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The disciplinary backgrounds and fields of study within the Department of Tourism, Sport and Society range from national parks management and outdoor recreation to history, sociology, and geography, to urban recreation, sport management, and tourism in all its forms.
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Publication Open Access The lived experience of adults with Dyspraxia/DCD : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of Doctor of Philosophy at Lincoln University(Lincoln University, 2024) McAllum, Leanne MariaDyspraxia is an emergent social phenomenon that has generally been associated with childhood and motor coordination difficulties. The experience of Dyspraxia in adulthood is, conversely, not well understood with only a small number of studies examining Dyspraxia across the life course. Dyspraxia is predominantly conceptualised in both the research literature and practice using the biomedical model. Dyspraxia is one of several neurodivergent experiences and possibly the least well known, having only been recognised in the past two decades, in comparison to a longer social awareness of experiences such as Dyslexia and Autism. Known as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) in the medical literature, the phenomenon has been etiologically defined as a physical functional deficit. By contrast, Dyspraxia can also be understood as having cognitive functional aspects, such as in the Aotearoa New Zealand context. The objectives of this research were firstly to examine the lived experiences of participants with Dyspraxia/ DCD in relation to predominant social biomedical conceptualisations. A second objective was to identify the repercussions of contemporary social framings of Dyspraxia/ DCD in Aotearoa New Zealand and how Dyspraxia is understood and addressed, particularly in adulthood. The approach taken to answer the research objectives was that of the thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews undertaken with both people with Dyspraxia and professional participants. In this work, a qualitative approach was employed in the form of semi-structured interviews with twenty-three people with Dyspraxia to better understand the lived experience. Further, twenty-six professionals in medical and education fields were also interviewed to investigate the role of institutions on the Dyspraxia lived experience. Participants were located through two gatekeeper organisations, cold-calling and snowball sampling techniques. This research, undertaken by an insider researcher with Dyspraxia, highlighted that an examination of Dyspraxia is unable to be considered independently of social contexts. Further, it was found that biomedical framings affected the lived experience of participants with Dyspraxia/DCD in Aotearoa New Zealand and the subsequent social response to the phenomenon. The lived experience of Dyspraxia in adulthood was found to have implications for how people with Dyspraxia construct their identity with Dyspraxic participants describing the need to adapt in normative social settings to achieve inclusion. This thesis adds to current conceptualisations by utilising the capabilities approach (CA) to examine the lived experience of Dyspraxia in relation to the medical and social models. Throughout are a range of accounts from Dyspraxic participants, describing their attempts to access the capabilities necessary to ensure the life outcomes they value. The CA can account for the significant changes between childhood and adulthood described by study participants within their social worlds. In contrast to the biomedical perception that DCD is a physical deficit, this thesis shows that the attainment of capabilities is complex and evolves across the lifespan in response to personal heterogeneities but also the social environments that Dyspraxic participants inhabit. The CA was found in the discussion to improve upon, and complement, current conceptualisations of Dyspraxia. Conceptualising Dyspraxia in alternate ways to better explain study findings, such as using the CA, suggests a range of areas for future research and practice.Item Open Access Social media, mental health and equestrian events(Cognizant Communication Corporation, 2024-10-29) Snell, Sarah; Jepson, Allan; Stadler, Raphaela; Walters, Trudie; Dashper, Kate; Spencer, Neil; Bhatia, PersiaMany studies have investigated the benefits and drawbacks of social media, but the impact it has on amateur sports participants who use it as part of their practice has been largely overlooked. This study addresses this gap, investigating the impacts of social media on the mental health of women participating in amateur sport activities – specifically, equestrian events through a mixed methods survey of 221 female amateur equestrians in the UK. Themes included the pressure to present a ‘perfect’ image to an external audience, the stress of comparison to others, and constant judgement around the performance of a participant. We also found issues of distorted reality and false representation. We conclude by highlighting a need for better assistance for athletes both while they are competing