HPERD is Awarded Grant to Study Important Children's Health Issues
THE PROJECT
Professor Jeff Seegmiller and his colleagues in the College of Education Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (HPERD) are studying critical children’s health issues in hopes of making important discoveries about bone health. The team has been awarded an $11,217.85 grant from the Institute of Translational Health Sciences (ITHS) to conduct a pilot study titled “Pre- and Postintervention Measures of Bone Strength Among 7- to 12-Year-Old Girls.” The pilot grant is designed to help investigators obtain proof of concept for preparing and supporting full-scale grant applications.
“This study will help us gain better understanding of the impact on bone density in children when they participate in activities, and what types of activities can prevent future bone problems, like osteoporosis and fractures,” said Seegmiller.
THE IMPACT
Osteoporosis is generally a problem with females past the age of 20, which is when they begin a downward trend in bone density. The National Osteoporosis Foundation talks about the importance of good nutrition and exercise, and makes recommendations for children with regard to exercise, but the recommendations aren’t specific enough. They talk about high-impact, weight-bearing exercises, but there is no clear information on specific durations or intensity of those activities.
“I see it as a problem when we say that all children should do specific exercises, because not all children are equal in size and weight,” said Seegmiller. “What may be fun for one child may cause stress fractures in another. There is the mechanics of landing to consider, as well as nutrition factors, bone density and body mass index.”
Seegmiller was involved in a study at Ohio University in 2007 looking at female military recruits and why they developed stress fractures during basic training. “Here’s a good example of taking the general population and having them all do the same thing,” said Seegmiller. “Some can handle it, and some cannot. The same can be applied to children. We just need to get to the point where we have evidence that one exercise does not fit all.”
THE VISION
The HPERD team’s research is unique because of their ability to perform biomechanical analysis using their lab’s Vicon System, which is a high-tech 3D digital optical system that tracks and analyzes movement using optical markers, then produces three-dimensional images. The Vicon system will soon be housed in the new Human Performance Laboratory, currently under construction in the University of Idaho Physical Education Building. Elsie Matthews, a generous donor to HPERD causes, donated $94,000 for construction of the lab and to purchase some equipment.
With this high-tech equipment, the team can analyze the impact of weight-bearing exercises on their subjects and also study incorrect movement that could lead to injury.
“There are many parts to this grant that tie in to other areas of research at HPERD,” said Seegmiller. “We can eventually work with other groups of people, including adolescents, young adults and males. We can also start comparing children who live in different environments where we see large populations of obesity and figure out how we can help children develop healthy lifestyle changes that will carry them through life.”
The pilot study will take place over the next year and will include ten research subjects. It will begin with a pretest for bone density, bone mineral content, body fat, measures on diet calcium intake, and other important measurements. After all measurements are recorded, the subjects will participate in a four-week intervention program that will include 30 minutes of jumping rope for five days and 20 maximal jumps per day. Following the intervention, the subjects will be measured again and the pre- and post-test data compared.
“When we find out more about the affects of exercise intensity and duration on bone density, it will help us be more specific with recommendations,” said Seegmiller. The outcome of the research team’s studies will prepare the foundation for future research that supports the department’s mission to promote active and healthy lifestyles. With scientific data, the team hopes to identify how exercise needs to be tailored to fit a person’s body makeup. With that knowledge, perhaps the population can once again find exercise fun, and not just a “duty” that most rarely have time for.
The Institute of Translational Health Sciences is a NIH-funded “collaboratory” consisting of the University of Washington, Seattle Children’s, and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The ITHS will also strengthen translational research ties with Group Health Center for Health Studies, the Benaroya Research Institute as well as existing clinical and research infrastructure developed through the University of Washington across the five state WWAMI region (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho).
THE PEOPLE
Jeff Seegmiller, Philips Scruggs, and David Paul of HPERD