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BackgroundOccupational exercise training programs can improve overall health and fitness in firefighters, but evidence beyond clinical and performance outcomes is needed before fire departments invest in and successfully adopt health promotion programs. ObjectiveThis mixed methods pilot study sought to pair clinical and performance outcomes with participants’ qualitative feedback (eg, participants’ enjoyment, lifestyle behavior changes, and team structure) with the goal of informing recommendations for future programs. MethodsProfessional firefighters participated in a 14-week occupational exercise training program with assessments conducted pre- and posttraining. Clinical outcomes included weight, BMI, body fat percentage, resting heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure. Performance outcomes included the sharpened Romberg balance test, 1-repetition maximum leg press and bench press, graded exercise test (estimated VO2max), knee range of motion, shoulder flexibility, and hamstring flexibility. Self-administered surveys (Short Form-36, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Barriers Self-Efficacy Scale, and Barriers to Being Active Quiz) were completed. In 3 private focus groups of 3 to 4 participants, firefighters' experiences in the training program and their health behaviors were explored. ResultsMale firefighters (n=14; age: mean 36.4, SD 2.6 years) completed 20 training sessions. There were no significant changes to weight (P=.20), BMI (P=.15), body fat percentage (P=.16), systolic blood pressure (P=.12), estimated VO2max (P=.34), balance (P=.24), knee range of motion (left: P=.35; right: P=.31), or hamstring flexibility (P=.14). There was a significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure (P=.04) and significant increases in shoulder flexibility (P

Cohort scheduling intentionally places students in the same sections of several classes (e.g., biology, algebra, and writing) with a consistent peer group and is typically done for small groups (<30 students) to enable better interaction among students. The goal of this study was to compare cohort scheduling to traditional scheduling methods among freshmen in a physiology-related program. Outcomes included retention to the university and major, semester grades, and institutional integration and perceived group cohesion. Incoming freshmen (n = 209) were randomized into control (n = 43; scheduled with traditional methods) and intervention (n = 166; coenrolled in first-year seminar course, biology, and medical terminology) groups. Outcomes were collected via surveys or requested from the university registrar. There was no significant difference in the likelihood of retention to the university or major and no differences between groups in pass/fail rates for the first-year seminar or biology courses. At the end of the semester, there were no differences between groups in Perceived Cohesion for Small Groups (P = 0.102) or the Institutional Integration Scale (P = 0.357). However, the intervention group scored higher on the Institutional Integration Scale's subscales related to social integration and faculty. Cohort scheduling did not impact retention to the university or major but improved secondary outcomes related to retention, specifically social integration and student perceptions of faculty. NEW & NOTEWORTHY: Compared with traditional scheduling methods, cohort scheduling freshman in physiology programs does not improve retention but improves students' social integration and perceptions of faculty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arterial stiffening (AS) is characterized by the loss of the elasticity of arteries and is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) mortality. We tested the hypothesis that shallow water aerobics can lower AS in older individuals with CV risk factors. Participants were randomized into two groups. The Con group remained inactive, whereas the ExT group exercised for 10 weeks. Carotid-tofemoral pulse wave velocity was used to measure AS and pulse wave analysis was used to determine central blood pressures pre- and postintervention. A significant group by time interaction was identified for AS in favor of the ExT group. No differences were found pre- and post-training in brachial or central systolic pressures; however, a reduction in brachial and central diastolic pressures was evident in the ExT group. These findings indicate that the introduction of shallow water aerobic exercise training positively influences AS and blood pressure of individuals with CV risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurocognitive decline, including Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, is considered to be the world's fastest growing disease (Alzheimer's Association, 2011). Due to this escalation, research focused on determining causes, accelerants, impeding factors, and preventative strategies has become a focus of interest within the field. One of the principal points of study is the role that exercise plays in the maintenance or fortification against neurocognitive decline. Though there is a robust library of research focused on the effects of land-based exercise on cognitive function, currently there is no research that discusses the impact of aquatic-based exercise on these parameters. This paper will examine the effects of land-based exercise on cognitive function while bridging these results to the aquatic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this retrospective pilot study was to determine if aquatic therapy (AT) intervention concurrent with occupational therapy (OT) yielded greater functional gains in stroke patients than OT treatment alone. A retrospective chart review was conducted evaluating subjective data from an inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Morgantown, WV. Thirty-nine stroke survivor charts were examined. Patients who received OT with or without concurrent aquatic therapy were included. Differences were examined in the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores in patients who received (a) AT plus conventional OT or (b) conventional OT alone. Discharge bed/chair transfer (p = 0.009) and locomotion (p = 0.01) scores were higher for people who received OT and AT versus patients only receiving OT. Linear regression indicated AT treatment predicted discharge bed/chair transfer FIM score (p = 0.02), discharge locomotion (walking) FIM score (p = 0.002), discharge stairs FIM score (p = 0.04), and change in bed/chair transfer FIM score (p = 0.02). These findings indicate that AT, combined with OT, may predict success on specific FIM outcomes (e.g., bed/chair transfer FIM score, locomotion [walking] FIM score) in stroke patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]