Contract Positions Research Articles

STATUS OF RESEARCH-RELATED ACTIVITIES OFSOUTH AFRICA’S UNIVERSITY NURSING SCHOOLS

The development of research programmes is a relatively novel phenomenon amongst nurse researchers in developing countries. Academics and researchers are faced with the demands for postgraduate and publication outputs, but with little or no support. In South Africa, benchmarks have been set for expected research outputs per university and per academic. However, nursing schools are finding it a challenge to meet these targets. This chapter provides an overview of the status of nursing research in South Africa and determines the overall research outputs for the various South African nursing schools. The data was collected through a structured self-administered questionnaire. The survey was distributed to all 22 university nursing schools in South Africa of which 17 completed surveys were returned (77% response rate). The nursing dean was expected to verify all information submitted. Data collected reflects the years 2008-2010. Only 23.54% of nurse academics in South Africa have doctoral degrees impacting on the throughput rates of doctoral and master’s degree students. There are high intakes for doctoral and master’s degree programmes with limited availability of research supervisors. The results also revealed that almost half (46%) of the academics employed at nursing schools are employed in a full-time contract position. In South Africa, each year 4.7 articles per nursing school per year are published in accredited journals. It is evident from the results that there is an increase in the output of publications and funding for research, but that the output rate of postgraduate students has shown nominal improvement, especially regarding doctorates. Problems affecting research outputs included writing challenges, a lack of stability or constant change in management in many nursing schools, as well as a shortage of experienced supervisors. Unrealistic workloads were also singled out as challenges that impact on research outputs. However, support programmes have been established to support researchers, and this seems to have had a positive impact.

Research Embedded Health Librarianship: The Canadian Landscape

Introduction: Previous research has identified various types of embedded librarianship – the clinical informationist, the academic liaison librarian, and the special librarian within a corporation. There is far less mention of librarians who are embedded in health research teams; however, the authors’ personal experiences indicate these positions are not rare. The research-embedded health librarian (REHL) provides tailored, intensive information services to a health research team in which the REHL is integrated. This research study aims to describe the REHL workforce in Canada, noting how the characteristics of both the positions and the individuals holding them differ from those of health librarians in more traditional librarian roles. Methods: As Part I of a two-part mixed methods study, an electronic survey was distributed to Canadian health librarians. The survey gathered demographic data on all respondents and information on the work environments and experiences of self-identified REHL respondents. Descriptive data analysis was conducted, and statistical differences between REHLs and non-REHLs were calculated. Results: One hundred and ninety-one individuals completed the survey, with 39 (20%) self-identifying as REHLs. The results indicated that REHLs tend to be both younger and newer to the profession than librarians in non-REHL positions. They are more likely to work for research institutes and nonprofit organizations, and they are less likely to work in hospital environments. They are also more likely to be hired on term-specific contracts than on a permanent basis. Discussion: More survey respondents identified themselves as REHLs than was anticipated, which may indicate that this a growing segment of the health librarian workforce. The high number of contract positions could be one explanation for why REHLs tend to be younger librarians or librarians who are newer to the profession, as they are just starting out in their careers. The predominance of contract positions is likely influenced by the high number of jobs in research institutes or nonprofit organizations where continuance of the positions is dependent on securing grant funding.

