12,225 results on '"Physical activity level"'
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2. 2023 Impacts: Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP). Improving Nutritional Security through Education
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National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) (USDA)
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The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), the nation's first federal nutrition education program for low-income families and youths, remains at the forefront of providing nutrition education to improve the lives of historically underserved populations. EFNEP contributes to food and nutrition security as program families and youths gain knowledge and skills for healthier food and physical activity choices, increased food resource management (e.g. shopping and food preparation), food safety, and improved food security practices to keep healthy in challenging times. Consistent with previous years, adult and youth participants in FY 2023 reported improved behaviors following program involvement. More than 96% of adult EFNEP participants reported improvement in what they ate. National EFNEP priorities for FY 2023 included facilitating workforce development, increasing program reach and increasing appropriate use of technology in teaching. This report reflects how EFNEP continues to make a difference in the lives of low-income families and youths, even and especially in times of adversity.
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- 2024
3. Do Primary School Teachers Prefer Digital or Non-Digital Games to Support Mathematics Instruction?
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Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA), James Russo, and Anne Roche
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In this paper we explored primary school teachers preference for different game modes to support mathematics teaching and learning. Eighty-four teachers played digital and non-digital addition and subtraction games that were functionally equivalent during professional learning workshops. Most teachers indicated that they would be more likely to use the non-digital mode; despite more mixed views around perceived effectiveness for supporting learning and anticipated student preferences. Key reasons as to why teachers tended to prefer non-digital or digital games are examined.
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- 2024
4. Evaluation of Physical Activities of Physically Disabled Athletes
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Mine Gul and Canan G. Eskiyecek
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The aim of this study is to determine the 7-day exercise and physical activity levels of physically disabled athletes located in all geographical regions of Turkey and to examine the factors affecting this. The Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with a Physical Disability was applied as an online survey. The study group consisted of 224 physically disabled athletes, including orthopedic standing, orthopedic wheelchair, visually and hearing impaired athletes. In the analyses, MannWhitney U test for independent groups in binary categorical variables; the Kruskal-Wallis test was used for triple categorical variables. One-Way Analysis of Variance for the Obstacle Type variable, Post-Hoc multiple comparison test was applied for significant differences and Tamhane's T2 Test was used, one of the non-homogeneous Post-Hoc tests. When the 7-day physical activity status of physically disabled individuals is examined; It was determined that they participated in the activity situations in the questions in 3 subcategories for less than 1 hour. It was determined that social media had the highest score in the orientation variables and there was a significant difference between the school/physical education teacher and social media. In the analysis made on the variables of disability types, it was found that there was a significant difference between hearing and orthopedic wheelchair disabled people in repair and gardening work. As a result, it is thought that more licensed athletes should be trained and their participation in sports competitions should be supported in order to enable physically disabled athletes to participate in sports activities in their daily lives, and that individuals can lead a healthy life by increasing their physical activities.
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- 2024
5. Chronotypes, Disruptive Behaviour, and Schedules in Classrooms: 'Morningness' and Psychomotor Agitation
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Sandra Figueiredo
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This empirical cross-sectional study explored the effect of chronotypes on classroom behaviour. One hundred and forty young Portuguese children, from 1st to 4th grades, were examined regarding their chronotype and disruptive behaviours occurring in the classroom. Three groups of chronotypes (i.e., morning, intermediate and evening) were identified. The Chronotype Questionnaire for Children evaluated the chronotype of children, and the Conners Scale -- reduced version for teachers (self-report) identified the frequency of the following behaviours in the classroom: psychomotor agitation, inattention, and opposition. Multivariate analysis of variance and analysis of regression parameters showed that morning children are more agitated and impulsive compared to evening peers. Concerning academic achievement, students did not differ in the subjects Portuguese and Mathematics for both semesters when considering chronotype and controlling for covariates such as age and gender. Parental qualifications appeared as an influential covariate for the chronotype effect in disruptive behaviour. This evidence addresses the contributions of school policies and family supervision regarding young children: children have earlier evening chronotypes; chronotypes impact specific disruptive behaviours in the classroom; parents' education influences the sleep habits and behaviours of children in school; parents and schools need more support and evidence to correctly identify children's chronotypes, to understand how chronotype and sleep habits affect behaviours in the classroom, and to recognise that more studies should be replicated attending to the contextual factors of health outbreaks and war conflict. With reliable data, this study highlights concerns and novelties for education and psychology.
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- 2024
6. High School Results. 2023 Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey
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Montana Office of Public Instruction
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The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is an epidemiologic surveillance system that was established by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help monitor the prevalence of behaviors that not only influence youth health but also put youth at risk for the most significant health and social problems that can occur during adolescence and adulthood. The 2023 Montana YRBS was completed by 4,467 students in 50 public high schools during the spring of 2023. The school response rate was 100%; the student response rate was 85%; and the overall response rate was 85%. The results represent all students in grades 9-12 in Montana. The 2023 survey instrument consisted of 97 questions that assessed six priority health-risk behaviors resulting in the most significant morbidity, mortality, and social problems among youth. These behaviors include behaviors that result in unintentional injuries and violence, tobacco use, alcohol and other drug use, sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV infection, unhealthy dietary behaviors, and physical inactivity. Survey results are presented in the following parts: (1) Introduction; (2) Survey Methods; (3) Frequency Distributions; (4) Point of Interest (POI) Graphs -- Gender, Grade Level, and Race; and (5) Trend Analysis Tables (2009-2023). [The cosponsors of the YRBS are: the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, the Montana Board of Crime Control, the Montana Department of Transportation -- State Highway Traffic Safety Section, and the Montana Department of Justice Special Services Bureau.]
