Limestone Professor, Students To Present Research At National Conference

Limestone College Professor of Physical Education Dr. Felicia Cavallini will conduct two research presentations, along with two of her students Kelsia Sumrell and Jacob Lineberger, at the American Association of Behavioral and Social Science Conference in Las Vegas later this month.

The first research presentation will be centered on community power and how to use the marketing, motivating, and educating aspect of community to get more people to move. Cavallini’s research serves as the foundation to transfer knowledge into best practices for overall health and well-being through the power of community.

The second presentation will focus on the “physical” barriers section of the research: lack of time, physical, and psychological. The external variables (family duty, job responsibilities, home responsibilities) influences someone to feel they have no time to be active. Examples of physical barriers are extreme weather, injury or illness, lack of sufficient lighting in the neighborhood, no accessibility to green space or trails, and so on.

In the study, the physical barrier to physical activity that most women deal with was cold winter weather. The research serves as a backdrop to address and provide recommendations on how to overcome extreme weather in order to engage in lifestyle physical activity. Cavallini and her students will present their MyWinter and MyWinterHoliday Activity graphics, which demonstrate numerous ways in which an individual can be active during the winter.

“Community strength and power is paramount for overall physical activity success,” Cavallini said. “No matter where we live, winter weather can be a physical barrier to participation in physical activity for many people.”

The American Association of Behavioral and Social Science Conference takes place February 24-26.

Cavallini was awarded the prestigious, internationally distinguished Fulbright U.S. Scholar Grant for 2014-2015 as a Visiting Research Chair in the Human Health and Nutritional Sciences Department at the University of Guelph. Cavallini taught and conducted research in collaboration with the faculty and serves as an ambassador to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and Canada.