복근 지구력 평가 도구로서 등척성 수축 후 버티기 방법의 타당성 비교 검증

본 연구는 복근의 정적 지구력 평가 도구로서의 등척성 버티기 방법의 타당성을 검증하고 최적의 적용 각도를 결정해내기 위해 수행되었다. 92명(남 68명, 여 24명)의 피험자가 자발적으로 실험에 참여하여 다음과 같은 결과를 얻었다. 유산소 역량과 근지구력 역량 사이의 상관성은 남성에서보다 여성에게서 더 높게 나타났으며 등척성 버티기의 수행 시간과 윗몸일으키기의 반복 횟수 사이에 정적인 상관관계를 나타냈다. 또한 40도의 경사도를 적용 시 30도 및 50도와 비교해 근지구력과의 가장 높은 상관성을 나타냈다. 이와 같은 결과를 통해 복근지구력의 평가 도구로서의 등척성 버티기 방법이 요부의 잠재적 상해 위험을 지닌 것으로 보고되고 있는 윗몸일으키기 방법을 대체할 수 있는 대안으로 사용될 수 있으며 적용 시 40도의 각도를 적용하는 것이 적절하다는 결론을 내릴 수 있었다. 서로 다른 연령 및 체력 상태에 따른 최적의 적용 각도에 대해서는 후속 연구를 통해 밝혀져야 할 것이다. The current study was undertaken to verify appropriateness of muscle endurance test at three different angles (<TEX>$30^{\circ}C$</TEX>, <TEX>$40^{\circ}C$</TEX>, <TEX>$50^{\circ}C$</TEX>) of isometric contraction position, and to sought valid and reliable testing method that provide an alternative to sit-ups. Total 92 young and healthy subjects (68 males and 24 females) were recruited, and the following results were obtained. 1. A low correlations in males, but a high correlations in females was found when the comparisons were made between aerobic and muscle endurance capability. 2. Measuring tolerance time, by using isometric contraction was showed a significant correlation with the repetition numbers of sit-ups. 3. The highest correlation was found at 40 inclined degrees of plane, and the lowest correlation was drawn from 50 inclined degrees of plane. Based on these results, it was concluded that measuring tolerance time during maintaining an isometric contraction at 40 inclined degrees of plane is a valid and effective tool for measuring abdominal muscle endurance, and it can be used as an alternative way of sit-up, which potentially risky for inducing many back-associated injuries. Further studies need to be undertaken to determine for optimal angles, that can safely be applied for people of various age groups and physical conditions.

Is working in culturally diverse working environment associated with physicians’ work-related well-being? A cross-sectional survey study among Finnish physicians

International mobility of health care professionals is increasing, though little is known about how working in a culturally diverse team affects the native physicians’ psychosocial work environment. We examined Finnish physicians’ perceptions of work-related wellbeing according to whether they had foreign-born colleagues (FBCs) in their work unit. We also examined whether work-related resources moderate the potential association between work-related wellbeing and working alongside FBCs. A cross-sectional survey was conducted for a random sample of physicians in Finland in 2010 (3826 respondents, response rate 55%). Analyses were restricted to native Finnish physicians working in public health care. The results were analyzed by ANCOVA. In unadjusted analyses, having FBCs was related to poor team climate (p<0.001) and poor job satisfaction (p=0.001). Those physicians who reported high procedural justice and high job control perceived also higher job satisfaction even if they had many FBCs in the work unit (p=0.007 for interaction between FBCs and procedural justice and p<0.001 for interaction between FBCs and job control). These associations were robust to adjustments for age, sex, health care sector, specialization, on-call duty, employment contract, full-time employment and leadership position. The results indicate that culturally diverse work units face challenges related to team climate and job satisfaction. The results also show that leadership plays an important role in culturally diverse work units. The potential challenges of culturally diverse teams for native physicians may be reduced by fair decision-making and by increasing physicians’ job control.

Analysis of the status of spinal disorders in frontal plane in adolescents of rural and urban environment

The aim of the research is to determine the frequency, sizestructure, and possible differences of the spinal disorder in the sagital plane in boys from different socioeconomic backgrounds in Montrenegro. Research program included 160 male responedents, of which 80 were from urban of 80 from rural enviroment with average age of 13.6 years. Assessment of postural status of the spine was performed by using several combined techniques and methods of measurement: somatoscopy method, Adams test, Mattiass test, test of 'voluntary' muscle contraction and higher position test (Koturovic & Jeričevic, 1998; Radisavljevic, 2001; Jovovic, 2008). For all postural variables and their variations have been calculated frequency distribution of interrupted statistical series and the differences between the subsamples of respondents were tested using the chi-square test. The obtained results of the research indicate that the status of spinal disordersin frontal plane is significantly affected at the large number of responendents. Between subsamples of the respondents have not been confirmed statistically significant differences. It turned out that the largest percentage of deviations form the functional disorders, which can be successfully corrected with adequate application of physical treatments.

