
Gaynor ParfittUniversity of South Australia | UniSA · School of Health Sciences
Gaynor Parfitt
PhD
About
182
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Introduction
Publications
Publications (182)
Purpose
The purpose of the study was to explore the validity, test–retest reliability and affective responses of a submaximal 20-m shuttle-run test (20mSRT) stopped at 6 on the Eston–Parfitt (EP) scale. The secondary aim was to examine and compare two submaximal 20mSRT protocols with different RPE end points (EP6 vs. EP7) using previously published...
LAY SUMMARY
Some family care-partners of Australian Veterans have high levels of distress and feel there is little consideration or acknowledgement of the role they play in supporting Veterans in their day-to-day lives. They also feel limited support is available as a family carer. Family care-partners rarely prioritize their own well-being, leavin...
Introduction
UniSA’s Invictus Pathways Program (IPP), a service program, was originally developed to assist veterans to train for and participate in the Invictus Games. More recently, the scope of the IPP has widened to support and improve wellbeing and facilitate post traumatic growth and recovery among participants who are living with physical an...
Introduction
UniSA’s Invictus Pathways Program (IPP) is motivated by the spirit of the Invictus Games to mobilise the benefits of sport to aid physical, psychological, and social wellbeing. Originally developed to assist veterans to train for and participate in the Invictus Games, the program has extended its scope to promote recovery and wellbeing...
Notification of formal acceptance received: 16th June 2023
Publication cost paid: 5th July 2023
AS YET UNPUBLISHED
Research addressing children’s perceptions of exercise effort (their ‘perceived exertion’) has appeared steadily in the scientific literature over the last 44 years. Accepting that the established Borg adult rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale was not appropriate for children, investigators set about developing child-specific scales which empl...
Background
How we feel during exercise is influenced by exteroceptive ( e.g. , vision) and interoceptive ( i.e. , internal body signals) sensory information, and by our prior experiences and expectations. Deceptive visual cues about one’s performance during exercise can increase work rate, without negatively impacting affective valence (good/bad re...
Introduction
Frailty is increasingly recognised as a dynamic syndrome, with multiple causes, dimensions and consequences. There is little understanding of how those frailty assessment metrics interact over time. The aim of this study was to describe the longitudinal correlation between five frailty metrics, namely multimorbidity, muscular strength,...
Issue addressed:
Due to the nature of their jobs, frontline aged care workers may be a population at risk of poor health and lifestyle habits. Support of their well-being through the workplace is likely to be complex. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a need-supportive program for changing physical activity and psychol...
Purpose
This study analysed data from a national survey of people living in Australian Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) reporting on what is the best thing about where they live and suggestions for improvement. Data from prior to the Covid-19 pandemic were compared with data during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Methods
Qualitative data from the H...
Background:
Objective measures for screening, prioritizing, and planning care for frail individuals are essential for appropriate aged care provision. This study evaluates metrics derived from actigraphy measures (captured by wrist accelerometer) as a digital biomarker to identify frail individuals at risk of adverse outcomes, including death, hos...
Purpose
To determine the validity and test–retest reliability of using ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) elicited during a submaximal 20-m Shuttle Run Test (20mSRT) to predict VO 2peak in children and investigate acute affective responses.
Methods
Twenty-five children (14 boys; age, 12.8 ± 0.7 years; height, 162.0 ± 9.3 cm; mass, 49.9 ± 7.7 kg)...
Family carers of veterans have a tendency not to seek support for their own wellbeing concerns. Understanding the barriers and enablers that family carers face in attending to their own wellbeing and in their caring role generally, is key to supporting family carers of veterans. This qualitative study sought to explore family carers’ experiences an...
Purpose
Residents living in residential aged care facilities (RACF) are a vulnerable sector of the community during the Covid-19 pandemic, both from the disease and the resultant control measures, such as lockdowns, quarantines, and social distancing. In a patient centred health system, it is important that the views of residents and their relative...
Objective:
To assess the effectiveness of a pharmacist-led intervention using validated tools to reduce medicine-induced deterioration and adverse reactions.
Design and setting:
Multicenter, open-label parallel randomised controlled trial involving 39 Australian aged-care facilities.
Participants:
Residents on ≥4 medicines or ≥1 anticholinergi...
Introduction:
Recreational scuba diving has existed for over 70 years with organisations emerging that teach individuals with disabilities to dive. It is unclear what the physical and psychosocial effects of scuba interventions might be. This systematic review explores evidence for the effects of scuba diving in individuals with neurological disab...