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- 2024
7. Prediction of Physical Ability of College Students Based on the BP Neural Network
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Xu Zhang
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The prediction of physical ability is a key point to understand the physical training effect of college students. This paper uses the error Back Propagation neural network algorithms to investigate the college students' physical test results, and predicts the future trends of the results. The findings indicate that, in future ten years, the physical test grades of both men and women will slip to a certain extent. It implies that the indicators of speed, power, endurance level and physical strength of college students keep going down. This phenomenon should be paid attention to. It is necessary to strength the exercise consciousness, and stimulates the enthusiasm of students' exercise.
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- 2024
8. The Effects of a Manipulative Skills Intervention Programme on the Motor Proficiency of Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities
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Aleksandra Aleksic Veljkovic, Marija Stojanovic, and Nenad Stojiljkovic
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With this study we aimed to investigate the impact of a 12-week manipulative skills exercise programme on the motor proficiency of young individuals with intellectual disabilities. A total of 32 learners diagnosed with mild intellectual disabilities, with an average age of 17.81 ± 1.44 years, were divided into 2 equal-sized groups: a control group and an experimental group engaged in a manipulative skills intervention programme. Motor proficiency was assessed using the shortform of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency Second Edition (BOT™-2), while the participants' coordination level was evaluated using the Body Coordination composite of the BOT™-2. Results show that the manipulative skills intervention programme led to significant improvements in the experimental group's total motor proficiency score on the shortform BOT™-2 (45.31 ± 12.01 vs. 37.12 ± 7.00, ANCOVA: F = 48.65, p = 0.00) as well as the Body Coordination composite(42.69 ± 11.31 vs. 39.84 ± 11.75, ANCOVA: F = 44.35, p = 0.00). These findings suggest that the experimental exercise programme had a positive effect on enhancing the motor proficiency of young individuals with mild intellectual disabilities.
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- 2024
9. The Study and Analysis of Behavior, Patterns of Physical Activity Promotion among Citizens in Mueang District, Mahasarakham Province
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Wigrom Sawadpong and Traimit Potisan
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This study investigates the patterns of promoting physical activity among residents in Mueang District, Mahasarakham Province, Thailand. It explores the impact of contemporary societal shifts, such as increased reliance on technology and decreased physical labor, on public health. The research identifies the rise of chronic diseases due to lifestyle changes and the need for preventive strategies emphasizing physical activity. Utilizing a questionnaire, the study analyzes residents' knowledge, awareness, motivation, and practices regarding health promotion through physical exercise. The findings reveal high general knowledge and awareness of health benefits but low levels of physical activity practice, influenced by lifestyle and societal changes. The study emphasizes the importance of tailored health promotion strategies and the role of digital platforms in enhancing physical activity awareness and participation. This research contributes to understanding effective methods to promote physical activity and addresses the health challenges faced by the local population, promoting sustainable physical and mental health.
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- 2024
10. The Effect of an Educational Intervention on Healthy Lifestyle Knowledge and Behaviour among Middle-Aged Women
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Maryam Mohammadi, Sahar Mohammadnabizadeh, Leila Mowlaei, Ali Ramezankhani, Fatemeh Rakhshan, and Mahsa Soleimanzadeh
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Objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of an educational intervention on middle-aged women's knowledge and behaviour regarding various aspects of a healthy lifestyle. Design: Quasi-experimental study involving 150 middle-aged women (divided into experimental and control groups). Setting: Participants were selected from health centres of Tehran, Iran. Method: Data collection included demographic information, knowledge of a healthy lifestyle and healthy lifestyle behaviour. Participants in both the intervention and control groups completed the questionnaires before and 2 months after the educational intervention. The intervention involved 10 minutes of face-to-face training followed by distribution of training booklets provided by the Ministry of Health in Iran. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS. Results: Within the intervention group, significant differences were observed in total healthy lifestyle knowledge and subscales for physical activity knowledge, anthropometry knowledge, healthy diet knowledge, and smoking knowledge, between the pre- and post-intervention periods. Other than for smoking behaviour, there was no significant difference in healthy behaviours pre- and post-intervention for the experimental and also the control group. Conclusion: While there was an increase in knowledge about healthy lifestyles following the intervention, this knowledge increase was not associated with a change in healthy lifestyle behaviours. Attention should therefore be given to other influences including socio-economic factors, mental health status, environmental factors, cultural influences, duration of the intervention and psychological factors if changes in healthy behaviour are to be achieved
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- 2024
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11. Preschool Children's Adherence to the 24-Hour Physical Activity Guidelines: A Systematic Review Comparing the Sexes
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Markel Rico-González, Ricardo Martín-Moya, María Mendoza-Muñoz, and Jorge Carlos-Vivas
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Objective: Physical activity (PA) is essential to promote both optimal physical and emotional health in preschool children. Hence, well-founded PA guidelines are essential. 24-hour Movement Guidelines (which include PA, recreational screen time and sleep) have been established. Thus, this study aimed to explore preschool-aged children's adherence to the 24-hour PA guidelines assessed using microelectromechanical systems, and whether sex was a determining factor for meeting the guidelines. Method: A systematic review of relevant published articles was carried out using four databases (PubMed, ProQuest, SCOPUS, FECYT) up until April, 2023. Results: From a total of 519 studies initially located, 48 were included in our synthesis. Of the studies analysed for this review, 7 showed results below 30% compliance with the PA guidelines, 19 below 70%, and 22 from 70% to 100%. In terms of sex differences, the studies analysed in the review suggested that boys are more likely to meet PA guidelines than girls. There exists controversy about adherence to PA levels as age increases. Several studies have shown an increase in the early years (1-5) while others, although to a lesser extent, have found that total PA remained stable or decreased from 3 to 5 years. Conclusion: In the light of these findings, more research is needed to better understand trends in PA during the preschool years and the factors that influence them. In the meantime, promoting regular PA and reducing recreational screen time remain key priorities for the health and development of preschool-aged children.
