Theses and Dissertations
Date of Award
6-1-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Experimental Psychology
First Advisor
Grant Benham
Second Advisor
Ruby Charak
Third Advisor
Liza Talavera-Garza
Abstract
Previous research highlights the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on health, yet their association with physical activity (PA) remains underexplored. This study investigated this relationship in a predominantly Hispanic sample of emerging adults, examining whether perceived barriers and benefits to exercise mediate the ACEs-PA relationship. A total of 442 college students aged 18-29 completed all measures. ACEs were assessed using the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire, PA levels through the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), and perceived exercise barriers/benefits via the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale. Bootstrapped Pearson correlations indicated a significant negative association between perceived barriers to exercise and PA and a significant positive association between perceived benefits to exercise and PA, but no significant correlation between ACEs and PA. A bootstrapped parallel mediation analysis controlling for age, sex, and income showed significant indirect effects of ACEs on PA through perceived barriers and benefits, though no direct effect was found.
Recommended Citation
Alvarado, Christian, "An Examination of Adverse Childhood Experiences as a Predictor of Physical Activity in Emerging Adults" (2024). Theses and Dissertations. 1574.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/etd/1574
Comments
Copyright 2024 Christian Alvarado. https://proquest.com/docview/3115250834