at events and at other times, particularly pre/post event.Item Open Access Implementation of gender quota requirements by local associations in New Zealand cricket(Taylor & Francis Grouo, 2024) Hill, S; Kerr, Roslyn; Ryan, Greg; Kavanagh, ThomasPurpose/rationale: To examine the implementation of a gender quota requirement for boards, introduced by Sport NZ in 2018, on local cricket governance in New Zealand. Design/methodology/approach: An open-ended qualitative survey to local board members, face-to-face interviews with management and key stakeholders, and examination of organisational documentation. Findings: The study confirmed that the male-dominated boards did not know how to source female members but showed that the gender quota requirement was effective since boards all described making changes to reach the quota requirement. Professionalisation of the boards was also improved. Practical implications: Quotas do work in creating change but ideally should also be implemented with more assistance about how to make change and provide platforms for associations to share knowledge about their processes. Research contribution: Strongly entrenched male sports cultures can be disrupted and improved through top-down externally driven policies. Originality/value: The implementation of gender quota requirements results in increased professionalisation of boards.Item Open Access Agritourism in New Zealand: A guide to successful operation(Post Quake Farming, 2021) Fountain, Joanna; Wilson, CraigThis guide and set of accompanying templates was created for a wide range of people with a common interest in the intersection between agriculture, and other forms of primary production, and tourism. So whether you’re a farmer, food or wine producer, have a tourism business that works with farmers or primary producers, or are a budding entrepreneur with an agritourism idea, this document is for you. If you’re just starting out, you may want to work through the information in the order of the Table of Contents shown on the next page. If you have an existing operation, just focus on the sections that seem most relevant to you. This document will be regularly updated and enhanced. If you’d like to see or contribute additional information, please contact joanna.fountain@lincoln.ac.nz or craig@qualitytourism.co.nz. This resource guide has been produced with the support of Beef + Lamb New Zealand, the Ministry for Primary Industries, and Environment Canterbury, through the Post Quake Farming Project.Item Open Access Tourism: Prospects and challenges for local government(Lincoln College. Rural Development & Extension Centre., 1986) Taylor, J. O.Course Objectives To define the scope of tourism and review its effects on Local Authorities. To investigate the potential for and responsibilities of Local Government toward tourism growth. Course Outline * The scope of tourism and its relationship with local government. * The structure of the New Zealand tourism industry: recent trends in New Zealand tourism. * Tourist attractions: planning and management. * The travel component: prospects and challenges. * The accommodation component: prospects and challenges - what do tourists require? * Marketing our area: nationally and regionally. Information bases and current research.Item Open Access Bruised and confused: An autoethnography of concussion in rugby union(Sage, 2024-01-01) Kavanagh, ThomasIn this autoethnography, I explore my experiences with sport-related concussion. I portray the challenges that the symptoms presented, but I also provide a wider social, cultural and political context that includes the normalisation of pain and injury in collision sports and the discourses that contribute to a culture where players minimise the severity of, and play through, concussion. Following my career, this article showcases a ‘culture of knocks’, highlighting how these discourses are learned and reproduced, the complex relationship between teams and medical staff, and anxiety over long-term consequences.Item Open Access Understanding the tourism host-guest encounter in New Zealand: Foundations for adaptive planning and management(EOS Ecology, 2005) Simmons, David; Fairweather, JThis book provides a unique perspective on tourism planning and management. It makes its case by building a comprehensive picture of tourism development based on an examination of four key tourist destinations in New contemporary national and global tourism planning contexts. Our focus on local destination area evolution shows our commitment to examining tourism where it is most palpable: at the level of encounter between hosts and guests. To frame our research we have built a new model to take account of visitor flow dynamics; and the economic, environmental and social interactions that significantly shape both ‘hosts’ and ‘guests’ experiences of tourism. In turn, destination area evolution, while grounded in local histories, geographies and politics, is also influenced by broader national goals and legislative tools. The pathway to sustainable tourism recognises the necessity for participation processes to ensure locally-responsive, adaptive tourism management that local aspirations with national development objectives.Item Open Access “It has fundamentally changed how I look at the world”: Exploring the outcomes of polar youth expeditions through self determination theory(2024) Hehir, C; Stewart, Emma; Maher, PFramed by ‘Self-Determination Theory’, this presentation explores the qualitative results of a project that examined the impact of youth polar travel by assessing participants’ pro-environmental behaviour, career choices and ambassadorial activities, up to 18 years after their polar voyage. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is a theory of motivation which highlights how purposive activity may fulfil basic psychological needs, triggering intrinsic motivation. The theory is based on the notion that humans choose to participate in activities which contribute to self-growth. Such intrinsic motivation is believed to lead to a deeper understanding of the need for behaviour change from within, supposedly triggering long-term differences within the individual, an outcome which lies at the core of many polar youth expeditions. In this study, research participants were recruited from the 2,500+ alumni of Students on Ice (SOI), a Canadian-based charitable organisation that leads educational expeditions to the Polar Regions for international high school and university students. Established in 1999, SOI offers bespoke educational expeditions to the Antarctic and the Arctic, with a mandate to provide students, educators, and scientists with inspiring educational opportunities at the Poles and, in doing so, to help participants foster a new understanding of and respect for the environment. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach and was co-designed with SOI with data collected via an online survey (n=217). The key components of self-determination theory (including autonomy, competence and relatedness) are used to present the qualitative data and frame how meaningful experiences and post-travel outcomes were created by the expedition. Initial analysis indicates that immersion in the polar environment creates a lasting impact on participants’ self-determination to make positive change in their own lives and in their wider communities.Publication Open Access The wellbeing experience within a New Zealand township. New Zealand Treasury’s Living Standards Framework in a hyper-local context : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Applied Science at Lincoln University(Lincoln University, 2023) Troy, HelenThe New Zealand Treasury published ‘Te Tai Waiora’, its first wellbeing report in November 2022. The report presents data on how wellbeing has changed, how wellbeing is distributed and the sustainability of wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand. The data collected are analysed using the Living Standards Framework, which provides New Zealand Treasury with a systematic approach to offer policy advice and identify the implications of policy, based on a range of evidence gathered over time. This research tests the Treasury’s Living Standards Framework at a hyper-local scale (focusing on matters within a small community or specific geographic location), to understand the extent to which a central government approach to measuring wellbeing is appropriate at a local scale. This study found that indicators that provide data for analysis require context and are most relevant when applied ‘at scale’ to identify the wellbeing experience of individuals and communities. Using a mixed methods approach, the data from the quantitative research showed individuals are significantly more satisfied with various aspects of wellbeing at a local scale than at a national scale. These aspects include the natural environment, safety, housing affordability and political voice. In the qualitative data, it was found that, through a series of processes an individual generates their own wellbeing depending upon capabilities, financial security, locality and employment mobility opportunities. Individuals improved their wellbeing by making deliberate choices within the context of those capabilities. Home ownership was associated with employment mobility and individuals made trade-offs between dimensions of wellbeing as a function of personal value. Both research methods revealed that ‘local matters.’ The findings from this study will contribute to the growing literature on wellbeing. This thesis demonstrates that measuring the wellbeing experience of a small community in a specific geographic location can result in significant differences in wellbeing experiences between the national and local scale. Therefore, adopting an ‘at scale’ approach is more appropriate for policy development if central government is concerned with the wellbeing of all New Zealanders, irrespective of their locality.Item Open Access A new approach to understanding involvement: linking involvement to the memorability of experience(Springer Nature, 2024) Akhoondnejad, A; Rosin, Christopher; Brennan, CBased on the involvement literature, the current research redefines the involvement theory and proposes a new form of involvement, namely situated involvement. The research, then, develops a scale to measure