Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Exercise practitioner'

Patients with chronic knee pain (CKP) frequently present to general practitioners (GPs). Exercise, a core management approach for CKP, reduces pain and improves functioning. To maximise patient outcomes, GPs should practise in line with best evidence recommendations. Using an underpinning model (developed using behavioural theory), this thesis describes the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of GPs regarding the use of exercise for patients with CKP. A systematic review revealed a paucity of published studies specifically examining this topic. Available data suggested that GPs’ attitudes and beliefs about exercise for CKP varied widely, exercise appeared to be underused and its implementation by GPs was unclear. The need to concurrently and specifically investigate the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of GPs regarding exercise for CKP was identified. A vignette-based pilot questionnaire survey of 800 UK GPs was undertaken to refine the survey tool and methods and to inform the required sample size for the main survey. The subsequent main survey of 5000 UK GPs revealed that exercise was used by most GPs for CKP. However, methods employed to initiate exercise within an individual patient’s management plan were variable and imperfectly aligned with evidence-based recommendations. Attitudes and beliefs about exercise for CKP were generally positive; however GPs expressed some uncertainty about safety and efficacy, particularly regarding local exercise (e.g. strengthening, range-of-movement, stretching). Although some elements of the underpinning model (e.g. role and identity) predicted GPs’ behaviour, others (e.g. beliefs about capabilities) performed less well. To maximise the clinical outcomes of patients with CKP, recommendations from this research include: development of educational, organisational change and/or behaviour change strategies to improve initiation of individualised exercise, and clarification of GPs’ role, in this context. Approaches to better understand the key influences on GPs’ behaviour are required; a greater focus on decision-making theory may be valuable.

Syfte Syftet var att undersöka vad aktiva-motionärer anser om vardags-motionärer avseende livsstil, karaktärsdrag och hälsostatus. Metod För att inkludera vardags-motionärer på motionsanläggningar där motionärer finns bör man lösa upp barriärer till motion. Det kan därför vara av nytta att ta reda på om och i så fall vad aktiva-motionärer anser om vardags-motionärer. Detta för att kunna veta om förändringen ska ske hos aktiva-motionärer eller vardags-motionärer för att möjliggöra inkludering av vardagsmotionärer på motionsanläggningar där aktiva-motionärer finns. Detta genomfördes med en kvalitativt inriktad undersökning genom en intervjustudie i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer. Resultat Respondenterna anger att hälsa är en upplevd balans såväl psykiskt som fysiskt. I motsats till detta innebär ohälsa obalans. Konsekvenserna av denna obalans nämnde respondenterna som trötthet, sämre koncentration, övervikt, lättare att drabbas av sjukdomar samt försämrad livskvalité. Det respondenterna nämnde om en vardags-motionär är att denna individ sällan gör mer än vad det behöver i vardagen, är ohälsosamma, innehar obalans och kan drabbas av konsekvenserna som nämns ovan. Slutsats Undersökningen visar att det finns åsikter hos aktiva-motionärer om vardags-motionärer. Dock uttalar sig aktiva-motionärer ogärna om hur vardags-motionärer är som personer, men beskriver enklare deras leverne. Det undersökningen därmed kan konstatera är att andras åsikter är en befogad barriär till varför motion inte bedrivs. Om denna barriär är något som syns utåt på anläggningarna är dock svårt att säga.