Affective responses and enjoyment of exercise mediate exercise adherence, but previous research findings have failed to examine nuances that may moderate this relationship. We examined the effects of exercise on affective and enjoyment responses during and post exercise through a systematic literature review and meta-regression analysis. We searche...
Carers of veterans tend to put their own physical and psychological well‐being needs behind the needs of the person they are caring for and often do not seek assistance for their own physical and psychological well‐being. Combined, these factors lead to increased risk of acute and chronic illness and mental health issues. It is acknowledged that ph...
Background: Immersion Therapy (IT), is an underwater experience using self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) equipment for individuals with disabilities. The aim of this study was to produce a descriptive overview of IT and explore measures used to capture physical and psychosocial experiences.
Methods: Six participants, two females...
Purpose: This study aims to (1) establish GENEActiv intensity cutpoints in older adults and (2) compare the classification accuracy between dominant (D) or non-dominant (ND) wrist, using both laboratory and free-living data.
Methods: Thirty-one older adults participated in the study. They wore a GENEActiv Original on each wrist and performed nine a...
In adults, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) can be used to predict maximal oxygen uptake, estimate time to exhaustion, assess internal training load and regulate exercise intensity. However, the utility of RPE in children is less researched and therefore, warrants investigation. The purpose of this scoping review is to map out the literature aro...
Many adults are physically inactive. While the reasons are complex, inactivity is, in part, influenced by the presence of negative feelings and low enjoyment during exercise. While virtual reality (VR) has been proposed as a way to improve engagement with exercise (e.g., choosing to undertake exercise), how VR is currently used to influence experie...
Objective
To evaluate the cost‐effectiveness of a 12‐week Exercise Physiology (EP) program for people living in a residential aged care facility.
Methods
A within‐study pre‐ and postintervention design to calculate incremental cost‐effectiveness ratios per quality‐adjusted life years gained. A health service provider perspective was used.
Results...
The need to undertake pilot testing and evaluation of novel health promotion programs has become increasingly apparent for the purpose of understanding the true effects of complex interventions and for testing and refining behavioral theories that these interventions are informed by. A mixed-methods process evaluation and feasibility study was unde...
Issue addressed:
Australian women are less likely to participate in recommended levels of weekly physical activity compared with men. Physical activity participation rates decrease with geographical remoteness. Research suggests that a lack of social support mechanisms within the home environment may act as a barrier for rural women to engage in p...
Objectives
Medications with anticholinergic or sedative effects are frequently used by older people but can increase risk of falls and adverse events; however, less is known about their effect on movement behaviour. Here we examine the cross-sectional association between medication use and movement behaviour in older adults living in residential ag...
Aim
It is important for older adults to maintain the ability to be physically active, and to experience the benefits that physical activity brings. This study evaluates a 12‐week Accredited Exercise Physiologist‐led exercise program for vulnerable older adults living with dementia, delivered in a residential aged care facility in South Australia. T...
Introduction
Many medicines have adverse effects which are difficult to detect and frequently go unrecognised. Pharmacist monitoring of changes in signs and symptoms of these adverse effects, which we describe as medicine-induced deterioration, may reduce the risk of developing frailty. The aim of this trial is to determine the effectiveness of a 1...
Objectives:
Regular physical activity for older adults as they age is important for maintaining not only physical function but also independence and self-worth. To be able to monitor changes in physical function, appropriate validated measures are required. Reliability of measures such as the timed-up-and-go, five-repetition sit-to-stand, handgrip...
Purpose:
To determine the effect of biological maturation on athletic movement competency as measured using the Athletic Ability Assessment-6.
Methods:
Fifty-two junior Australian Rules football players were split into 3 groups based on proximity to peak height velocity, while 46 senior players were split into 2 groups based on playing status. T...
This review aimed to assess the efficacy of workplace physical activity interventions; compare the efficacy of those that were and were not informed by behaviour change theory, and outline the effectiveness of different intervention components. A search was undertaken in Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Ovid Emcare (previously CINAHL) and SportDiscus. Ra...
The purpose of this study was to produce a descriptive overview of the types of water-based interventions for people with neurological disability, autism, and intellectual disability and to determine how outcomes have been evaluated. Literature was searched through MEDLINE, EMBASE, Ovid Emcare, SPORTDiscus, Google Scholar, and Google. One hundred f...
Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) is increasingly replacing thoracotomy for resection of lung cancers and oligometastatic lung lesions but it is not known whether exercise can be maintained during SABR, the major side-effect of which is fatigue. This case study describes a 57-year-old male who exercised regularly (above American College of...
Physical activity has numerous associated benefits for cancer survivors. Compared to their urban counterparts, rural and remote Australians experience a health disadvantage, including poorer survival rate after the diagnosis of cancer. The purpose of this qualitative study was to (a) investigate factors that motivated or inhibited walking in rural...
As we age, maintaining physical functionality is important with respect to wellbeing and healthy ageing. For older adults with dementia this may be difficult, particularly in the residential aged care environment. This article reports the qualitative examination of an Exercise Physiologist-delivered exercise programme for residents with dementia. P...
Despite the well-established benefits of regular participation in physical activity, many Australians still fail to maintain sufficient levels. More self-determined types of motivation and more positive affect during activity have been found to be associated with the maintenance of physical activity behaviour over time. Need-supportive approaches t...
Purpose:
This study investigated the effect of β-blockade on physiological and perceived exertion (RPE) responses during incremental treadmill exercise.
Methods:
Sixteen healthy participants (n=8 men; age 25.3±4.6 y) performed a maximal treadmill exercise test following ingestion of 100 mg Metoprolol or placebo, with a double-blind, randomised a...
Background:
Physical activity has numerous associated benefits for cancer survivors. Compared with their urban counterparts, rural Australians experience a health disadvantage, including poorer survival rate after diagnosis of cancer.
Objective:
The aims of this study were to test the effectiveness of an online 12-week walking intervention desig...
Purpose/objective:
Cardiac rehabilitation aims to reduce the likelihood of recurrent cardiac events through physical activity (PA) and education. There is limited understanding about the predictors of physical activity behavior in rural adults beyond rehabilitation. This study explored predictors of regular physical activity in rural adults, 6-12...
Cancer survivors are at an increased risk of experiencing physical and psychological ill-effects following cancer treatment. Rural cancer survivors are at a greater risk of future health problems following a cancer diagnosis compared to their urban counterparts. Physical activity has been targeted as a health promotion priority in cancer survivors....
Objective
Assess the role of exercise intensity on changes in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in patients with cardiac conditions attending exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation.
Design
Systematic review with meta-analysis.
Data sources
MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO and Web of Science.
Eligibility criteria for selection
Studies...
Purpose:
To assess and compare the validity of internal and external Australian football (AF) training-load measures for predicting preseason variation of match-play exercise intensity (MEI sim/min) using a variable dose-response model.
Methods:
Twenty-on professional male AF players completed an 18-wk preseason macrocycle. Preseason internal tr...
Starting university changes the way students must structure their day. This study describes the patterns of time use of 444 Australian first year students and explores differences between gender and age groups. Overall, students were studying on average four hours per day (h/day), sleeping eight h/day and meeting Australian physical activity guidel...
Objectives:
Rural Australian adults are consistently identified as insufficiently active, likely due to challenges implementing community-based physical activity programs in rural settings. On-line strategies to promote physical activity may be particularly effective in rural settings where isolation and scarcity of qualified support are potential...
Background:
Although higher-protein diets (HP) can assist with weight loss and glycemic control, their effect on psychological wellbeing has not been established. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of a HP and a higher-carbohydrate diet (HC), combined with regular exercise, on psychological wellbeing both during weight loss (WL...
Food cravings are common in type 2 diabetes (T2D). Higher-protein diets are effective in improving satiety but their effect on cravings is unclear. It was hypothesized that a high protein (HP) diet would provide greater reductions in cravings than an isocaloric higher-carbohydrate diet (HC). In a randomized controlled trial, 61 adults (54% males) w...
Objectives: Associations between objectively measured sedentary behaviour, physical activity (PA) and metabolic syndrome (MetS)-classified using three different definitions were investigated in an inactive sample of rural Australian adults.
Design: Quantitative, cross-sectional.
Methods: 171 adults (50.7 ± 12.4 years) from two rural South Austr...
The ability to compare published group-level estimates of objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) across studies continues to increase in difficulty. The objective of this study was to develop conversion equations and demonstrate their utility to compare estimates of MVPA derived from the wrist and hip. Three studies of y...
