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Objectives: This study focused on how adolescents' perceptions of coaches' health promotion activity predict maintained participation and dropout in organized sports in emerging adulthood. In addition, differences in lifestyle habits between maintainers, dropouts, and nonparticipants in organized sports were explored. Materials and Methods: Overall, 616 adolescents reported organized sports participation in the Finnish Health Promoting Sports Club (FHPSC) study at ages 15 and 19. Of these, 323 reported coach's health promotion activity on health topics at the age of 15. An index of a coach's general health promotion activity was formed. At age 19, all study participants reported their lifestyle habits. Results: Among males, those who had perceived coaches' general health promotion activity as frequent were more likely to be maintainers than dropouts (48.6% vs. 20.0%) (p = .002). Among females, there was no significant difference (32.0% vs. 28.4%). Logistic regression analysis adjusted for gender showed that perceiving coach's general health promotion activity as frequent increased the odds of being a maintainer rather than a dropout. Moreover, maintainers had higher odds of having healthy lifestyle habits when compared to nonparticipants (related to physical activity; sleep; fruit and vegetable consumption; and cigarette use) or dropouts (related to physical activity; and cigarette use). In addition, dropouts had higher odds of having healthy lifestyle habits than nonparticipants (related to sleep; and cigarette use). Conclusions: Perceiving coaches' health promotion activity as frequent was related to maintained participation in organized sports among males. Maintainers were more likely to have more healthy lifestyle habits than nonparticipants and dropouts. There is a need to invest in coaches' health promotion activity when it is infrequent. A more detailed understanding is needed of coaches' health promotion activity that supports both maintained participation in sports, especially among females, and healthy lifestyle habits in emerging adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify organized sports participation patterns and their prevalence from adolescence to emerging adulthood, and the educational and family-related determinants of the patterns. Adolescents in the Finnish Health Promoting Sports Club (FHPSC) study answered a health behaviour questionnaire and reported on sports club participation at ages 15 and 19 (N = 609). In emerging adulthood, dropouts (total 41.05%; females 43.72%; males 36.56%), maintainers (30.87; 26.44; 38.33), nonparticipants (27.59; 29.32; 24.67), and joiners (0.49; 0.52; 0.44) (p =.024) were identified. A mixed multinomial logistic regression analysis showed, that male gender, as compared to female gender, increased the odds of being a maintainer rather than a nonparticipant or dropout. Among females, high achievement at school and aspiration towards upper secondary school at age 15 increased the odds of being a maintainer at age 19 rather than a nonparticipant. High achievement at school and experiencing a (strong) decrease in parental support for physical activity/sport increased the odds of being a dropout rather than a nonparticipant. Having no experience of a strong decrease in parental support increased the odds of being a maintainer rather than a dropout. Among males, aspiration towards upper secondary school increased the odds of being a maintainer or dropout rather than a nonparticipant. The most common reason for dropping out was study, which was also the most prevalent life status at age 19. The findings highlight a need for more flexible possibilities to combine organized sports participation and school studies, and the importance of parental support for physical activity/sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The operation of naval vessels involves watchkeeping 24 h per day, which is globally carried out by a variety of different watch systems. In this study, the rotating 4:4 and fixed 4:4/6:6 two-section watch systems were compared in terms of sleepiness, fatigue, and stress responses. The data collection took place on a Finnish Defence Forces' (FDF) Navy missile patrol boat with 15 crew members serving as study participants. The data collection periods lasted two separate weeks (7 days, 6 nights) with the different watch systems. The subjective sleepiness of the participants was assessed before and after every watch using the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS). Stress responses were assessed daily by the recorded levels of salivary alpha-amylase (sAA), cortisol (sCor), immunoglobulin A (sIgA), and dehydroepiandrosterone (sDHEA). The participants' sustained attention, inhibitory control, and working memory were assessed daily by cognitive tests (SART, N-Back). The heart rate variability (HRV) during an orthostatic test was used as an additional daily marker to assess the amount of psychological stress of the participants. In this study, the difference regarding sleepiness and fatigue between the study weeks was most visible in the subjective KSS, which clearly favored the 4:4/6:6 system. The results of sAA and sIgA also suggested that the subjects were psychologically less stressed during the study week with the 4:4/6:6 watch system. Cognitive test results (SART, N-Back) indicated that there were overall no significant differences in the subjects' sustained