Purpose The main purpose of this study was to research the practitioners of physical exercise (PPE) opinions about non-practitioners of physical exercise (NPPE), regarding their health, lifestyle and characteristics. Method To enable inclusion of NPPE to training facilities where PPE attend, knowledge of the PPEs’ opinions about NPPE are needed. NPPE often mention that the opinions of PPE discourage them from start to perform physical exercise at training facilities. Therefore, it was necessary to research if these opinions make an actual barrier for the start of exercise in NPPEs. To contribute this knowledge of opinions this study was a qualitative interview study with semi structured interviews. Result The respondents described health as a state of experienced balance between physical and physiological health. Unhealthiness was described by the opposite; imbalance. The consequences of this described imbalance are mentioned as fatigue, lack in concentration, overweight, high risk in diseases and decreased quality of life. What the respondents mentioned about a NPPE as an individual, were that they only did what's necessary, are unhealthy, lead an unbalanced lifestyle and suffer a higher risk of afflict the consequences mentioned above. Conclusion This study shows that the PPE do have opinions about NPPE. What is shown most clearly is that the respondents are more confident describing unhealthiness or the lifestyle choices associated with an unhealthy lifestyle, rather than describing the characteristics of unhealthy individuals. The study examines that the PPEs’ opinions about NPPE could be an actual barrier for NPPE to start performing physical exercise at training facilities where PPE perform their physical exercise. If these opinions are reflected in the environment of the training facilities, is not defined through this study and would require further research.

By the year 2030 it is estimated that one in five licensed drivers in the United States will be over the age of 65. Driving allows engagement in the community for shopping, banking, maintaining social connections, and accessing health care. However, age-related decline can impact many of the cognitive processes and physical abilities necessary for safe driving performance. Exercise has beneficial effects on specific cognitive processes and physical function, many of which are related to safe driving performance. Tai Chi exercise is known to benefit cognitive and physical function and may influence safe driving performance. The aims of this observational study were to: 1) examine relationships between Tai Chi exercise habits, cognitive processes and physical function related to safe driving performance, 2) compare cognitive processes and physical function related to safe driving performance to normative reference values, and 3) explore potential predictors of safe driving performance. Fifty-eight current Tai Chi practitioners (mean age = 72.9), with a median of greater than three years of Tai Chi practice were recruited from community Tai Chi classes and Tai Chi events. Participants completed a study packet describing self-reported Tai Chi and non-Tai Chi exercise habits, driving habits, self-report measures of dispositional mindfulness (Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, MAAS) and overall well-being (Vitality Plus Scale, VPS), personal history, and health history. Investigator-administered study measures included the DrivingHealth InventoryTM, digit span tests, the Driving Scenes Test, and the Right Foot Tapping test. Statistically significant correlations were found between several study measures. Compared to normative reference values participants performed better on several cognitive and physical measures, and on the MAAS and the VPS measures. Small to large effect sizes were calculated. The strongest predictor of safe driving performance was the digit span backward. Tai Chi exercise has the potential to positively impact cognitive processes and physical function related to safe driving performance through aerobic exercise mechanisms, development of mindfulness, and beneficial influence on overall vitality. The results of this study support the need for further investigation of Tai Chi exercise as a strategy to maintain safe driving performance in older adults.

The specialist responsible for providing prescribed exercise as a form of medicine to the South African population is the biokineticist. Biokinetics is a relatively new profession developed in response to empirical research supporting exercise as medicine. Although the role of the biokineticist is clearly defined by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), there is still confusion concerning this profession and its services. At present, the dominant medicalscientific and capitalist-economic discourses offer a narrowly mechanistic and instrumental understanding of the human body and its treatment, which contributes to this confusion. This dissertation proposes a new point of departure, enriched by historical and philosophical understandings of the human body, from which the biokineticist can begin to redefine him/herself. The study aims to shift biokinetics as a practice away from the reductionist and dehumanising influences of instrumentalist, scientific and neoliberal capitalist-economic discourses, and to restore to biokineticists, and their clients, the ability they need to interact as relatively autonomous individuals. The study draws on the ideas of Michel Foucault, specifically on his notions for ‘discipline’, ‘docility’, and ‘the care of the self’ (1991; 2005), as well as Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari and their ideas of ‘becoming’ and ‘rhizomatic thinking’ (1983; 1987); ultimately presenting a philosophically enriched, holistic representation of the human body. From here recommendations for best practice in contemporary biokinetics are suggested that encourage interactions and connections between the professional and his/her patients, which move beyond the mere physiological interpretations currently dominating health discourse.