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- 2024
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12. Teachers' Experiences with Physically Inactive Children and Their Strategies to Promote Physical Activity in Early Childhood Education Settings
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Christian Augustsson, Johan Högman, and Annica Löfdahl Hultman
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Objective: As an increasing number of children are identified as insufficiently physically active, the school environment has been targeted for efforts to promote physical activity (PA) among inactive children. While research has highlighted teachers' role in promoting generic school-based daily PA, less is known about the early childhood education teachers' experiences of physically inactive children and the strategies they use to promote PA. This study's aim was to explore early childhood education teachers in Sweden's experiences of physically inactive children and their strategies to promote PA among members of this group in their everyday school settings. Design: Qualitative interview study. Setting: Four small municipalities in Midwest Sweden. Method: Ten teachers working in early childhood education settings participated in individual semistructured interviews. Data were analysed with a focus on teacher agency and the social, material and cultural resources teachers used to promote PA. Result: Findings indicated that teachers shoulder the worry and unarticulated responsibility for inactive children. This resulted in their use of strategies that varied and which were largely subjective in character. At the same time, teachers expressed how their agency was limited by insufficient resources. Conclusion: Teachers used social, material and cultural resources to promote PA, but their strategies were not informed by evidence or formal guidelines. None of the resources they used were specifically designed for inactive children. Instead, teachers used general resources which they adapted to inactive children's interests and needs.
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- 2024
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13. Students' Perceptions of Physical Education Teachers' (De)Motivating Styles via the Circumplex Approach: Differences by Gender, Grade Level, Experiences, Intention to Be Active, and Learning
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Sergio Diloy-Peña, Ángel Abós, Javier Sevil-Serrano, Javier García-Cazorla, and Luis García-González
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Grounded in self-determination theory, an integrative and fine-grained circumplex model, based on teachers' autonomy support, structure, control, and chaos, has been proposed. The present study aimed to examine possible differences in students' perceptions of physical education (PE) teachers' motivating and demotivating styles and the eight different approaches, respectively, regarding students' socio-demographic variables, and different affective, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes. A sample of 669 Spanish secondary students aged 12-17 years (mean age (M[subscript age]) = 14.65; standard deviation (SD) = 1.47; 52% girls) participated in this cross-sectional study. Boys reported significantly higher values in the chaotic style and the domineering approach than girls. Second- and third-cycle students (Year 10, Year 11, and Year 12) reported significantly higher values in autonomy-supportive and structuring styles, and significantly lower values in the domineering approach than first-cycle students (Year 8 and Year 9). Second-cycle students (Year 10 and Year 11) reported significantly higher values in the demanding approach than first-cycle students (Year 8 and Year 9). Third-cycle students (Year 12) reported significantly lower values in the awaiting approach than the first-cycle students (Year 8 and Year 9). Finally, as a whole, students who reported positive experiences in PE, high learning, and high intention to participate in physical activity reported significantly higher values in autonomy-supportive and structuring styles, as well as the demanding approach, and significantly lower values in the chaotic style. The results highlight the importance of PE teachers adopting motivating styles and avoiding demotivating styles, especially with boys and lower grade levels, to promote meaningful experiences in PE and an active lifestyle.
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- 2024
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14. Greater Physical Activity Is Associated with Lower Rates of Anxiety and Depression among Autistic and ADHD Youth: National Survey of Children's Health 2016-2020
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Amy L. Accardo, Nancy M. H. Pontes, and Manuel C. F. Pontes
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Data from the National Survey of Children's Health 2016-2020 was used to examine the association between physical activity and anxiety and depression among autistic youth, non-autistic youth with ADHD, and non-autistic non-ADHD youth. There was a significant negative association between physical activity and anxiety among all groups. Reduction in anxiety or depression associated with greater physical activity was at least as large or larger among autistic or nonautistic youth with ADHD than among non-autistic non-ADHD youth. Unfortunately, even autistic youth who were physically active 4 to 7 days a week showed very high rates of anxiety (54.5%) and depression (23.1%). Very high levels of dual diagnosis of anxiety and depression in autistic youth and youth with ADHD also emerged. Findings highlight a need to determine the cause-and-effect relationships among physical activity, anxiety, and depression across groups and to prioritize mental health screenings and support for autistic youth and youth with ADHD.