Introduction: The rating of perceived exertion (RPE) is often taken but seldom used as the controlling variable during exercise testing. Studies have shown the efficacy of the submaximal perceptually-regulated exercise test (PRET) to predict maximal oxygen uptake independent of heart rate response. However it remains unclear whether this protocol i...
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and reliability of the Feeling Scale (FS) to self-regulate resistance training (RT) intensity.
Methods:
Sixteen sedentary men (39.7±7.5 years) performed 3 familiarization sessions, 2 one repetition maximum testing (1RM), and 16 RT sessions (4 sessions for each FS descriptor; rand...
Background
Exercise adherence in already low-active older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remains low. Perceptual regulation and exergaming may facilitate future exercise behaviour by improving the affective experience, however evidence that this population can perceptually regulate is lacking. To explore this, we investigat...
The authors request the following corrections to their paper [...]
Strategies to encourage exercise have led to research on cycle ergometer ‘exergaming’, as a means of enhancing exercise enjoyment. This research has typically prescribed the exercise intensity and used one exercise mode. The aim of this study was to compare self-selected exercise intensity on a cycle ergometer with and without exergaming modes acti...
Purpose:
To assess and compare the validity of internal and external Australian Football (AF) training load measures for predicting match exercise intensity (MEI.min(-1)) and player rank score (PR(Score)) using a variable dose-response model.
Methods:
25 professional AF players (23 ± 3 y, 188.3 ± 7.2 cm and 87.7 ± 8.4 kg) completed a 24-week in-...
The aim of this study was to determine the inter- and intra-rater rater reliability of the Athletic Ability Assessment (AAA) in sub-elite Australian Rules football (ARF) players. Eighteen male ARF players completed the AAA movement assessment (overhead squat, double lunge [left and right], single leg Romanian deadlift [left and right], chin-up and...
Comprehensive and up to date, this textbook on children’s sport and exercise medicine features research and practical experience of internationally recognized scientists and clinicians that informs and challenges readers. Four sections—Exercise Science, Exercise Medicine, Sport Science, and Sport Medicine—provide a critical, balanced, and thorough...
The interplay between the prefrontal cortex and amygdala is proposed to explain the regulation of affective responses (pleasure/displeasure) during exercise as outlined in the dual-mode model. However, due to methodological limitations the dual-mode model has not been fully tested. In this study, prefrontal oxygenation (using near-infrared spectros...
PurposeTo determine whether maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) could be predicted accurately and reliably from a 2-step, perceptually-regulated exercise test (PRET) in healthy adults. Methods
Sixteen participants (31.7 ± 11.3 years, 3 females) completed three PRETs (separated by 24–72 h) and one maximal, perceptually-regulated, graded exercise test (PR...
Analysis of changes in lower and upper body maximal strength in elite Australian Rules football players over a 17-week preseason.
Purpose:
To provide a means for calibrating raw acceleration data from wrist-worn accelerometers in relation to past estimates of children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) from a range of cut-points applied to hip-worn ActiGraph data.
Methods:
This is a secondary analysis of three studies with concurrent 7-day accelerometer wear a...
Despite evidence for the benefits of higher-protein (HP) diets in weight loss, their role in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) management and weight maintenance is not clear. This randomised study compared the effects of a HP diet (38% carbohydrate, 30% protein, 29% fat) to a isocaloric higher-carbohydrate diet (HC: 53%:21%:23%) on cardiometabolic ri...
Background:
Aerobic capacity (VO2max) is a strong predictor of health and fitness and is considered a key physiological measure in the healthy adult population. Submaximal step tests provide a safe, simple and ecologically valid means of assessing VO2max in both the general population and a rehabilitation setting. However, no studies have attempte...
Objectives:
Choice of accelerometer wear-site may facilitate greater compliance in research studies. We aimed to test whether a simple method could automatically discriminate whether an accelerometer was worn on the hip or wrist from free-living data.
Design:
Cross-sectional.
Methods:
Twenty-two 10-12y old children wore a GENEActiv at the wris...
The aim of this observational study was to compare head motion and prefrontal haemodynamics during exercise using three commercial cycling ergometers. Participants (n = 12) completed an incremental exercise test to exhaustion during upright, recumbent and semi-recumbent cycling. Head motion (using accelerometry), physiological data (oxygen uptake,...
Abstract
Background: Recent research suggests that the Feeling Scale (FS) can be used as a method of exercise intensity
regulation to maintain a positive affective response during exercise. However, research to date has been carried out in laboratories and is not representative of natural exercise environments. The purpose of this study was to eval...