“Small Bets” and the PhD Process: Alt-Ac Careers for Humanities PhDs

IN A RECENT SURVEY the community, 74 percent respondents stated when they initially started their graduate work, they planned to become a professor and of 74%, 80% report[ed] feeling fairly certain or completely certain professorship was the career they would pursue (Rogers). (1) These statistics match my personal experience and my conversations with other grad students. I am one those grad students who originally planned--and continues to plan--a career in a tenure-track position. Yet because the sheer relentless, nigh apocalyptic nature job market forecasts, I'm now in the position considering careers beyond academia. For the past year I've been attending workshops at my university's Centre for Career Action, talking with my supervisor, other professors, and career counselors, meeting with mitacs representatives, conducting informational interviews with people in the private sector, and trying to immerse myself in the extremely active online discussions about the academic job market and the alt-ac path. with said, I'd like to present some my concerns and ideas from the perspective a grad student. What I'd like to suggest is an open, curious, iterative, versatile, non-teleological, or even antifragile, approach to career preparation for humanities PhDs. In the survey quoted above, the respondents, in their postacademic careers, did not end up in any specific sector. When humanities scholars move beyond academia, there is no set path. According to Susan Basalla and Maggie Debelius, in So What Are You Going to Do With That?: Finding Careers Outside Academia, many alt-ac career paths only have a logical continuity to in retrospect (34); Basalla and Debelius therefore suggest be[ing] open to unexpected possibilities (74). Similarly, in Geoffrey Moore's presentation, Crossing the Chasm from Academia to Business, at Stanford University's Bibliotech conference (a conference for Connecting Liberal Arts PhDs with Forward-Thinking Companies), he claims humanities PhDs have skills to offer every sector business, provided we're willing to learn a totally new vocabulary. The vocabulary we currently use (semiotics, John Donne, and so on) won't translate, but what we can do with vocabulary translates extremely well to any sector. At another bibliotech talk, Patrick Byrne, ceo and founder Overstock.com (and a philosophy PhD), argues in the private sector humanities scholars make naturally good team leaders and are good at nurturing a team's ideas. Some businesses have realized humanities scholars offer a unique skill set can be trained or modified to adapt to very different industries. There are now management consulting firms hiring not just mbas and stem scholars but humanities PhDs as well, because the raw horsepower in critical thinking which the PhD serves as evidence (quoted in Montell). Geoffrey Moore uses the metaphor professional football teams draft running and track stars who've never played football, because the team is after the best available and the team can train the athlete for a specific football position. My point is not just humanities scholars can succeed in other industries but the PhD itself can be leveraged if PhD students are willing to branch out and if they are given the chances to do so. Often they need something else on the resume, since obviously not every company will take a chance on the best available athlete. For grad students this will require early open-mindedness toward pursuing a career other than as a tenured professor. Cal Newport, in Good They Can't Ignore You, argues the uncritical repetition advice like follow your passion is downright dangerous and damaging when people become convinced that somewhere there's a magic 'right' job waiting for them (22). Doesn't this ring a bell, in light the frightening stories one hears about PhD adjuncts moving around the continent for years in a series low-pay, limited-term contract positions--in some cases even going on food stamps (see Patton)--all in the hope they'll finally land magic right job, even as the odds become increasingly against them? …