Foam rolling is a form of myofascial release performed by the individual using their body weight, as opposed to the pressure being applied by the clinician. Foam rolling is currently used by athletes at all levels, from recreational to elite athletes. Foam rolling is used as a warm up to aid performance and/or recovery. This study aims to review the literature to determine if foam rolling enhances performance, positively affects recovery from exercise induced muscle damage, and whether there is a consensus on the protocol to achieve performance and recovery enhancement. Seven electronic databases, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Pubmed Central, Pubmed, ISI Web of Science, Medline and Scopus, were searched using terms related to foam rolling between January 2006 and April 2017. Published articles that included foam rolling as a recovery intervention and/or a performance enhancing tool were included in the study and assessed using the PEDro scale for methodological quality ratings. This dissertation will consolidate and add to the knowledge on the use of foam rolling. It will highlight when foam rolling should be used and recommend a specific protocol that should be used for performance and/or recovery purposes. This may address the confusion around when foam rolling should be used and show foam rolling to be effective as a recovery tool or for enhancing performance. This may help with better management of athletes by sports personnel, and in turn improve their performance and enhance their recovery. A total of 33 articles met the inclusion criterion and were systematically reviewed. There is evidence supporting the use of foam rolling in a warm-up consisting of dynamic stretching and an active warm-up to enhance performance; mainly through its effects on flexibility while maintaining muscle contractility. There is also evidence supporting the use of foam rolling to enhance recovery from exercise induced muscle damage and delayed onset of muscle soreness, with its main effects being the shortening of time to return to baseline performance, flexibility and pressure pain threshold. The mechanism by which foam rolling acts seems to be a neural response to pressure exerted. Sixty to ninety seconds of foam rolling may suffice to achieve the above desired effects. Further research is needed to determine the exact mechanisms of action of foam rolling, as well as the risks that may be associated with foam rolling.

La Procédure d'Autorisation d'Exercice est un dispositif qui concerne l'ensemble des praticiens à diplôme hors Union Européenne. Elle a été instaurée en 2007 par la loi CMU du 27 juillet 1999, complétée par la Loi de Financement de la Sécurité Sociale du 21 décembre 2008, modifiée par la loi 2012-157 du 1er février 2012. La dernière loi concernée, la loi n°2016-1888 du 28 décembre 2016 de modernisation, de développement et de protection des territoires de montagne, met fin à la régularisation de ces praticiens. Depuis l'exécution de la loi 2012-157 du 1er février 2012 jusqu'à la fin de l'année 2016, la Procédure d'Autorisation d'Exercice compte 26562 inscriptions et 14647 présentations dont 4866 reçus aux Epreuves de Vérification des Connaissances à la Procédure d'Autorisation d'Exercice. Nous avons étudié les résultats des Epreuves de Vérification des Connaissances avec des analyses approfondies. Entre 2012 et 2016, la liste A a reçu le plus grand nombre de candidats aux Epreuves de Vérification des Connaissances, soit 21123 inscriptions, 10007 présentations. Le taux de réussite de la liste A varie entre 15% et 19%, sachant que la liste A est une liste qui recueille tous les nouveaux arrivants, les Epreuves de Vérification des Connaissances pour cette liste est un concours. La liste B a reçu 562 inscriptions, dont 413 présentations entre 2012 et 2016 avec un taux de réussite de 24% à 41%. Les épreuves pour cette liste sont sous forme d'examen. La liste C a reçu 4877 inscriptions, dont 4227 présentations entre 2012 et 2016 et le taux de réussite est de 56% à 80%. La liste C est aussi un examen qui recueille tous les praticiens à diplôme hors Union Européenne qui sont déjà installés en France. Nous avons observé que la disparition de la liste C est en partie due au dispositif de la Procédure d'Autorisation d'Exercice qui