The current study examined the experiences of individuals with severe mental health symptoms and low physical activity who were referred by their medical provider to a program called InSHAPE. In this program, participants are paired with a health mentor, whose goal was to improve the level of physical activity engagement. Health coaches also promoted community engagement through participation in physical activity. Each week individuals were assigned a physical health goal and a non-physical health goal. It is hypothesized that individuals who accomplish their goals in the first week are more likely to stay in the program. I hypothesize that more time in the program will be positively correlated with more success in terms of participants reaching their goals as well as engaging in community activity. Finally, it is hypothesized that the more time in the program, the healthier participants will become. The results of this study report no significant associations between variables, suggesting that there is no significant correlation between time spent in the InSHAPE program and success in the program in terms of goal attainment and community involvement. More research is needed to delineate the multidirectional relationship between physical activity and mental health. A better understanding of the mood benefits of physical activity can better inform holistic treatments for those with negative mental health symptoms. Documentation of programs focused on increasing physical activity specifically for mental health gains implemented in the community are needed.

Background: An emerging literature has found associations between food insecurity and disordered eating behaviors. This study was two-fold. First, to replicate the existing literature that food insecurity is associated with disordered eating symptoms including loss of control over eating. Second, to expand the existing literature by examining stigma control theory, which purports that experiences related to food insecurity potentially induce stigma-related shame, with disordered eating behaviors used to cope with the shame. Further, to explore if emotion coping strategies moderate associations between shame and disordered eating. Method: This is a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study of 582 adults with food insecurity. Participants completed a 20-minute online survey on food insecurity, shame related to food insecurity, coping strategies, and disordered eating behaviors. Analyses: Hierarchical regressions were computed where food insecurity, shame, and emotion focused coping were entered as predictor variables, followed by their interaction terms, and with disordered eating behaviors entered as outcome variables. Results: Regressions suggest that a) internalized shame partially mediated the relationship between food insecurity and global disordered eating, b) internalized shame did not mediate the relationship between food insecurity and loss of control, c) emotion focused coping did not moderate any relationship. Discussion: Internalized shame may be one mechanism in which disordered symptoms arise in food insecure populations, however emotion focused coping does not have any effect on this relationship. Results indicate that coping strategies alone may not reduce eating disorder symptoms, and internalized shame may be an important predictor of disordered eating in food insecure populations.