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- 2024
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15. Children's Motivation for Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity during the Daily Mile: A Theory of Planned Behaviour Perspective
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Phillip M. Gray and Andrew L. Evans
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Sustained motivation for Daily Mile participation at higher physical activity intensities may contribute to the attainment of children's daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) targets and long-term health benefits. However, individual variability exists in the amount of MVPA accumulated by children during the Daily Mile. The current study explored children's motivation for participating in the Daily Mile at MVPA intensity, using a theory of planned behaviour framework. Twenty-five children (mean age = 10.07 ± 0.60 years) from the Northwest of England were recruited to the study; 52% were female and 88% were White. Participants completed a questionnaire, with an open-ended response format, probing behavioural, control, and normative beliefs for participation in the Daily Mile at MVPA intensity. Template analysis was conducted independently by two researchers to identify main themes and subthemes. Findings showed that children possessed a range of behavioural, control, and normative beliefs about MVPA participation during the Daily Mile. Prominent behavioural beliefs included fitness enhancement, implications for concentration and learning, positive affective states, and pain and discomfort. Key control beliefs included weather, space and health restrictions, and distractions from peers. Finally, peers and parents were salient normative beliefs. Children possessed a range of modal beliefs in relation to MVPA participation during the Daily Mile. Implications of the findings, and methods for practitioners seeking to maximise the contribution of the Daily Mile to children's daily MVPA targets are discussed.
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- 2024
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16. Relationships between Pre-Service Teachers' Self-Reported Physical Activity and Their Perceptions of Physical Education in Early Childhood Teacher Education
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Anne Soini, Anthony Watt, and Arja Sääkslahti
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This study aimed to explore the relationships between Finnish early childhood pre-service teachers' (N = 274; aged 20-49; 92% female) self-reported physical activity (PA) and perceptions of their own enjoyment of schooltime physical education (PE), self-evaluation of the content of their current PE studies, perceived importance of PE, and perceived competencies in PE. The one-way analysis of variance revealed that pre-service teachers with higher self-reported levels of PA reported higher scores for perceived importance of PE in supporting a child's physical functionality (p = 0.004), and perceived competencies to support a child's PA (p = 0.017) and teach PE (p = 0.023). Results of independent sample t-tests indicated that pre-service teachers meeting daily PA guidelines reported higher scores for enjoyment of schooltime PE (p = 0.001) and perceived competence to teach PE (p = 0.001). Findings highlighted that pre-service teachers' self-reported PA was positively related to their perceptions of PE, supporting the recommendation within early childhood teacher education to encourage pre-service teachers to engage in PA.
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- 2024
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17. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Parents' Health Behaviour Predicts Preschool Children's Behaviour in Low-Income Communities in the United States
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Julia M. L. Pangalangan and Jini E. Puma
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Objective: Despite public health efforts, most children in the USA do not meet nutrition and physical activity guidelines. Moreover, there are nutrition-related health disparities between non-Hispanic and Hispanic communities. Caregivers are critical role models that shape health behaviours in children. To promote healthy behaviours, health promotion interventions must consider the entire family unit. This study aimed to assess the impact of parent's health behaviours on children's health behaviours in a sample of non-Hispanic and Hispanic low-income parents. Design: A mixed-methods design was used to identify how parent health behaviours including fruit and vegetable intake, beverage intake, physical activity, and screen time influence corresponding child health behaviours. In addition, the study aimed to investigate whether the strength of association between parent and child health behaviours varied as a function of ethnicity. Survey data and semi-structured qualitative interviews were utilised for the analyses. Setting: The study was a part of the Culture of Wellness in Preschools Programme, a multi-level obesity prevention programme. The data were obtained from the parent wellness workshops, a direct education intervention aimed at increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity among parents and their children. Data Analysis: The quantitative analyses utilised survey data from the Family Wellness pre-survey. Hierarchical linear regression models assessed the relationship between parent-child-health behaviours. Interaction terms were created to understand if this relationship varied as a function of ethnicity. Data from qualitative interviews were analysed using thematic analysis to gain an in-depth understanding of the relationship between parent and child health behaviours. Results: Parent health behaviours significantly predicted child health behaviours across all models, and these relationships did not vary as a function of ethnicity. The quantitative data were supported by the qualitative analysis: parents modelled health behaviours and thus influenced their child's health behaviour through a variety of mechanisms. Conclusion: Future efforts to promote a healthy lifestyle in children should engage with both family practices and the wider social context.
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- 2024
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18. Identifying Factors That Influence Physical Activity and Healthy Aging among Older Latino Adults
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Elena Luna, Andrew Springer, Denise Herrera, Maria Elena Garcia, Louis Brown, and Steven H. Kelder
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Background: For older Latinos, some benefits of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) include enhanced cognitive functioning, decreased loneliness, and reduced premature mortality. Despite LTPA benefits, adults [greater than or equal to]50 years are one of the most inactive age groups in the United States. Methods: This qualitative study aimed to add to the limited evidence of LTPA in older Latino adults by exploring the barriers and facilitators for fitness class uptake and park use. Guided by a Social-Ecological Model of Health and Social Determinants of Health theoretical and a phenomenological research design, qualitative research data were collected via 27 personal interviews with Latino adults using a semistructured interview guide. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling strategies in collaboration with community partners. Bicultural data collectors conducted the semistructured interviews over Zoom. Thematic analysis was performed using Dedoose, following an inductive and deductive approach. Results: The main barriers to fitness class attendance and park use were family and/or work commitments, perceived safety, and perceived discrimination. Conversely, the critical facilitators for participation were socialization into a group, social connectedness with group members, fitness instructor characteristics, and exercise history. Conclusions: Findings from this study hold important implications for the design of fitness programming and park-based recreation, including the need to increase the cultural diversity of recreation staff and culturally relevant programming. Future research is needed on time poverty related to family/work commitments and whether discriminatory practices at fitness centers, like ageism and race/ethnicity, influence physical activity behavior.