permet la régularisation des praticiens à diplôme hors Union Européenne. La loi 2012-157 du 1er février 2012 qui modifie les conditions et le périmètre de participation des candidats aux Epreuves de Vérification des Connaissances est une des causes de transfert des candidats de la Liste A à la Liste C. Enfin, les praticiens inscrits au tableau de l'Ordre des médecins, et provenant de la Procédure d'Autorisation d'Exercice, occupent une proportion qui est d'environ 10% dans certains départements en France. Ce chiffre montre le nombre de ces praticiens est quasiment aussi important qu'avant et que leur présence est demandée dans la France entière. Dans certains départements, nous avons pu constater que la présence de praticiens à diplôme hors Union Européenne augmente la densité médicale territoriale en France, démontrant l'importance de leur présence au niveau local, ainsi que dans les zones rurales et de montagnes. Le seul contrôle de l'entrée des praticiens à diplôme hors Union Européenne n'est pas suffisant ; la formation continue de ces praticiens devrait être envisagée afin d'améliorer leur niveau médical d'exercice, et la réorientation territoriale d'installation pourrait être une solution qui augmenterait l'offre de soins au niveau local
The "Authorization Exercise Procedure" is a device that concerns all doctors with diplomas outside the European Union. It was introduced in 2007 by law "CMU of 27 July 1999", supplemented by "Law of Social Security Financing" of 21 December 2008, amended by the Law "2012-157 of 1 February 2012", The last law concerned, was No. 2016-1888 of 28 December 2016 on the modernization, development and protection of mountain territories, put an end to the regularization of these doctors. Since the implementation of Law 2012-157 from 1 February 2012 to the end of 2016, the Fiscal Authorization Procedure has 26,562 registrations and 14,647 presentations, of which 4866 were received in the Knowledge Verification Exercise Authorization Procedure. We examined the results of the Knowledge Verification tests with in-depth analyzes. Between 2012 and 2016, List A received the highest number of candidates for the Knowledge Test, 21123 registrations, 10007 presentations. The success rate of List A varies between 15% and 19%, knowing that List A is a list that collects all newcomers, the Knowledge Testing tests for this list is a competition. List B received 562 entries, including 413 entries between 2012 and 2016 with a pass rate of 24% to 41%. The tests for this list are in the form of an examination. List C received 4877 entries, of which 4,227 entries between 2012 and 2016 and the success rate is 56% to 80%. List C is also an examination that gathers all the doctors with diplomas outside the European Union who are already established in France. We have observed that the disappearance of the list C is partly due to the device of the Exercise Authorization Procedure which allows the regularization of the doctors with diploma outside the European Union. Law 2012-157 of February 1, 2012, which modifies the conditions and the perimeter of participation of the candidates in the tests of verification of the Knowledge is one of the causes of transfer of the candidates from List A to List C. Finally, the doctors registered on the board of the French Medical Association, and coming from The Exercise Authorization Procedure, occupy a proportion which is about 10% in certain departments in France. This figure shows the number of these doctors is almost as important as before and that their presence is demanded in the whole of France. In some départements, we have seen that the presence of doctors with diplomas outside the European Union increases the territorial medical density in France, demonstrating the importance of their presence at the local level, as well as in rural and mountain areas. The only control of the entry of doctors with diplomas outside the European Union is not sufficient; The continuing training of these doctors should be considered in order to improve their medical level of practice and the territorial reorientation of the facility could be a solution that would increase the supply of care at the local level