this involvement employing a mixed methods procedure. Afterward, the relationships between enduring, response, and situated involvements as well as the memorability of experience are investigated using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results from a survey of 317 tourists in Queenstown, New Zealand show that the memorability of experience is only impacted by situated involvement, the type of involvement which occurs during an experience. Enduring and response involvements are found to influence situated involvement, and enduring involvement predicts response involvement.Publication Restricted Sense of community, shyness and loneliness in Lincoln Village: A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Social Science with Honours at Lincoln University(Lincoln University, 2002) Hall, Carly JoanneThis study used quantitative research methods to investigate the relationships between sense of community, loneliness and shyness. A review of the literature indicated that sense of community had a negative association with loneliness, and that shy people were more likely to experience loneliness than non-shy people. Whilst also attempting to replicate previous research results between loneliness and shyness, and loneliness and sense of community, it was hypothesized that a further relationship would emerge between shyness and sense of community. A questionnaire was developed which included demographic questions, the UCLA Loneliness Scale, (version 3), (Russell, 1996), the revised Cheek and Buss shyness scale (Cheek, Cheek & Rothstein, 1986) and an adapted version of the Sense Of Community Index (SCI). A multi-stage cluster sample of 120 Lincoln residents produced 33 participants. There were no reliable correlations between the three variables, indicating rejection of the proposed hypothesis. Possible reasons for the results are discussed and future recommendations are presented. Despite the results, it is maintained that theoretical reasons warrant further investigation into these areas.Publication Restricted Management planning for a city's parks and recreation system : Planning the parks and recreation system to benefit the urban community: [dissertation, Diploma in Parks and Recreation, Lincoln College](Lincoln College, University of Canterbury, 1981) Brown, AnthonyThe following dissertation outlines an approach to Management Planning for a city Parks and Recreation System. Christchurch City, the administrative area under the authority of the Christchurch City Council, covering an area of 10158 hectares with a population of 164,256 people is used as an example.Publication Open Access Validity and reliability of the VXSport (Omni) device on basketball movement parameters(Asociación Española de Análisis del Rendimiento Deportivo, 2024-04-16) Smith, Hoani; Bird, S P; Olsen, P; Kavanagh, Thomas; Hamlin, MichaelThe use of inertial devices in sport have become increasingly common. The aim of this study was to examine the within-day validity and reliability of a relatively new inertial measurement unit at measuring basketball movement parameters. Eighteen well-trained basketball players completed several individual performance tests including linear running and change of directions, acceleration, and decelerations, jumping and impacts to measure the validity and reliability of the microtechnology. The players also completed a specific test called the Basketball Exercise Simulation Test (BEST) to investigate whether the microtechnology could accurately detect more dynamic movements. Pearsons’s correlations were determined linking assessments of the practical measures taken from the inertial measurement unit to criterion measures. Testing revealed good validity between the microtechnology and criterion measures with the 20 m run test at various velocities (6 km.h-¹, 12 km.h-¹, 18 km.h-¹, 24 km.h-¹, maximal speed km.h-¹ (mean bias <5%). However, total distance, body collisions, accelerations and decelerations showed lower validity (mean bias >10%). Total distance, number of sprints, number of sprints >15 km.h-¹, number of decelerations >3m.s-², number of accelerations and decelerations showed very large to nearly perfect reliability (ICC = 0.88 – 0.99). Whereas, relative distance (m.min-1), maximal speed (km.h-¹), total number of accelerations (>3 m.s-²), total number of jumps, average heart rate showed high reliability (ICC 0.77 – 0.87). These results demonstrate the units were able to accurately detect most basketball movement patterns correctly with good repeatability.Publication Open Access A global review of 50 years of polar tourism scholarshipStewart, Emma; Liggett, D; Senigaglia, V; Lubiana Botelho, LThe first peer-reviewed journal article on polar tourism was published in French by Canada-based Louis-Edmond Hamelin in 1974, marking 2024 as the 50th anniversary of polar tourism scholarship. This presentation discusses the results obtained from a meta-review of journal articles (n=626) searched in 22 different languages and tracks the development of polar tourism scholarship over time (1974-2022). The meta-review employed a keyword search of two online scholarly databases (Scopus and Google Scholar) and other