attention, inhibitory control, or working memory during the study weeks or between the study weeks. The results of the HRV data during the daily orthostatic tests were inconclusive but there was some indication that the subjects were less stressed during the study week with the 4:4/6:6 watch system. In conclusion, the present study indicates that in navy surface operations: working with the fixed 4:4/6:6 watch system causes less sleepiness, fatigue, and psychological stress than working with the rotating 4:4 watch system. The study result is well in line with previous research regarding watch systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the injury characteristics in Finnish male football players. One-season prospective epidemiological study. Data were collected via injury reports from the medical staff and directly from the players using the Olso Sports Trauma Research Center Health Questionnaire. The first team squads of Finnish football league (n = 12 teams, 236 players). Injury incidence. A total of 541 injuries occurred during the exposure of 62 878 hours. Injury incidence per 1000 exposure hours was 8.6 (30.6 in matches and 3.4 in training). A player sustained on average 2.3 (median 2, range 0–13) injuries during the study. Thigh and ankle were the most commonly injured body parts for acute injuries and hip/groin were the most commonly injured body part for overuse injuries. The median absence time for all injuries was 12 (range 0–107) days, 12 (range 0–107) for acute, and 8 (range 0–61) for overuse injuries. Thigh injuries caused the greatest consequences in terms of absence from full participation (median 5 days, range 0–88). Lower limb muscle injuries were the most prevalent injuries in the study. Collecting data directly from the players enabled to report more injuries compared to what was reported only by the medical staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction.Both sedentary behaviour and fatty liver are associated with increased risk of obesity and non-communicable diseases, but their relationship remains unknown. We investigated the relationship of television (TV) viewing time with serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and Fatty Liver Index (FLI), and ultrasonographically assessed liver fat. Methods.A total of 1,367 adults of the population-based Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study (748 women, 619 men, aged 34–49 years) had fasting serum GGT, triglycerides, weight, height, and waist circumference, and self-reported TV time data from 2001, 2007, and 2011. Changes in GGT and FLI, and liver ultrasound images in 2011 were studied in groups with constantly low (≤ 1 h/d), moderate (1–3 h/d), or high (≥ 3 h/d) daily TV time, and in groups with ≥ 1 hour increase/decrease in daily TV time between 2001 and 2011. Results.Constantly high TV time was associated with higher GGT and FLI (P< 0.02 in both), and 2.3-fold (95% CI 1.2–4.5) increased risk of fatty liver regardless of age, sex, leisure-time and occupational physical activity, energy intake, diet composition, alcohol use, sleep duration, socioeconomic status, and smoking. Adjustment for BMI partly attenuated the associations. Conclusions.High TV viewing increases fatty liver risk. It may be one mechanism linking sedentary behaviour with increased cardiometabolic disease risks. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background. Dysfunction of adipose tissue is one of the major factors leading to insulin resistance. Altered adipokine concentration is an early sign of adipose tissue dysfunction. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of exercise intervention on adipokine profile, glycemic control, and risk factors of the metabolic syndrome (MeS) in men with impaired glucose regulation (IGR). Methods. Overweight and obese men with IGR ( n =144) aged 40-65 years were studied at baseline and at 12 weeks in a randomized controlled multicenter intervention study. BMI varied from 25.1 to 34.9. The subjects were randomized into one of three groups: 1) a control group (C; n =47), 2) a Nordic walking group (NW; n =48), or 3) a resistance training group (RT; n =49). Results. Leptin concentrations decreased in the NW group compared to both other groups. Both types of exercise intervention significantly decreased serum chemerin concentrations compared to the C group. In the NW group also body fat percentage, fatty liver index (FLI), and total and LDL cholesterol concentrations decreased compared to the RT group. Conclusions. Nordic walking intervention seems to decrease chemerin and leptin levels, and subjects in this intervention group achieved the most beneficial effects on components of MeS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexity of childhood overweight and obesity requires that researchers continue to investigate potential solutions. We developed “The Weighty Matter” intervention to prevent obesity in mildly overweight 4- and 6-year-old children. This article describes the intervention protocol, the health habits of families (n = 86), and the effect of the intervention on children's weight for height, parents' body mass indices, and family health habits after a 12-month follow-up. Positive changes were seen in families' health habits, although the results did not reach statistical significance. As a result of this study, a new and practical method was developed to focus on the issue of family health habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]