La recherche économique considère le médecin généraliste comme un agent offrant à l’échange information et services intellectuels en santé à des principaux. L’imparfaite convergence entre leurs objectifs, comme la présence d’incertitudes et d’asymétries d’information, conduisent le médecin à « fixer » les quantités, l’effort fourni et la qualité des soins et services rendus. Cette thèse vise à identifier le rôle des caractéristiques des généralistes, de leur mode d’exercice ou d’organisation, sur la performance de leur activité, en s’appuyant sur trois articles. Le premier analyse les déterminants de la variabilité de prescription d’antibiotiques pour rhinopharyngite aiguë, le second évalue l’impact du travail en équipe avec des infirmières sur la qualité et l’efficience des soins pour les patients diabétiques, et le troisième évalue l’impact de l’exercice regroupé pluriprofessionnel sur l’activité et l’efficience productive des généralistes et l’efficience des recours aux soins ambulatoires de leurs patients. Ces travaux de recherche permettent d’interroger la faiblesse relative de la régulation de l’offre de soins ambulatoire en France en matière de politique de maîtrise de l’évolution des dépenses de santé en comparaison de celle portant sur la demande
According to economic research, the general practitioner is considered as an agent that offered information and intellectual services in health to principals. Imperfect convergence between their objectives, like the presence of uncertainties and information asymmetries, lead the physician “to fix” the quantities, the effort and the quality of the care and services delivered. Based on three articles, this thesis aims at identifying the role of the characteristics of the general practitioners and of their practice organization, on activity performance. The first articles analyzes the determinants of the antibiotic prescription for acute rhinopharyngitis variability, the second evaluates the impact of team working with nurses on the quality and the efficiency of the care for diabetic patients, and the third evaluates the impact of multi-professional group practices on the activity and the productive efficiency of GPs and on the utilization of ambulatory health care and by their patients. These researches question the relative weakness of the ambulatory health care regulation in France in terms of health care expenditure containment policies in comparison with that bearing on demand

碩士
國立臺灣體育運動大學
體育研究所
103
Athletics is not only the mother of sports but also the first event that the Republic of China took part in the Olympic Games. Numerous athletes made their peak performance in the Olympic Games, but few could continue to shine in the field after retiring. This research is a case study of KE, MING-MAO, who took part in the 19th Olympic Games Mexico and the 6th Asian Games Bangkok. He is also the first athlete breaking the record of 50 seconds in domestic 400m sprint and the domestic record holder of 200 meters and 400 meters in Masters Athletics. The aims of this research are as follows:(1) To understand Mr. KE, MING-MAO’s life story and studying process.(2) To understand how Mr. KE was trained and what domestic events he’s been in.(3) To understand what international events Mr. KE has joined.(4) To understand Mr. KE’s interest in Go game and how he trains his students. After the study plan was made, literature analysis and in-depth interview were adopted. The results of this research are as followed:(1) Despite the poverty in childhood, Mr. KE, MING-MAO didn’t give up his study and graduated from Taiwan Provincial Sports College with the faith in athletics and the support of his family.(2) Since the sophomore year of the senior high school, Mr. KE had won gold medals in all the domestic 400m sprints and has remained to be undefeated in Masters Athletic events. He shows great sportsmanship by sparing no effort in every event.(3) Mr. KE worked hard to realize his dreams and achieved his goals of taking part in the Asian Games and the Olympic Games. Though he didn’t win any prize, the concept of lifelong exercise has influenced him. (4) Besides cultivating top athletes like HSIEH,CHIN-CHANG, Mr. KE popularizes the concepts of lifelong exercise and popular movement as well. Go game is Mr. KE’s another specialty, and this is the best example of breaking the myth “to be all brawn and no brain.”