regionally relevant searches. We identified four main phases of polar tourism scholarship. The early days of research (1974- 1991) represented an ‘exploratory’ phase, with an average number of less than one publication annually. This initial period was followed by an ‘establishment’ phase (1992–2006), during which the average number of publications per year increased to nine. A ‘development’ phase (2007-2016) followed, in which polar tourism scholarship grew substantially and solidified at about 19 publications annually on average. The final phase (starting in 2017), labelled the ‘integration’ phase, witnessed the average yearly number of publications to be generally more than twice that of those during the development phase and were dominated by multi-authored and multi-disciplinary scholarship. Also, this recent phase is the most linguistically diverse, with 10 publication languages represented, although articles in English continue to dominate the polar tourism literature (almost 75%). This is a finding not well-explored in previous meta-reviews, and it represents a growing scholarly interest across national boundaries and beyond those states typically associated with polar tourism. The incorporation of articles published in languages other than English allows us to present for the first time a comprehensive and global overview of scholarly output on polar tourism. This linguistic diversity is critical to understanding polar tourism as its growth intensifies and diversifies.Publication Open Access User perception and acceptance of softshell headgear amongst youth rugby players(Asociación Española de Análisis del Rendimiento Deportivo, 2024-03-12) Heward-Swale, AG; Kabaliuk, N; Spriggs, N; Henley, S; Hamlin, Michael; Draper, NThis study investigated the attitudes, preferences, motivations and acceptance of softshell headgear among youth rugby players. Female and male rugby players (ages 13-17) were surveyed regarding headgear use during training and matches, discontinuation reasons, preferred brands, motivations for use, and reasons for non-use. We assessed confidence without headgear, head injuries, familiarity with specifications, and awareness of benefits/risks. Most (86%) didn't wear headgear during training; 74.4% abstained in matches. Reasons for discontinuation included discomfort and perceived ineffectiveness. Parental advice (78%) and injury protection (52%) drove headgear use. Non-use reasons: lack of ventilation (67%), bulkiness (50%), discomfort (44%), non-compulsory use (36%), and lack of consideration (36%). 44.2% believed headgear protects against head injuries; 30.2% were unsure. The results of this study indicate a range of attitudes among youth rugby players towards the use of headgear. Understanding their motivations and concerns is crucial for improving player safety. While some players see headgear as a valuable protective measure, others are deterred by factors such as discomfort and lack of ventilation. There is a need for greater awareness and education about headgear benefits and risks among rugby players, potential modifications to headgear design to enhance comfort and ventilation should be explored and further research conducted to explore the benefits that headgear has for head impact protection.Publication Open Access A world without scarcity?(Routledge, 2017) Dawson, MC; Rosin, Christopher; Wald, N; Dawson, MC; Rosin, Christopher; Wald, NWhat should be very apparent at this point is that the availability—or perhaps more accurately the accessibility—of resources is a topic that attracts the attention of a wide range of professionals, scholars and activists. In the resulting discourse, global resource scarcity is often regarded as a catalyst for conflict; yet, paradoxically, such scarcity also underlies some of the most important international collaborations. While some natural resources are irrefutably essential for life and human survival, others are more important for livelihoods and economic prosperity. Some resources derive their significance and value from how difficult they are to ‘capture’ and control, while ‘market forces’ determine the worth of others. The fact that natural resources underlie existing conceptions of economic security and achievement makes the capacity to control their access and exploitation highly desirable.Publication Open Access Introduction: Resource scarcity between conflict and cooperation(Routledge, 2017) Dawson, MC; Rosin, Christopher; Wald, N; Dawson, MC; Rosin, Christopher; Wald, NThis introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book talks about the relationship between what are perceived to be scarce natural resources and the tendency for access to them to lead to international conflict or cooperation. The diversity of forms and levels of engagement with resource scarcity and its implications for international relations poses particular problems when one attempts to provide a summary, but insightful, overview to those with more general interests in scarcity or politics. The scarcity of resources and the likelihood of such scarcity leading to international conflict is a common feature of public discourse and speculation. The potential for