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- 2024
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19. Technology-Based Physical Health Interventions for Adults with Intellectual Disability: A Scoping Review
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Melissa N. Savage, Tina A. Clark, Edward Baffoe, Alexandra E. Candelaria, Lola Aneke, Renee Gonzalez, Ali Al Enizi, Marisol Anguita-Otero, Keita Edwards-Adams, Lilliesha Grandberry, and Stella Re
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Physical health habits including physical activity and nutrition are essential for numerous health benefits. However, beginning in childhood, individuals with intellectual disability engage in lower levels of physical activity and healthy nutrition habits compared to individuals without intellectual disability, a trend that carries on into adulthood. Researchers continue to examine the effectiveness of interventions to increase engagement in physical health habits and improve health outcomes for individuals with intellectual disability, with an increased focus on technology-based interventions. This scoping review aimed to describe how technology was being utilized within interventions to improve health-related outcomes for adults with intellectual disability. We described the technology being used, who used the technology, and the feasibility of the interventions. Forty-one studies met criteria, with a total of 698 adult participants with an intellectual disability. While no studies on nutrition were located, technology was used in various physical activity interventions, with the most common being preferred stimulus access, exergaming, and video-based instruction. Most studies took place at day or rehabilitation centers, were implemented by research teams, and either did not discuss cost or were vague in their description related to cost. Implications, limitations, and future research directions are discussed.
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- 2024
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20. Promoting Physical Activity through Telehealth, Peer Support, and Wearables: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial among Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Annabel Nunez-Gaunaurd and Melissa Tovin
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Despite strong evidence in favor of physical activity (PA), adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are not meeting established PA guidelines to engage in at least 150 min of moderate to vigorous PA per week. Barriers to daily PA engagement include limited access to health services, transportation, and reduced self-determined motivation. Telehealth provides a potential alternative to deliver PA programming in a more accessible platform for adults with ASD. This pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) assessed the preliminary efficacy of a 10-week PA intervention program called Physical Activity Connections via Telehealth (PACT) that utilized telehealth and remote technology, including Fitbit wearable device use, peer-guidance, and individualized home exercise program among adults with ASD. Primary health outcomes, collected at baseline before randomization and post-intervention, included self-determined motivation assessment via Behavioral Exercise Regulation Scale (BREQ-2), self-report PA via Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire (GSLT-PAQ), steps per day PA via Fitbit device, body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-height ratio (WtHR). A total of 18 adults, 11 males, with a mean age of 26.4 years, with a primary diagnosis of ASD participated in the study. Although there were no changes in BMI or WtHR at post-intervention, participants receiving PACT, significantly increased both their self-report PA scores (GSLT-PAQ) from 26 to 68, (p = 0.002), and steps per day from 5,828 to 7,443, (p = 0.015) with a moderate effect size (d = 0.72). The results of this pilot study support peer supported telehealth-based PA intervention for adults with ASD to increase PA.
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- 2024
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21. Developing Young Children's Physical Literacy through Picturebooks
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Athanasia Chatzipanteli and Georgios S. Gorozidis
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The aim of this paper was to examine the influence of picturebooks on children's "physical literacy" (PL). Fostering PL in early childhood can promote a physically active lifestyle in children and later adults. Picturebook use is a great opportunity for movement exploration in physical education classes, and recent research findings suggest that the joint use of read-aloud picturebooks and movement activities can enhance children's motor, cognitive, and affective development. Thus, following the research evidence and the emerging importance of PL, in this paper we provide suggestions and support for the effective use of picturebooks as a tool to cultivate PL in early childhood.
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- 2024
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22. 'Walk Buds': A Walking Intervention to Increase Physical Activity, Physical Fitness, and Emotional Wellbeing, in 9-13 Year Old Children with Intellectual Disabilities. Results of a Clustered Randomised Feasibility Trial
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Peter Mullhall, Laurence Taggart, Gary McDermott, Paul Slater, Ben Fitzpatrick, Marie H. Murphy, Angela Hassiotis, and Anne Johnston
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Background: Children with intellectual disability are less physically active and more sedentary than typically developing peers. To date no studies have tested the feasibility of a school-based walking intervention for children with Intellectual Disability. Method: A clustered randomised controlled trial (cRCT), with an embedded process evaluation, was used to test the feasibility of a school-based walking intervention. Eight schools (n = 161 pupils aged 9-13 years) were randomised into either an intervention arm or an 'exercise as usual' arm. Measures included physical activity, physical fitness and emotional wellbeing. Baseline and 3-month follow-up data were collected. Results: The 'Walk Buds' intervention was found to be acceptable to teaching staff and pupils, with an uptake rate of the walking sessions offered of 84%. Conclusion: A number of challenges were experienced, relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, and difficulties collecting accelerometer data. Barriers, facilitators and required changes identified through the mixed methods process evaluation are discussed.