Towards a positive view on health: the development of the Dutch Vitality Questionnaire

unit. We also examined whether work-related resources moderate the potential negative effects of multicultural work team on work-related well-being among physicians. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted for a random sample of physicians in Finland in 2010 (3826 respondents, response rate 55%). The questionnaire contained measures for workrelated stressors (time pressure, patient-related stress, stress due to poor information system and lack of consultation possibilities), resources (organizational justice and job control) and work-related well-being (team climate and job satisfaction). The respondents were also asked whether they had foreign born colleagues in their work unit. Analyzes were restricted to native Finnish physicians working in public health care. The results were analyzed by ANCOVA. Results Having FBCs in the work unit was related to higher patientrelated stress (p < 0.001), stress related to electronic information systems (p = 0.005), low perceived procedural justice (p = 0.008) and poor team climate (p = 0.008) among native physicians. Procedural justice and job control buffered the negative association between having FBCs with job satisfaction (p = 0.007 and p < 0.001 respectively). Having at least as many FBGs as native colleagues in the work unit was related to poor job satisfaction only among those who reported poor job control or poor organizational justice. These associations were robust to adjustments for age, sex, health care sector, specialization, on-call duty, employment contract, full-time employment and leadership position. Conclusions The results indicate that multicultural work units face challenges in stress and team climate. The results also show that leadership has an important role for multicultural work units. The burden of multicultural teams for native physicians can be reduced by fair management and by increasing physicians’ job control Key messages Physicians working in multicultural health care units face challenges in stress and team climate. Leadership has an important role for multicultural work units. The burden of multicultural teams for native physicians can be reduced by fair management and by increasing physicians’ job control.

Adductor Pollicis Jamming Injuries in the Professional Baseball Player: 2 Case Reports

We characterize a mechanism of injury, injury pattern, and treatment algorithm for adductor pollicis myotendinous injuries in 2 professional baseball players. Similar to myotendinous eccentric injuries in other anatomical areas, the adductor pollicis sustains a sudden forceful eccentric load during a jammed swing, resulting in intramuscular strain or tendon rupture. Based on the reported injury mechanism, and magnetic resonance imaging features of these myotendinous injuries, the thumb of the top hand during a jammed swing was suddenly and forcefully eccentrically abducted from a contracted and adducted position, resulting in injury patterns.

Do Women in Female-Dominated Occupations Exit the Labour Market More?: Evidence from Italy, Spain, Denmark and the UK

Literature on sex occupational segregation has typically focused on the micro and macro determinants of it, on mobility patterns over the life course, on implications of segregation and mobility for gender inequalities. Rarely the link between sex-type of occupations and women's risk of labour market interruptions over family formation has been explored. In this article we analyse whether women who are working in female-dominated, male-dominated or integrated occupations have more or less chances to remain attached to the labour market, controlling for qualifications, class, sector and contract positions. By drawing from ECHP, and comparing Italy, Spain, Denmark and the UK, we consider whether the effect of the sex-type of occupations varies across countries with different institutional and cultural configurations. We find that, ceteris paribus , only in the UK the sex-composition of an occupation matters: women in female occupations are more likely to move to inactivity than women in mixed or male occupations. In the other countries considered the main determinants of women's labour market continuity lie elsewhere. In Italy what matters most is the sector of employment (public vs. private). In Spain the sector is relevant too, but also class and the type of contract held (permanent vs. temporary). In Denmark, where policies and culture universally support maternal employment, women's transitions to housework are largely independent of their human capital and their location in the labour market.

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Quantifying the WASDE Announcement Effect

This article uses a two‐stage GLS model to quantify the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) announcement effect for cotton, soybeans and hard winter wheat, controlling for important factors associated with commodity price volatility. The information presented by the overlapping nature of futures contracts is exploited to estimate conditional effects by month, inventory conditions, and delivery horizon. Results in this article show that the WASDE announcement effect persists across contract positions, is not limited to months that include NASS crop survey data, is amplified during low carryover periods for soybeans and wheat,and is rapidly incorporated into futures prices.