The relationships that clients form with their practitioners can influence treatment outcomes. Researchers have shown in numerous healthcare professions including psychology and physiotherapy that caring and collaborative relationships can lead to positive psychological and physical treatment outcomes, and poor relationships can lead to negative outcomes. Within sport psychology, there are fewer studies on clientpractitioner relationships in comparison to other domains of psychology or healthcare. Researchers and practitioners have often favoured the investigation and application of mental skills (e.g., goal setting, imagery, self-talk) over the exploration and development of client-practitioner relationships. In the specific context of sport injury rehabilitation, there exist few studies or commentaries on client-practitioner relationships as interventions that can aid athletes’ recoveries, transitions, and returns to sport. The aim of this thesis was to explore the relationships psychologists and physiotherapists have with injured athlete-clients and how these practitioners collaborate in sport injury rehabilitation.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
Sport and exercise psychology practitioners work with military service members to enhance performance prior to and during active duty but have no clear role during military career exits. Given health and wellness concerns veterans face as they transition out of the military and reintegrate back into civilian life, it may be of benefit to establish non-VA practitioners as a transitioning resource. To determine sport and exercise psychology practitioner preparedness to address military to veteran transition needs, similarities and differences between transition experiences of former athletes and military veterans is needed. A mixed methods approach, known as a convergent design, compared the transition experiences of 42 athletes and 64 veterans (N=106) during the quantitative phase and 9 athletes and 15 veterans (N=24) during the qualitative phase. The quantitative phase consisted of independent sample t-tests to determine differences in outcome scores for four valid and reliable measures: Satisfaction with Life Scale, World Health Organization’s abbreviated quality of life measure, Career Transition Inventory, and Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale. The qualitative phase consisted of recorded semi-structured phone interviews, which gathered information regarding an individual’s career transition experience. Overall, athlete participants represented 14 sports from the National Collegiate Athletic Association and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics universities. Veteran participants came from each military branch and a variety of pay grades. Quantitative analysis revealed athlete and veteran participants scored similarly on each outcome measure or domain. Veteran participants had lower physical health and social relationship domain scores, but comparatively better transition control scores. Qualitative analysis revealed four themes: 1) the necessity of preparation for the transition process, 2) factors impacting the career transition process, 3) transitioning resulted in the loss of structure, and 4) establishing oneself outside of former career. Results indicate shared outcomes and perspectives between former athletes and veterans in regard to their career transition process. Transition process similarities indicate sport and exercise psychology practitioners may be qualified to effectively assist transitioning veterans in the same capacity they assist transitioning athletes.

One in two Australians has a chronic disease, and a quarter has two or more. Despite the widely documented benefits of exercise for the prevention and management of many chronic diseases, the majority of people with a chronic disease remain insufficiently active. The examination of exercise behaviour must be guided by appropriate theoretical frameworks to improve the effectiveness of exercise interventions to support people with a chronic disease to initiate and maintain participation. In this thesis, two studies with complementary methods were used to examine the exercise behaviour change relating to people with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) from the perspective of the participant and the practices of exercise practitioners. Study 1, a qualitative study, examined the perspective of participants with a chronic disease in an exercise efficacy trial. Five participants with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) completed a semistructured interview 12 to 18 months following the conclusion of a 12-week exercise intervention. Two participants were male, and three participants were female, with an age range of 43 to 83 years. The length of time since diagnosis ranged from four to 26 years. The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) was used to code interviews deductively, and a range of strategies was identified as critical for exercise initiation and maintenance. The most commonly reported themes were: (1) reinforcement; (2) beliefs about consequences; (3) behaviour regulation; (4) beliefs about capabilities; (5) social influences; (6) environmental context and resources; (7) emotion; (8) goals, and (9) social/professional role and identity. Behaviour regulation was related to the maintenance of exercise. Study 2, a quantitative study, examined the use of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) by 54 exercise practitioners when working with clients with a chronic disease. Exercise practitioners were mostly female (72.2%) and aged between 25 and 34 years (55.6%). Most of the sample were Accredited Exercise Physiologists (81.5%) and held a postgraduate qualification (65.0%). First, the Behaviour Change Index-Exercise Practitioners (BCI-EP) was developed to