24-hour Movement Behavior and Psychosocial Well-being: A Longitudinal Approach

The research purpose is to examine the changes of college students’ 24-hour movement behaviors (i.e., physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep), motivation (i.e., expectancy-value beliefs and self-efficacy), and their associations with psychosocial well-being (i.e., depression, health-related quality of life [HRQOL], cognitive health) among college students across one academic school year.


Brain Health and Active Living: A Social Ecological Approach

This study is to examine the relationships among social ecological indicators (i.e., social environment support, built environment support, perceived motor competence), 24-hour movement behaviors (i.e., physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep) and brain health indicators (i.e., cognitive function and depression) among junior high school adolescents.

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MOVE Study (Minority Obesity Vanquished with Education) 

Eight-month joint study with UNT to promote physical activity, especially walking, in low-income families with children aged birth to 5 years through cooperation with local Head Start centers.  This intervention will include center-based strategies (changes in environment and physical activity policies, staff training/education, and an FMS-oriented recess program) and home-based strategies (parental engagement/education and changes to the home physical activity environment, including incentives and park activities) to address barriers and facilitate obesity prevention.


Caruth Study (Increasing Physical Activity Through Technology, Feedback, and Education) 

A two-phase study designed to promote increased physical activity in older adults (age 65+) through feedback-based interventions and technology.  Phase 1 is an 8-week at-home, self-report exercise intervention with a prescribed set of progressive daily activities that change weekly and progress report charts.  Different motivational strategies will be used to each week, such as emails and phone calls, to keep participants engaged and active.  Phase 2, which is in development, is a phone-based app that will instruct participants in daily exercises, keep track of their progress, and provide motivational messaging.


SHAPE Built-Environment Study 

This is an observational study including a parent-report survey on various aspects of built and home environment related to children’s (2-5 years old) physical activity, sedentary behavior, and motor, social, and emotional development. We will use accelerometers to objectively measure PA and SB. We will also investigate the influence of socio-demographics (ethnicity, gender, SES) on obesity-related behaviors and development.


VR Bike Study (Effects of Virtual Reality Exercise Bike on Healthy Behavior and Neurological Changes among Depressed Female Young Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial)  

A study to examine the effects of a 20-minutes VR-biking intervention on participants’ healthy behaviors (physical activity, sleep, and sedentary behaviors), neuropsychological outcomes (reaction time, executive function, and memory), and neurophysiological outcomes (three neuropsychological tasks while wearing an EEG cap).  Participants will also self-report their daily exercise and complete a brain health (depression) survey.  This intervention will involve the Schwinn smart bikes (IC4), the Oculus Quest 2 VR headsets, and the VZFit VR biking environment.


V-TARGET Study (Toward Healthy Living: Virtual Reality-Infused Treadmill Training on Aging-Related Outcomes) 

This 8-week intervention focuses on community-dwelling older adults (age 60-75 years) who have a higher risk of fall.  We will compare the effects of the V-TARGET intervention, self-paced treadmill exercise with VR rehab games with an active-control exercise, self-paced treadmill exercise without the VR games, on motor-cognitive function, health-related quality of life, and circulating (blood) inflammatory markers.


Exploring Virtual Reality Adventure Training Exergaming (V-RATE) on Veteran Health Outcomes

The research purpose is to examine the effects of a 6-week VR adventure-therapy exergaming intervention among women veterans on:

  • Physical health (BMI, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and heart rate variability)​
  • Mental health (depression, anxiety, PTSD, cognitive function, and health-related quality of life)