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- 2024
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23. Effects of Physically Active Maths Lessons on Children's Maths Performance and Maths-Related Affective Factors: Multi-Arm Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
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Heidi J. Syväoja, Sirpa Sneck, Tuomas Kukko, Piritta Asunta, Pekka Räsänen, Helena Viholainen, Janne Kulmala, Harto Hakonen, and Tuija H. Tammelin
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Background: Physical activity (PA) may benefit academic performance, but it is unclear what kind of classroom-based PA is optimal for learning. Aim: We studied the effects of physically active maths lessons on children's maths performance and maths-related effects, and whether gender and previous mathematical or motor skills modify these effects. Sample: A total of 22 volunteered teachers and their pupils with signed consent (N = 397, mean age: 9.3 years, 51% females) participated in a 5-month, teacher-led, multi-arm, cluster-randomized controlled trial. Methods: The intervention included a PAL group (20 min of physically active learning in each 45-min lesson), a breaks group (two 5-min PA breaks in each 45-min lesson) and a control group (traditional teaching). Maths performance was assessed with a tailored curriculum-based test. Maths-related enjoyment, self-perceptions and anxiety were measured with a self-reported questionnaire. The individual-level intervention effects were tested via covariate-adjusted linear mixed-effect models with school classes serving as random effects. Results: Changes in maths performance or self-perceptions did not differ between the intervention groups. Maths anxiety in learning situations increased in the PAL group (effect .28, 95% CI = .01--.56); there was no change in the other groups. Subgroup analyses suggested that maths anxiety increased in the PAL group among children in the two lowest tertiles of motor skills. It decreased in the highest tertile. Enjoyment decreased in the breaks group among pupils in the lowest motor skill tertile. Conclusions: Physically active maths lessons did not affect maths performance or self-perceptions but had divergent effects on maths anxiety and enjoyment, depending on motor skills.
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- 2024
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24. Stimming as Thinking: A Critical Reevaluation of Self-Stimulatory Behavior as an Epistemic Resource for Inclusive Education
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Sofia Tancredi and Dor Abrahamson
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Peripheral sensorimotor stimming activity, such as rocking and fidgeting, is widely considered irrelevant to and even distracting from learning. In this critical-pedagogy conceptual paper, we argue that stimming is an intrinsic part of adaptive functioning, interaction, and cognitive dynamics. We submit that when cultural resources build from students' own sensorimotor dynamics, rather than subjugating them to hegemonic corporeal norms, learners' intrinsic sensorimotor behaviors may be embraced and empowered as mental activity. This call for transformative inclusive pedagogy is of particular importance for neurodivergent children whose sensorimotor engagements have historically been ostracized as disruptive. Following a conceptual analysis of stimming that builds on a range of neuro-cognitive empirical studies drawing on post-cognitivist embodied cognition theory, we imagine inclusive educational futures that disrupt sedentary instructional design to elevate minoritized learners' sensorimotor activity. As proof of concept, we present an example inclusive embodied activity, balance board math, a pedagogical tool designed to elicit stimming as thinking. We propose a set of design heuristics for realizing stimming's pedagogical potential.
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- 2024
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25. Effects of Universal School-Based Parental Support for Children's Healthy Diet and Physical Activity--The Healthy School Start plus Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial
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Åsa Norman, Mahnoush Etminan Malek, Gisela Nyberg, Emma Patterson, and Liselotte Schäfer Elinder
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Health promotion from an early age is key to preventing unhealthy weight development in childhood, and parental involvement is essential. The school-based Healthy School Start intervention aims to promote healthy dietary and activity habits in the home environment and prevent child obesity through parental support. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the third iteration of the programme on children's dietary and activity behaviours, and body composition through a cluster-randomised controlled trial. The trial included 17 schools (8 intervention) in disadvantaged areas in mid-Sweden with 353 families with 5- to 7-year-old children. The primary outcomes were intake of selected healthy and unhealthy foods and beverages measured using photography. Secondary outcomes were physical activity and sedentary time measured by accelerometry, and measured weight and height. All outcomes were assessed at baseline and post-intervention (8 months). Linear multi-level regression showed significant favourable effects of the intervention for intake of sweet beverages (b = - 0.17, p = 0.04), intake of healthy foods (b = 0.11, p = 0.04), and more time in moderate to vigorous physical activity during weekdays (b = 5.68, p = 0.02). An unfavourable sub-group effect of the intervention was found for children from families with low education regarding sedentary time on weekends (b = 23.04, p = 0.05). The results align with the previous two trials of the programme, indicating that school-based parental support is a useful approach for health promotion in young children in disadvantaged areas.
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- 2024
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26. Move with Whom? A Framework for Analyzing Collaboration within Embodied Learning Activities
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Leah F. Rosenbaum
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Enabled by technological innovations and evolving theories of cognition, embodied learning designs have proliferated over the last few decades. Collaborative tasks in particular offer rich learning opportunities as learners overtly coordinate and negotiate their work. However, less attention has been paid to the ways in which social relationships among participants--be they strangers, friends, or family members--can shape and constrain their movement and learning opportunities. I propose a five-part framework to characterize participants' physical proximity, a marker of familiarity. I demonstrate the efficacy of this framework by using it to analyze video recordings of 41 dyads of families, friends, and strangers as they work on a body-scale geometry and spatial reasoning exhibit at a science museum. Findings suggest that all dyads established successful collaborative movement patterns, though strangers shared space and established physical touch markedly less than family members and friends. Considering these patterns in the design of other collaborative embodied learning activities could create a more comfortable and supportive environment for learners to move and learn together. The analytic framework could also inform the design and evaluation of other movement-based collaborative educational activities.
