Television Viewing Time, Physical Activity, and Mortality Among African Americans.

Background: Prolonged television viewing time, a marker of sedentary activity, is independently associated with increased all-cause mortality; however, this association has rarely been studied in African Americans. The objective of our study was to examine the association between television viewing time and mortality among African Americans by using data from the Jackson Heart Study (JHS).

Methods: We studied 5,289 participants from the JHS study who reported television viewing time (h/day) in the JHS baseline questionnaire from 2000 through 2004.

Tai Chi for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Pilot Study.

Purpose: Explore the feasibility of a Tai Chi intervention to improve musculoskeletal pain, emotion, cognition, and physical function in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Design: Two-phase, one-arm quasi-experimental design.

Method: Phase 1: 11 participants completed one Tai Chi session, feasibility questionnaire, and were offered participation in Phase 2, a 12-week Tai Chi intervention.

Engagement in steps of advance health care planning by homeless veterans.

Communicating health care preferences in advance, so that wishes can be honored if the person becomes unable to participate in decision-making, is especially important for vulnerable populations such as homeless veterans. Hospitals are required to inform patients of their rights to document their preferences, but completion rates for advance directives are low. Conceptualizing advance health care planning as a series of health behavior steps emphasizing communication is recommended for improving engagement in advance health care planning.

Factors associated with maintenance of body mass index in the Jackson Heart Study: A prospective cohort study secondary analysis.

The purpose of this study was to compare the relationship of diet quality, physical activity, and environmental factors with body mass index (BMI) maintenance in African American adults. We analyzed data from 4041 participants in the Jackson Heart Study, a prospective cohort study based in Jackson, Mississippi. Exposures were baseline American Heart Association diet quality score, American Heart Association physical activity categories, the built environment, the food environment, and neighborhood safety.

Efficacy of Wii-Fit on Static and Dynamic Balance in Community Dwelling Older Veterans: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.

. Balance problems are well-established modifiable risk factors for falls, which are common in older adults. The objective of this study was to establish the efficacy of a Wii-Fit interactive video-game-led physical exercise program to improve balance in older Veterans.