this study was to examine college students' beliefs about youth obesity, the roles of schools and physical education in addressing obesity, and the training they receive to work with overweight youth. Methods and Procedure: Physical education-related (n = 212) and nonphysical education-related (n = 218) majors completed a demographic questionnaire, a Modified Fat Stereotypes Questionnaire (M-FSQ), and a Perceptions of Physical Education Questionnaire. On the basis of M-FSQ scores, participants were identified as endorsing stereotypes (n = 360) or not endorsing stereotypes (n = 70). Results: The importance of youth being normal weight was rated most highly among participants in physical education-related majors and among those who endorsed fat stereotypes. Participants who endorsed fat stereotypes, compared to those who did not, were more likely to believe that all school professionals should be involved in treating childhood obesity. Participants who endorsed fat stereotypes, compared to those who did not, more strongly agreed that physical educators should be role models by maintaining normal weight and educating parents on childhood obesity, and PE classes should focus on lifelong fitness. No group differences in perceived competencies to develop exercise, weight loss, nutritional, and educational programs for overweight youth were found. Discussion: Future research is needed to determine the extent to which these types of differences result from educational curricula that link weight and health and, possibly, reinforce negative stereotypes of overweight children. Methods for effectively intervening in educational training environments to reduce fat stereotypes among preprofessionals need to be investigated. s54

Sport Psychologist, Jun 1, 1997

A 50-item questionnaire measuring athletes' attitudes toward seeking a sport psychology consultan... more A 50-item questionnaire measuring athletes' attitudes toward seeking a sport psychology consultant (ATSSPCQ) was initially developed and then administered to 48 African American and 177 Caucasian student-athletes at a NCAA Division I university. Principal components factor analyses were conducted to extract initial factors and then varimax orthogonal rotation was performed. The analyses produced three dimensions of athlete attitude that accounted for 35% of the variance: stigma tolerance, confidence in a SPCIrecognition of need, and interpersonal opemess/willingness to try a SPC. A MANOVA and follow-up discriminant function analyses were then performed to identify the factors that maximized differences between gender and race. Significant differences in stigma tolerance were found for both gender and race. SPCs were stigmatized more by male athletes than by female athletes and more by African American athletes than by Caucasian athletes. No other significant effects were obtained.