Physical activity research in nursing.

PURPOSE: To present exemplars of physical activity research in nursing, illustrate the importance of physical activity research across the lifespan, and recommend directions for theory development and research. METHODS: Studies of physical activity and exercise currently being conducted by nurse investigators were reported and critiqued by attendees of the Midwest Nursing Research Society 2000 Preconference session entitled "Promoting Physical Activity Among Diverse Groups Across the Health Continuum." Physical activity and exercise literature during the past decade was reviewed. Databases searched included Medline, CINAHL, Wilson, and ERIC. FINDINGS: Investigators have emphasized the need to evaluate the effects of theory-based physical activity interventions designed to alter key correlates of physical activity identified through descriptive research. CONCLUSIONS: Regular physical activity is necessary for health promotion and disease prevention for all populations. Continued research in this important area of health behavior is critical to identify the most effective interventions to increase physical activity among diverse populations.

Exercise and nutrition: what adolescents think is important.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine adolescents' experiences with health promotion, particularly physical activity and eating patterns. Adolescents' reported experiences were triangulated with measures of physical activity and food frequency to assess congruence with goals of Healthy People 2000 (published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Welfare in 1995). Fifteen ethnically and racially diverse adolescents, ages 10 to 18, were interviewed in an adolescent primary care clinic or in their homes. Interviews were transcribed and coded line-by-line for themes apparent in the data. Major themes were compared and contrasted with previous research as a guide for developmentally appropriate health promotion interventions.

Health promotion: theoretical perspectives and clinical applications.

The article addresses the realities of health promotion practice in a managed care environment, synthesizing the most important findings from the midrange theories currently guiding wellness-oriented research. Factors that have been shown to predict engagement in a number of health behaviors are identified and are formulated into a guide for clinical assessment, intervention, and outcome evaluation for clients across the life span.

Older adults' experience of health promotion: a theory for nursing practice.

Understanding older adults' experience of health promotion is essential in effectively preserving health and functional ability and thereby reducing health care costs among members of this rapidly expanding group. During 5 months of participant observation of 80 older adults (ages of 62-88), data from 31 semistructured interviews, as well as the Health Self-Determinism Index (HSDI) designed to measure intrinsic motivation for health (Cox, Miller, & Mull, 1987), were analyzed using methods common to grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Patterns central to maintaining health that provide essential theoretical grounding for health promotion practice with older adults were discovered.

Symposium on nursing centers: past, present and future.

A call for articles related to nursing centers was generated (Tanner, 1994), based on the fact that many existing nursing centers operate out of schools of nursing. Proceedings of a symposium on nursing centers presented at the Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS) meeting in April 1994 are shared as a way of advancing the development, implementation, and evaluation of nursing centers. The four contributions represent a review of the historical, empirical, and anecdotal literature, key elements in creating and maintaining a research laboratory, data sets useful for practice and research, and policy issues germane to nursing centers, which are a cornerstone of health care reform.

Gender and developmental differences in exercise beliefs among youth and prediction of their exercise behavior.

This study examined gender and developmental differences in exercise-related beliefs and exercise behaviors of 286 racially diverse youth and explored factors predictive of exercise. Compared to males, females reported less prior and current exercise, lower self-esteem, poorer health status, and lower exercise self-schema. Adolescents, in contrast to pre-adolescents, reported less social support for exercise and fewer exercise role models. In a path model, gender, the benefits/barriers differential, and access to exercise facilities and programs directly predicted exercise. Effects of grade, perceived health status, exercise self-efficacy, social support for exercise, and social norms for exercise on exercise behavior, were mediated through the benefits/barriers differential. Effect of race on exercise was mediated by access to exercise facilities and programs. Continued exploration of gender and developmental differences in variables influencing physical activity can yield valuable information for tailoring exercise promotion interventions to the unique needs of youth.

Life-style changes in a cardiac rehabilitation program: the client perspective.

Major life-style changes are required after an acute coronary event, although the vast majority of patients are unsuccessful in maintaining these changes. This study examines factors clients view as enabling or disabling their life-style changes for health promotion. Ten patients in a cardiac rehabilitation program were interviewed using grounded theory methodology. Both health protection and health promotion stimulated life-style change, as did instructions from the physician and life enjoyment. Enabling and disabling factors affecting the process of repatterning were individually defined, but changes in beliefs, attitudes, and plans facilitated repatterning. Specific precipitants to change, forces influencing change, and methods of repatterning life style are discussed, as are nursing implications.

Payment for nursing services: issues in policy implementation.

The respondents presented a picture of payment in Wisconsin that varied among specialty groups and among practitioners within each specialty group. Some nurses in each category had been paid directly, but this tended to be the exception rather than the rule. Even when nurses were paid by third-party payers, client needs were reported as exceeding coverage, payments were difficult to collect, and in most specialty areas, payments received were insufficient for nurses to live on unless other sources of income were available. Records of client utilization, time spent, and types of service were kept by at least some members of each specialty group should such data be needed in further research.

The use of nursing diagnoses for health promotion in community practice.

The use of nursing diagnosis contributes to health promotion by helping nurses define and organize knowledge for community practice. When community nurses assess clients' responses to life and health events, clinical judgment frequently requires formulation of both positive and problem-oriented nursing diagnoses. Clinical examples and research findings are used to illustrate the use of nursing diagnoses for health promotion in community practice.