Advisory Committee Chair
Marti Rice
Advisory Committee Members
Anne Turner-Henson
Glenda Smith
Sharina Person
Bonnie Spear
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2010
Degree Name by School
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) School of Nursing
Abstract
The aims of this study were to: 1) examine associations between self-concept (SC), physical activity (PA), sedentary screen time (SST), and blood pressure (BP) and 2) determine the amount of variance explained by SC, PA, and SST in BP. The increase in SST along with decreases in PA may contribute to increases in BP. SC, PA and SST have been associated with BP in adolescents but less is known about middle school children. A sample of 116 (36 males; 80 females; 51 African American, 65 White) 6th and 7th grade11-13 year old students were recruited in a southeastern state. Participants had BP, height, and weight measured and completed SC, PA, and SST instruments. Participants had a mean SBP of 115.60 mmHg (range of 80 to 144); mean DBP of 65.45 mmHg (range of 53 to 93). Twenty-five percent of participants had SBP at or above the 90th percentile; 7 participants had DBP at or above the 90th percentile. Thirty-five percent of participants were overweight or obese. The majority of participants did not meet PA guidelines. Mean time in SST within the previous 24 hours was 170.52 minutes. Relationships between the study variables and BP were not significant. SC and adherence to PA guidelines did not account for a significant amount of the variance in BP. Positive relationships were noted between SST and Scholastic Competence as well as PA and Athletic Competence and Physical Appearance. Recommendations for future study include a more reliable PA measure and a larger sample size.
Recommended Citation
Gulledge, Elizabeth Di Benedetto, "The Influence of Self-Concept, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Screen Time Activities on Blood Pressure in 11-13 year old Middle School Children" (2010). All ETDs from UAB. 1809.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/1809