Term of Award

Spring 2025

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 and Kinesiology

Committee Chair

Bridget Melton

Committee Member 1

Richard Cleveland

Committee Member 2

Haresh Rochani

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Law enforcement officers perform various physically demanding tasks, but much of their daily activities are sedentary or light intensity. Quality movement patterns are vital for fitness, reducing the risk of injuries, and contributing to motivation for physical activity. PURPOSE: This study examined the relationship between exercise self-efficacy (ESES) and functional mobility (FMS) among law enforcement officers. METHODS: 55 officers participated, with exercise self-efficacy measured using the ESES scale and movement patterns assessed with the Functional Movement Screening (FMS). Correlational analysis and linear regression were used to explore the relationships between FMS and ESES, years of service (YoS) and FMS, and YoS and ESES. Two lasso regressions were run to determine the most influential FMS components on the total ESES score and the most influential ESES question on the total FMS score. RESULTS: Of the participating officers, 34 were male and 21 female, with an average age of 38.8 ± 11 years and an average of 10.8 ± 9.8 years of service. Job roles included 57.4% field officers, 21.3% administrative/command staff, and 21.3% civilian/non-sworn. The average FMS score was 11.9 ± 3.3, with 63.8% scoring below 13, and the average ESES score was 32.4 ± 6, with 74.4% scoring above 30. A significant positive correlation between ESES and FMS (r = 0.441, p = 0.002) explained 19.4% of ESES variability, while a negative correlation between YoS and FMS (r = -0.382, p = 0.009) explained 14.5% of FMS variability. No significant correlation was found between YoS and ESES. Lasso regression identified that higher confidence in overcoming barriers (Questions 6, 7, and 8) predicted better FMS performance. CONCLUSIONS: This study, the first to explore the ESES-FMS relationship in urban law enforcement, found that higher ESES scores correlated with better FMS performance. It also highlighted the negative impact of years of service on FMS. It shows that officers with higher confidence in their ability to exercise tend to perform better in functional movement, suggesting that fostering self-efficacy is crucial for encouraging engagement in corrective exercise programs to improve movement patterns and reduce the risk of injury.

OCLC Number

1519569725

Research Data and Supplementary Material

No

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