Adelphi’s CHI Summer
Scholar Paul Rukavina, PhD, Associate Professor & Coordinator of Physical Education Non-Certification
Programs in the Department of Exercise Science, Health Studies, Physical
Education, and Sport Management in the Ruth S. Ammon School of Education,
Adelphi University.
This course was an
introduction to the basics of regression analysis commonly used in the areas of
physical activity and health promotion research. Sheila Vaidya, the instructor,
systematically covered correlation, simple and multiple regression models,
omnibus and partial F-Test, interpretation of interaction terms and using dummy
coding for categorical variables. Last, we explored regression diagnostics and
model type selection. The coursed described the theory and underlying
assumptions of linear regression models. All of the classes were lecture-based
and occurred at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.
I used the knowledge
that I gained from the applied regression analysis class in a recent research
project with colleagues Drs. Christy Greenleaf, University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Jody Langdon, Georgia Southern University. We
investigated the psychosocial predictors of obesity bias in pre-allied health
and exercise science professionals, which includes the internationalization of
general and athletic body ideals, perceived media pressure and information, and
achievement goal orientations.
We theorized
pre-allied health and exercise science students had internalized attitudes from
socialization in sport and exercise, and that these attitudes might predict
attitudes toward overweight and obese individuals. The results indicated that
the pre-allied health professionals were explicitly biased toward overweight
and obese people, had internalized an athletic ideal (ideal body is toned for
women, and athletically muscular for men), and had a high task orientation
(improving oneself in sports) and ego orientation (comparison of oneself to
others in sports).
Regression analyses
produced some results as well. Internalization of the athletic body type
predicted several aspects of obesity bias. In other words, those who held
athletic body ideals were likely to be explicitly biased toward overweight and
obese individuals. Also, task orientation negatively predicted character disparagement
of overweight and obese. Those who had a tendency toward viewing one’s success
as improving (using oneself as referent for success) tended not to hold
stereotypes that disparaged the character of overweight and obese.
The results are
important for those that prepare pre-allied health and exercise science
professionals. If students’ attitudes go unchecked, these attitudes may
negatively manifest when working with clients who lack athletic bodies or are
overweight, such as overly blaming them for their condition and not providing
the same attention or treatment as others who have more athletic body shapes
and sizes.
It is important for
professors to situate knowledge of overweight and obesity in a social ecological
framework. Professors should emphasize that the determinants of body shape and
size go beyond personal lifestyle choices and behavior; body shape and size are
influenced by biology and genetics, social and physical environment,
opportunities for health care, and policy making. Instead of assuming a client
is lazy or lack will power, a client may be larger partly because of their
genetics or lack of access to health foods, physical activity facilities, or
health care.
The results of this
study will be published in an upcoming issue of Advances of Physiology
Education.