scarcity to initiate forms of international collaboration or cooperation is a much less common element of how we understand the world. In a global context framed by increasing attention to environmental issues and concerns readily appreciated international implications.Publication Open Access Outdoor recreation experience of mainland Chinese students in New Zealand : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Lincoln University(Lincoln University, 2023) Qin QinThis thesis investigates the changing role of the culture of origin as a constraint in Mainland Chinese students’ outdoor recreation experience in New Zealand. It aims to better understand their experience by further exploring the influencetial mechanism of one’s cultural background in a cross-cultural scenario. Different countries have different understandings of and ways of practice regarding outdoor recreation. Therefore, when differences arise in cross-cultural scenarios, scholars often turn to culture to seek explanations. In the pursuit of understanding how the culture of origin influences outdoor recreation in cross-cultural scenarios, two explanatory perspectives emerged in previous research. The first perspective regards the role of the culture of origin as the decisive constraint that contributes to the culturally coherent differences in one’s recreational involvement. In studies using this perspective, a set of cultural barriers including traditions and social norms were identified to comprehend what one needs to overcome to participate in cross-cultural scenarios. Meanwhile, the second perspective suggests that the role of culture is not this straightforward, as non-culturally coherent differences also emerge within the same cultural group. Studies from this perspective indicate that different situations, such as local support and social status, can counter the effect of cultural influence as a decisive barrier to outdoor participation. There appears to be a mechanism through which culture changes its role between decisive and situation-interfered influences in one’s practices. Yet, limited attention has been directed toward comprehending this mechanism in the research area. This research explores this mechanism to enhance our understanding of people's outdoor recreation experiences by applying the logic of Archer's analytic dualism concerning the role of culture in cultural encounters. This logic suggests that the role of culture changes based on whether it exerts ideational or practical influence. The ideational influence of culture provides decisive guidance for one’s subsequent actions. Still, once such actions are undertaken, these guidelines turn into practical influences that are affected by other factors, determining the extent of such practices. This logic provides a way to explore the change in the role of the culture of origin embedded in the coexistence of homogeneity and heterogeneity, furthering our understanding of cultural influences. To narrow the scope of this research inquiry to a feasible scale, the outdoor recreation experience of Mainland Chinese students (MCS) in New Zealand was selected. New Zealand and China developed different contexts for understanding and practising outdoor recreation. These differences make outdoor recreation in New Zealand a potential subject for studying the role of the culture of origin. Meanwhile, MCS hold a significant position in the local economy and labour market. A better understanding of how the cultural background affects their outdoor recreation would benefit interested parties aiming to improve the overseas experience of Chinese students or boost revenue in the recreation sectors. Therefore, by focusing on the outdoor recreation experiences of MCS, this research employs in-depth interviews to collect data on cultural influences and their engagement with outdoor recreation. The aim is to establish a connection between the role of culture and their involvement in outdoor recreation. The results indicate that the outdoor experiences of MCS exhibit culturally coherent interpretations of outdoor recreation and situational diversity in practising it. Influenced by their culture of origin, MCS interpret the local way of outdoor recreation as the "Kiwi way," differing from the Chinese way in three aspects: value orientation, way of practice, and the sense of outdoor settings. These cultural differences generate three types of tensions that MCS need to overcome for their participation: 1) dealing with differences in values, where MCS need to maintain their original values while engaging in outdoor activities; 2) addressing variations in the way of practice, requiring them to acquire new knowledge to participate in local outdoor activities; 3) coping with differences in the perception of outdoor environments, necessitating finding adaptable approaches. Moreover, through a comparison of MCS's actual practices, the research results demonstrate that the shared interpretations at the ideational level do not decisively constrain MCS's practices. Their specific activities depend on whether existing resources can alleviate or exacerbate the cultural tensions affecting their engagement in outdoor activities, leading