Inhumations, dépôts d’animaux et perles en cuivre du IV e millénaire sur le site Néolithique récent de Colmar « Aérodrome » (Haut-Rhin)

Excavations carried out by INRAP at the Colmar site in 2008 revealed the presence of 75 circular pits identified as storage pits. No layers of waste suggesting possible nearby domestic activity were found. A total of 19 of the structures contained human remains among which there were 13 primary burial sites and 11 secondary burial sites. The ceramic items collected and a series of radiocarbon dates prove that the site dates back to the Late Neolithic and can be more precisely linked to the Munzingen culture, which covered an area from the south of Upper Alsace to the Wetterau region in Germany. Most of the bodies were in a contracted position, described as “ regular” or “ conventional”, that made it possible to identify a majority of real tombs. One pit shows three layers of inhumation, the lower containing an adult in the regular position and a child in a non-regular position. The two bodies were in close contact. This type of asymmetric burial, relatively common in the recent Upper Rhine Neolithic, seems to represent ritual killings of “ escorts” during the burial of an important person. There is some evidence that post-decompositional manipulations occurred on human corpses as well as on animal carcasses found nearby. Five whole or partial animal burials (suidae and cervidae) and the legs of two roe deer were discovered. They were either isolated or in the same pits as the human bodies, but always separated from these by a layer of sediment. The practice of laying whole animals in circular pits seems to follow the same pattern as that of human burials and it is likely that both practices are a part of the same symbolic system. Studies of the Colmar pits provide several important clues to help understand the numerous aspects linked to the ritual burials in circular pits. In the present state of our knowledge, we favour the hypothesis of ritual offerings, involving animals of various kinds, from whole carcasses to isolated parts. These offerings were never clearly associated with a given individual, but may have been devoted to all the persons buried on the site or to supernatural entities. 56 copper beads making up two “ necklaces” were found near a body lying on its stomach. A number of counterparts to these objects also existed in the Cortaillod culture where they have been found three times in structured deposits. Laboratory research carried out on eight of the Colmar beads shows that they are made of arsenical copper known as Mondsee copper. This copper, which probably comes from the north-eastern Alps, played a major part in the expansion of early prehistoric metallurgy. Given the locations of the discoveries and the origin of the raw material, one can assume that the cylindrical beads characteristic of the 4th millennium were produced in the Cortaillod area from copper bars imported via the Pfyn and/ or the Mondsee cultures. They were perhaps a basis of exchange rather than ornaments. The Colmar site may have been a small necropolis, but also an area devoted to ritual practices involving animal and perhaps even human offerings. The latter hypothesis is suggested by the association – very unlikely in a strictly funerary setting – of bodies in non-regular positions and the presence of prestige items. Individuals buried in a regular position invariably lack grave goods and no prestige items are found in conventional burials.

The Haken Crisis

Recent trends show that the brunt of the economic suffering and unemployment in Japan are being increasingly absorbed by lower paid and less educated who have found themselves stuck in temporary contract positions with little chance of continuation or stability. In the last three years, the Japanese economy has lost hundreds of thousands of temporary worker positions leading to an employment crisis in a country which usually prides itself on a low unemployment rate.

Test–retest reliability of the soleus H-reflex is affected by joint positions and muscle force levels

The purpose of this study was to determine the test–retest reliability of the soleus (SOL) H-reflex during rest and isometric contractions at 10%, 30%, and 50% of the maximal voluntary force (MVC) at the ankle joint angles of neutral (0°), plantarflexion (20°), and dorsiflexion (−20°) respectively, in a sitting position. Ten healthy participants, with mean age of 24.9 ± 5.0 (SD) years, height 168.3 ± 8.8 cm, weight 62.7 ± 12.3 kg, were tested for the SOL H-reflex (H max) on two separate occasions within 7 days. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for the test–retest of the SOL H-reflex during rest was found to be high at ankle joint angle of neutral (ICC = 0.92) and plantarflexion (0.96), and moderate at dorsiflexion (0.75). Inconsistent ICC values (range from 0.62 to 0.97) were found during the submaximal voluntary contractions at the three ankle joint positions. High ICCs were also found in H max/M max ratio at neutral (0.86), plantarflexion (0.96), and dorsiflexion (0.84) positions. It was concluded that the test–retest reliability of the SOL H-reflex was affected by the intensity of voluntary contraction and ankle joint position. The H-reflex demonstrated a higher reliability at the neutral and plantarflexion positions than that at the dorsiflexion position during rest, and a higher reliability at 10% MVC than that at 30% and 50% MVC.

