Term of Award

Spring 2023

Degree Name

Master of Science, Kinesiology - Exercise Science Concentration

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology

Committee Chair

Bridget Melton

Committee Member 1

Haresh Rochani

Committee Member 2

Richard Cleveland

Committee Member 3

Joseph Dulla

Committee Member 3 Email

jdulla@georgiasouthern.edu

Abstract

Police academies are typically the first formalized job-task-oriented exercise training for law enforcement officers (LEOs). Research has demonstrated that cadets are at higher risk of injury during the academy. Physical training (PT) is a critical component of LEO academy efforts to build occupational skills to meet job demands. Although research is beginning to investigate the efficacy of different training modalities, more research is needed to understand the impact of academy training load and modality on occupational readiness and interest in maintaining exercise behaviors post-academy. PURPOSE: to investigate the relationships between different physical training modalities and intention to continue physical training among cadets after a 12-week police academy. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was utilized with a convenience sample of 236 graduating LEO cadets (27.84 y; 203 male, 30 female). Participants completed a 5-Point Likert Scale for perceived intensity for each exercise modality (formation runs, circuit training, and defensive tactics). Cadets then rated their intention to continue each modality after academy completion (ranging from 1=Extremely Unlikely to 5=Extremely Likely). Spearman-Rho correlations were used to determine the relationship between each training modality and cadets' intention to continue PT after the academy. RESULTS: With Circuit Training, a significant negative weak correlation was found between intensity and intention (rs (229)= -.140, p=.034). No significant correlations were found between intention formation runs or defensive training. CONCLUSION: Though significant, the weak negative correlation does not give a strong inference, and more research into perceived intensity and behavioral intention is warranted to gain a better understanding of this interaction.

Research Data and Supplementary Material

No

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