to diversity at the individual practice level. These findings indicate that the changes in the role of culture depend on whether it involves interpreting or practising outdoor recreation. Based on Archer's theoretical logic, it suggests that the influences of culture can be understood as a dualistic constraint role, involving a guiding constraint at the ideational level and a causal constraint at the practical level. At the ideational level, the role of culture involves distinguishing differences and, based on the attributes of these differences, generating diverse practice-oriented constraints. However, at the practical level, the execution of guiding constraints is influenced by environmental factors, leading the role of culture to transform into a coexisting causal constraint with other societal factors. This research investigates how culture influences outdoor recreation, specifically among MCS in New Zealand. Using Archer's analytic dualism, the study reveals a new way to look into cultural influence as a constraint. This enriches theoretical discussions on the interplay between culture and recreational behaviour, paving the way for further exploration in cross-cultural studies. Practically, the findings have implications for enhancing the overseas experience of Chinese students and optimizing the recreation sector.Publication Open Access Intermittent hypoxic exposure with or without exercise improved cardiopulmonary functions in people with cardiovascular risk factors(Khon Kaen University, Research and Technology Transfer Affairs Division, 2024-01) Saengjan, W; Muangritdech, N; Namboonlue, C; Tong-Un, T; Manimmanakorn, N; Hamlin, Michael; Sumethanurakkhakun, W; Manimmanakorn, AThis research aimed to explore the effects of intermittent hypoxic exposure (IH) with or without exercise on lung function, lipid profile, and a 6-min walk in people with three cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension stage I, hyperlipidemia, and obesity). Thirty participants were randomly allocated into 3 groups: a control group (CON, n=11) received no training, an intermittent hypoxic exposure during rest group (IHR, n=9), and an intermittent hypoxic training group (IHT, n=10) who combined IH with walking. Both IHR and IHT performed 8 sessions of 3-min of hypoxic breathing (14% O2) alternated with 3-min of normoxic breathing (21% O2) for 48-min per day, twice a week, for 6 consecutive weeks. All participants were measured before and after 6 weeks of theexperimental period. After training, IHR group significantly increased vital capacity (p=0.038) and forced vital capacity (p=0.025) compared to baseline. Similarly, compared to baseline, participants in the IHT group revealed significantly increased vital capacity (p=0.030), forced vital capacity (p=0.031), and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (p=0.042). Compared to CON, only IHT showed a significant increase in forced vital capacity of 8.6 ±4.5% (p=0.034) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second of 7.0 ± 3.9%, (p=0.033) after 6 weeks. Both the IHR and IHT participants demonstrated a significantly increased 6-min walk distance (p=0.048 and p=0.004, respectively) compared to CON. The study demonstrated that IH programs can improve lung function and cardiopulmonary fitness which indicates that IH with or without exercise improves some cardiopulmonary functions in at risk patients.Publication Open Access Effects of elastic taping on kyphosis and body balance in the elderly: A randomized crossover study(Springer Nature, 2024) Tangpakkakul, S; Manimmanakorn, N; Manimmanakorn, A; Vichiansiri, R; Hamlin, MichaelKyphosis produces abnormal posture and reduced body balance in the elderly. Elastic tape may be useful at improving kyphotic posture and body balance. This study aims to evaluate the effects of elastic taping on kyphosis and body balance in the elderly. Ten elderly participants with degenerative kyphotic posture were recruited and randomly assigned to two groups (back taped with stretched elastic tape for 15 min and back taped with non-stretched elastic tape for 15 min). After a 1-h washout period, the groups were swapped over to receive the other intervention. The outcomes measured after each taping technique were Cobb’s angle measurement by inclinometer, perceived pain, and balance measurements by single leg stance test, time up and go test, center of gravity alignment (COG) and modified clinical test of sensory interaction on balance test (mCTSIB). There was a significant reduction in kyphotic angle and back pain in both the stretched and non-stretched taping groups (p < 0.05). We also found both taping techniques significantly reduced sway velocity on a foam surface with eyes closed and open (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between taping groups for kyphotic angle, pain reduction or balance. The application of 15 min of stretched and non-stretched elastic tape in the elderly reduced kyphotic angle, back pain, and sway velocity while standing on foam surface in the mCTSIB test. If these changes persist over the long term (days and weeks) taping may be a useful intervention for elderly patients with kyphosis.