Hopelessly Witty or Witless Hope: Notes from LTA Land

HI, MY NAME IS ERIN, and I'm on a contract. I have been trying, lately, to say that much possible because, like academic writing, being on a teaching contract is something many of us do but few of us like to talk about. sort of feels like a confession, which is bizarre, given that, at least in the case of the contract that I'm on, this line of work is pretty humane. Though, of course, there are some foibles. Earlier this year I was approached by a colleague about speaking on a Committee for Professional Concerns panel at accute. I imagined giving an incredibly well-wrought short talk, something to entertain the ears, elucidate the mind, and, ultimately, incite my listeners into some sort of action. And I'd be funny. Lots of witty turns of phrase. I envisioned what I would say while I was mired in grading. I thought about it while planning lectures. I saw myself writing it on Sunday evenings after I'd finished the week's lecture plans. I thought of the people I know who are either also doctorate holders in contract positions or facing a market that is as it's been since the last time it was bad and concentrated on how I would represent our experiences while somehow managing to walk the tightrope of accuracy without falling into pessimism or overt optimism. I even started doing some research. Even a cursory look at the Chronicle of Higher Education finds a wealth of insightful-yet-dreary reports on the rising numbers of sessional workers, adjunct professors, and limited-term faculty. The New Yorker featured a cover with a PHD-holder moving back into his childhood bedroom while his parents look on nervously (Barreca). And who can forget the Macleans article, It Hurts When You Call Me Professor, whose tag line reads They've got phds. They're paid like fast food And they're your teachers. I recall first reading that one while I was in graduate school, and I remember thinking: how upsetting. Why doesn't someone do something? I also thought, frankly, meh. For I've done most everything right. Service? Check. Finish within four years with sshrc funding? Check. Conference presentations and ongoing publications? Check. And I'm reasonably nice and suitably provocative. Surely, I thought in my secret little heart, I would be an exception. As I worked through this research I thought about how I'd relay it in a witty-yet-serious fashion. I could talk about alienation of labour or, more positively, offer some ideas for academic utopian performatives. But more so, I started to worry. After all, I'm on this panel because I've just completed my first term an Assistant Professor. And, despite the fact that my contract (which at the time of Congress had just been renewed) is for ten months at a time, it has been a really good year. My colleagues are welcoming; I'm not really what Macleans called a member of the invisible class of workers. My fellow department members recognize that I'm exploited and work to support me. Indeed, that my position exists at all is due to a decision on the department's part to push for an LTA hire rather than to parse out per-course contracts. Although there are always new situations to negotiate: students who ask if I can supervise them are unprepared for the reply that we'll have to wait and see if I'm here next year. But really, it's a pretty good gig. I'm constantly reminded--by myself, by my mentors, by friends--that I'm luckier than most of my peers. My inability to begin this paper brought me, somewhat reluctantly, to my first point about holding an LTA: teaching an over-load means at the very least sacrificing wit. What I mean here is that in a teaching appointment (meaning that, for example, since September 2009 I've taught seven classes and about three hundred students; in the 2010-11 year I'll teach the same numbers) one still manages to write a little, but the time needed to shape and style the argument is challenged. …

Man enough to let my wife support me: How changing models of career and gender are reshaping the experience of unemployment

ABSTRACTDrawing on ethnographic fieldwork among unemployed U.S. high‐technology workers, I challenge the association of job loss and unemployment with a crisis of masculinity. I argue that, in the United States today, middle‐class workers conceptualize their careers as a string of contract positions, thus mitigating the personal and professional consequences of job loss and unemployment. Changing gender roles and the rise of dual‐earner marriages in the United States have also reshaped the experience of middle‐class unemployment, alleviating some of the emasculating effects of unemployment for men but prompting new crises for unemployed women.