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- 2024
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27. Change in Sleep Latency as a Mediator of the Effect of Physical Activity Intervention on Executive Functions among Children with ADHD: A Secondary Analysis from a Randomized Controlled Trial
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Hui Qiu and Xiao Liang
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This study aimed to explore the potential mediating role of sleep quality in the effect of physical activity (PA) intervention for improving executive functions (EFs) in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Participants aged 6 to 12 years old with a formal ADHD diagnosis were recruited from a local hospital. A total of 80 eligible children with ADHD were randomized to an intervention group for 12 consecutive weeks of PA training (three times per week, 60 min per session) (n = 40; Mage = 8.37, 75% boys) or a wait-list control group (n = 40; Mage = 8.29, 80% boys). Three core EFs (inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility) were assessed by neurocognitive tasks, and sleep quality was measured by the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The bootstrapping method was used to test PA intervention effects on EFs and on potential variables of sleep quality after intervention and to test whether there were indirect effects of the intervention on EFs via mediators of sleep. The results showed that the PA intervention had a direct effect on sleep latency reduction ([beta] = - 0.26, 95%CI - 0.47 to - 0.06) and cognitive flexibility improvement (decrease in completion time) ([beta] = - 0.30, 95%CI - 0.50 to - 0.09). Furthermore, change in sleep latency significantly mediated the effects of PA intervention on cognitive flexibility ([beta] = - 0.084, 95%CI - 0.252 to - 0.001). The findings suggest that sleep latency could be a crucial behavioral mediator of PA intervention in improving cognitive flexibility among children with ADHD.
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- 2024
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28. Explaining Trace-Based Learner Profiles with Self-Reports: The Added Value of Psychological Networks
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Jelena Jovanovic, Dragan Gaševic, Lixiang Yan, Graham Baker, Andrew Murray, and Danijela Gasevic
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Background: Learner profiles detected from digital trace data are typically triangulated with survey data to explain those profiles based on learners' internal conditions (e.g., motivation). However, survey data are often analysed with limited consideration of the interconnected nature of learners' internal conditions. Objectives: Aiming to enable a thorough understanding of trace-based learner profiles, this paper presents and evaluates a comprehensive approach to analysis of learners' self-reports, which extends conventional statistical methods with psychological networks analysis. Methods: The study context is a massive open online course (MOOC) aimed at promoting physical activity (PA) for health. Learners' (N = 497) perceptions related to PA, as well as their self-efficacy and intentions to increase the level of PA were collected before and after the MOOC, while their interactions with the course were logged as digital traces. Learner profiles derived from trace data were further examined and interpreted through a combined use of conventional statistical methods and psychological networks analysis. Results and Conclusions: The inclusion of psychological networks in the analysis of learners' self-reports collected before the start of the MOOC offers better understanding of trace-based learner profiles, compared to the conventional statistical analysis only. Likewise, the combined use of conventional statistical methods and psychological networks in the analysis of learners' self-reports before and after the MOOC provided more comprehensive insights about changes in the constructs measured in each learner profile. Major Takeaways: The combined use of conventional statistical methods and psychological networks presented in this paper sets a path for a comprehensive analysis of survey data. The insights it offers complement the information about learner profiles derived from trace data, thus allowing for a more thorough understanding of learners' course engagement than any individual method or data source would allow.
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- 2024
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29. Teamwork Competencies and Their Influence on Health Literacy and Other Health Variables
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Iago Portela-Pino, Alejandro Sal-de-Rellán, and Lucía Lomba-Portela
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The ability to work in a team is a skill of special relevance for multiple facets of life, increasing performance and optimizing the process in any task. This work aimed to study whether teamwork skills were related to different health variables. The sample consisted of 671 military personnel from the Spanish Army. The instrument is composed of the Health Literacy Questionnaire--the Teamwork Skills Questionnaire, and Rosenberg's self-esteem scale. The study concludes that the level of teamwork skills of the military is high, as well as their level of health literacy and their self-perception of health. However, their self-esteem is medium. Teamwork competencies are positively associated with a higher level of health literacy, with a high self-perception of their health, with the level of physical activity and negatively with self-esteem and the number of hospital admissions.
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- 2024
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30. Social Support and Physical Activity in College and University Students: A Meta-Analysis
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Xiaolin Wang, Xuezhen Yang, Nasnoor Juzaily bin Mohd Nasiruddin, Shasha Wei, Delong Dong, and Shamsulariffin bin Samsudin
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Although physical activity (PA) has a profound impact on health, many college and university students are still physically inactive. There is some evidence to suggest that social support (SS) could impact the PA levels of students, but the internal relationship and specific effects are not very clear. The purpose of this review was to determine the strength of the relationship between SS and PA and examine whether any potential associations differed in terms of age, gender, and region among college and university students. Studies were identified using the following electronic databases: PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, and Sociological Abstracts. Moderator analyses investigating the effects of students' age, gender, and region (nation) were performed. This review included 19 articles. The results showed total SS was significantly associated with PA (r = 0.30, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [0.22, 0.37], p < 0.001). With respect to different types of support, friend support was more strongly associated with PA than family support. Gender factors had a significant moderating effect on the correlation between SS and PA (QM = 17.433, p < 0.001). Separate analyses examining the moderating effects of gender (percentage of females) found that the association between SS and PA was stronger with the increase in female percentage. In conclusion, SS is an important factor associated with PA levels and should foster SS within intervention programs according to types of SS and gender differences to increase PA levels among college and university students.
