Physical Activity & Well-Being

Overview | MS/PhD

Physical Activity and Well-Being

The Physical Activity and Well-Being theme strives to understand and optimize physical activity patterns and physiological and psychological well-being across all populations.

Research Pillars

Physical Activity Epidemiology

Explore correlations between physical activity and physical and mental health-related variables in specific populations, such as academic achievement/cognition in youth populations.

Physical Activity Interventions

Examine the feasibility and effectiveness of physical activity programs on behavioral and health outcomes implemented in a variety of settings. Outcome variables include physical activity, sedentary behavior, health-related fitness, motor competency, obesity, etc.

Tobacco Prevention and Cessation

Epidemiological studies on the patterns and prevalence of tobacco use among youth and young adults. Inform and evaluate interventions and policies to reduce tobacco use.

Physical Activity Assessment

Determine the reliability and validity of novel physical activity assessment instruments for improving the quality of physical activity measurements in epidemiological and clinical research.

Psychology of Physical Activity, Exercise, & Sedentary Behavior

Explore variability in physical activity and sedentary behavior in relation to mental well-being and ill-being. Determine the efficacy of theoretically grounded psychological interventions in impacting patterns of physical activity and sedentary behavior as well as psychological well-being.

Research Facilities

The Physical Activity and Well-Being Research Laboratory

This lab, located in HPR W 107, is designed to meet interdisciplinary and state-of-the-art research needs focusing on the assessment of physical activity and health-related fitness, interventions of physical activity and other health behaviors, and associations of physical activity with health outcomes in various populations. The lab is equipped with devices and resources for innovative teaching and collaborative research programs including: a journal library, graduate student office spaces, a meeting and presentation space, Cholestech supplies, a computer with various statistical analysis software (e.g., SPSS, SAS, STATA, Matlab, R), over 350 ActiGraph accelerometers, 1,400 Yamax CW-600 pedometers, 10 Lifecorder EX activity monitors, 30 Polar E600 heart rate monitors, 50 Polar Vantage XL heart rate monitors, 50 SW-200 Digi-walker pedometers, 50 NL-2000 and 225 NL-1000 Piezo-electric pedometers, 3 Alere Cholostech LDX analyzers and printers, 3 Contec 08A electronic blood pressure monitors with infant-adult cuffs, a POLAR Tri-Fit portable assessment unit, FITNESSGRAM testing supplies, active video game systems, and a 42-inch flat panel HDTV with a DVD player for direct observation. The lab is also equipped with a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry machine (DXA) and a Cosmed K5 portable indirect calorimetry system.

Students interested in the research being conducted in this lab should contact Dr. Bai, the Laboratory Director.

The Human Performance Research Laboratory

This lab, located in HPR N 235, provides educational and research experiences in exercise physiology. Topics include energy metabolism, oxygen consumption, cardiovascular and pulmonary function, muscular power, and body composition. Exercise Physiology Laboratory (KINES 4301) and Applied Exercise Programming (KINES 4466) courses, as well as exercise testing, and research studies conducted by faculty members in the Health & Kinesiology Department are performed in The Human Performance Research Laboratory.

Students interested in the physical activity and well-being research being conducted in this lab should contact Dr. Bai.
Questions regarding lab courses should be directed to Dr. Groot, the Laboratory Director.

MS Thesis Program Details

You will have a primary mentor but also be supported by all of the faculty in the Physical Activity and Well-Being Research Theme. You will complete a 36 credit hour program of study along with your thesis. Your courses will emphasize content area knowledge, research methods and statistics, seminar experiences with your mentors, and the completion of your thesis. Your completed thesis will be in manuscript form and submitted to a journal upon completion.

1. BS in Kinesiology or a related field
2. Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
3. The GRE requirement has been suspended. You do not need to submit your scores during the application process.

PhD Program Details

You will have a primary mentor but also be supported by all of the faculty in the Physical Activity and Well-Being Research Theme. You will complete a 67 credit hour program of study along with your dissertation. Your courses will emphasize content area knowledge, research methods and statistics, specialized content knowledge, seminar experiences with your mentors, and the completion of your dissertation. Your dissertation will consist of multiple manuscripts.

1. Degree in Kinesiology or a related field
2. Students entering the PhD program must have a demonstrated capacity for independent research. This capacity is most commonly demonstrated through completion of a master’s thesis. However, other experiences, such as, but not limited to, intensive undergraduate research experience, industry experience, clinical research or practice, or experience presenting or publishing research can be examples of a capacity for independent research. Students with a bachelor’s degree who wish to enroll in the PhD program are encouraged to speak with a prospective mentor about their suitability for the PhD program.
3. Undergraduate and Graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
4. The GRE requirement has been suspended. You do not need to submit your scores during the application process.