measure the use of BCTs in clinical practice. The Index was based on the Coventry, Aberdeen, London-Refined (CALO-RE) taxonomy that describes 40 BCTs relevant to exercise behaviour change. Second, the Index items were grouped according to the dominant TDF domains and administered to examine the use of theory-based BCTs used in practice. BCTs related to the goals and social influences TDF domains were the most frequently reported groups of techniques used by exercise practitioners. Female gender was positively associated with more frequent use of environmental context and resources related techniques compared to male practitioners. Exercise practitioner age was negatively associated with the use of behaviour regulation and beliefs about consequences techniques. Accredited Exercise Physiologists were less likely to use reinforcement BCTs compared to fitness instructors and personal trainers when working with clients with a chronic disease. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by applying the TDF to understand the initiation and maintenance of exercise among people with T2DM. The results provide insights into the strategies that might influence the uptake and maintenance of exercise among people with T2DM. The study also adds to emerging literature about the importance of emotion as a predictor of exercise participation among people with T2DM. Emotion related BCTs could be added to taxonomies such as the CALO-RE to expand existing knowledge of exercise participation to improve T2DM management. The newly developed BCI-EP could be applied for a range of research purposes to assess other practitioner’s use of BCTs and to examine the relationship between the use of BCTs and exercise uptake and adherence in clinical practice, and exercise practitioner education and training. A range of cognitive, affective, social, and environmental theoretical domains were related to exercise behaviour change among people with T2DM. These domains theoretical domains must be integrated into the development of exercise interventions to improve the effectiveness of exercise prescription for people with T2DM.

High-performance athletes are known to be at risk of adverse physical and mental health outcomes related to the extreme performance demands they face. Australian high-performance sport has traditionally been reactive to the healthcare needs of athletes who present having experienced compromised health, whether that be in the form of an illness, an injury, or a mental health challenge. Recently, there has been a move toward implementing limited health promotion approaches addressing identified health risks in the current athlete/sport environment. At present, there is no theoretical framework to help those working with this highly selective group to promote the development and maintenance of optimal holistic health. Moreover, the early and ongoing development of optimal holistic athlete health has not commonly been viewed as a performance requirement within sporting organisations. This research aimed to understand health and its determinants for Australian high-performance athletes from the perspective of a representative sample of expert health practitioners who currently work or have recently worked in high-performance sports healthcare. Determinants of health are factors that influence how likely we are to stay healthy or become ill/ injured. Understanding these determinants will help researchers and practitioners develop a theoretical health promotion framework that may be applied broadly across Australian high-performance sport. This study used a mixed-methods approach, including a Delphi survey and subsequent semi-structured one-to-one qualitative interviews to derive a consensus on athlete health determinants and the factors which influence these. The purpose of the qualitative interviews was to explore, more deeply, the experiences, beliefs and thinking behind participant responses to the questions posed in the Delphi survey, to add both nuance and context to those responses. The Delphi survey was conducted at two time points over a period of three months. Descriptive statistical analysis of the Delphi survey results demonstrated that there was general recognition of the relevance of the World Health Organisation definition of health and its determinants to the health of high-performance athletes, a finding that is not usually evident in the literature, nor reflected in the provision of health services to this population cohort. Thematic analysis of the Delphi survey data, using a socio-ecological theoretical lens, revealed a need to consider a broader range of influences on athlete health than those that relate specifically to participation in high-performance sport. These include geographic isolation, access to appropriate health services, ethnicity, and socio- economic status. The interview findings revealed that there is a need to apply additional consideration to factors that can be categorized as social determinants of health in healthcare planning for, and management of, Australian high-performance athletes. This study's findings will help form a theoretical framework for Australian high-performance athlete health. Specifically, this framework would address the need for sporting organisations to create and provide health-promoting environments for their athletes and to support athletes in developing their capacity to manage better the impact of the health stressors to which they are exposed, as identified by the high-performance healthcare experts surveyed in this study.

Luk Tze Chung.
"August 2003."
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 79-105).
Available also through the Internet via Dissertations & theses @ Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web.
Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web.
Abstracts in English and Chinese.
Luk Tze Chung.