Medical Contract and Guarantor Position of the Doctor in Treatment Ceasing - focusing on Boramae hospital case -

Medical Contract and Guarantor Position of the Doctor in Treatment Ceasing - focusing on Boramae hospital case -

Placing Migrants in Employment: Recruitment Consultants' Experiences

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the issues that recruitment consultants face when trying to place non-native English speaking professional migrants in employment in New Zealand. Five recruitment consultants participated in two focus groups as part o f a wider study conducted in 2007. The consultants in this study worked in the permanent and temporary markets covering a range of professions. Theirs is a highly competitive market, aiming to match candidates with employers to the satisfaction of both. Essentially, the role is a sales one, volume driven and time pressured. Consultants follow the same standard process for all applicants: assessing skills, including communication skills, and preparing three candidates to present to the employer for interview. The perceived differences between migrants and local candidates include difficulties in oral communication; limited knowledge of New Zealand culture, and lack of experience with behavioural interviews. Consultants adopted an educative role towards some highly prejudiced employers. Employers with previous positive experiences with migrants tended to be more receptive. Consultants considered that migrants needed to be more realistic in their job expectations; be prepared to accept contract positions and accept lower level roles initially. They should familiarise themselves with the New Zealand culture, humour and workplace expectations. Current labour market shortages place migrants in a very; good position for accessing employment.

Changes in Deep Abdominal Muscle Thickness During Common Trunk-Strengthening Exercises Using Ultrasound Imaging

Cross-sectional study design. To characterize changes in muscle thickness in the transversus abdominis (TrA) and internal oblique (IO) muscles during common trunk-strengthening exercises, and to determine whether these changes differ based on age. Although trunk-strengthening exercises have been found to be useful in treating those with low back pain (LBP), our understanding of the relative responses of the TrA and IO muscles during different exercises is limited. Six commonly prescribed trunk-strengthening exercises were performed by 120 subjects (40 subjects per age group: 18-30, 31-40, and 41-50 years). Ultrasound imaging was used to measure the thickness of the TrA and IO during the resting and contracted state of each exercise. The average thickness of the muscles while in the contracted position was divided by the thickness values in the resting position for each exercise, based on 2 performances of each exercise. Two 3-by-6 repeated-measures analyses of variance were used to determine significant changes in muscle thickness of the TrA and IO, based on age group and exercise performed. For both muscles, the trunk exercise-by-age interaction effect (TrA, P = .358; IO, P = .217) and the main effect for age (TrA, P = .615; IO, P = .219) were not significant. A significant main effect for trunk exercise for both muscles (P<.001) was found. The horizontal side-support (mean +/- SD contracted-rest thickness ratio: TrA, 1.95 +/- 0.69; IO, 1.88 +/- 0.52) and the abdominal crunch (mean +/- SD contracted-rest thickness ratio: TrA, 1.74 +/- 0.48; IO, 1.63 +/- 0.41) exercises resulted in the greatest change in muscle thickness for both muscles. The abdominal drawing-in maneuver (mean +/- SD contracted-rest thickness ratio: TrA, 1.73 +/- 0.36; IO, 1.14 +/- 0.33) and quadruped opposite upper and lower extremity lift (mean +/- SD contracted-rest thickness ratio: TrA, 1.59 +/- 0.49; IO, 1.25 +/- 0.36) exercises resulted in changes in TrA muscle thickness with minimal changes in IO muscle thickness. Changes in TrA and IO muscle thickness differed across 6 commonly prescribed trunk-strengthening exercises among healthy subjects without LBP. These differences did not vary by age. This information may be useful for informing exercise prescription.