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- 2024
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31. Physical Activity and Mental Health in Children and Youth: Clinician Perspectives and Practices
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Madeline Crichton, Hannah Bigelow, and Barbara Fenesi
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Rates of mental health challenges among children and youth are on the rise. Physical activity has been identified as a promising intervention to improve mental health outcomes for youth. This study aimed to investigate how mental health clinicians perceive and utilize physical activity as a mental health intervention for children and adolescents. Seventy-four Ontario mental health clinicians (psychologists, psychotherapists, and social workers) were surveyed about their perspectives and practices related to physical activity as part of mental health care for children and adolescents using a mixed-methods approach. Survey respondents were also asked about barriers to including physical activity in care. Although 100% of clinicians agreed that physical activity was beneficial to their own and to their clients' mental health, only 61% reported prescribing physical activity to their clients. Barriers to prescribing physical activity as a treatment option included lack of training, time, and resources. Clinicians who were more physically active themselves were more likely to view physical activity as beneficial for mental health and were less likely to view time as a barrier to discussing and prescribing physical activity in their practice. Many clinicians expressed a need for more training, knowledge, and resources. The results of this study suggest that with improved access to training and resources, clinicians will be well-positioned to leverage the benefits of physical activity for mental health in their practice.
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- 2024
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32. GOAL -- A Data-Rich Environment to Foster Self-Direction Skills across Learning and Physical Contexts
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Rwitajit Majumdar, Huiyong Li, Yuanyuan Yang, and Hiroaki Ogata
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Self-direction skill (SDS) is an essential 21st-century skill that can help learners be independent and organized in their quest for knowledge acquisition. While some studies considered learners from higher education levels as the target audience, providing opportunities to start the SDS practice by K12 learners is still rare. Further, practicing such skills requires a concrete context and scaffolding during the skill acquisition. This article introduces the Goal Oriented Active Learner (GOAL) system that facilitates SDS acquisition in learners utilizing daily activities as context. The GOAL architecture integrates learning logs from online environments and physical activity logs from wearable trackers to provide a data-rich environment for the learners to acquire and practice their SDS. The GOAL users follow DAPER, a five-phase process model, to utilize the affordances in the system while practicing SDS. We implemented the GOAL system at a K12 public institution in Japan in 2019. Learners used the online environments for extensive reading and smartwatches for tracking walking and sleeping activities. This study analyzes detailed interaction patterns in GOAL while learners planned and monitored their self-directed actions. The results illustrate the strategies for DAPER behaviors that emerge in different activity contexts. We discuss the potentials and challenges of this technology ecosystem that connects learners' learning logs and physical activity logs, specifically in the K12 context in Japan and, more generally, from the learning analytics research perspective to provide a context to practice SDS.
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- 2024
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33. Racial Disparities in Hospitalization Due to Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions among U.S. Children with Autism
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Wanqing Zhang, Linda R. Watson, and Khalilah R. Johnson
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Purpose: This study was to investigate the factors associated with preventable hospitalization due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) in children with autism. Methods: Using secondary data from the U.S. Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), multivariable regression analyses were conducted to determine the potential effect of race and income level on the likelihood of inpatient stays for ACSCs among autistic children. Pediatric ACSCs included three acute conditions (dehydration, gastroenteritis, and urinary infection) and three chronic conditions (asthma, constipation, and diabetes short-term complications). Results: In this analysis, there were 21,733 hospitalizations among children with autism; about 10% were hospitalized due to pediatric ACSCs. Overall, the odds of ACSCs hospitalization were greater among Hispanic and Black autistic children versus White autistic children. Both Hispanic and Black autistic children from the lowest income level had the highest odds to be hospitalized for chronic ACSCs. Conclusion: Inequities of access to health care among racial/ethnic minorities were most notable for autistic children with chronic ACSC conditions.
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- 2024
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34. Mental Wellbeing among Higher Education Students in England during the Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study of COVID-19 Experiences, Social Connectedness and Greenspace Use
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Anaïs Lemyre, Benjamin W. Chrisinger, Emma Palmer-Cooper, and Jane P. Messina
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The COVID-19 pandemic control measures substantially impacted the life of university students in the UK. While multiple studies investigated early stages of the pandemic, focusing on risk factors for depression and anxiety, fewer studies assessed later phases of the pandemic or examined positive protective factors for mental wellbeing. Our longitudinal study investigated changes and associations between COVID-19 experiences, lifestyle behaviours, social connectedness and mental wellbeing in the second year of the pandemic. The validated Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale was used to measure the primary outcome mental wellbeing. Self-reported data from 161 university students (18-35-year-old) in England was obtained. Data collection took place across two time points with contrasting COVID-19 epidemiological and countermeasure attributes. T1 occurred in the spring of 2021, during the tail end of the third national lockdown when indoor household mixing was prohibited and vaccination rates were low among 18-35 year olds. T2 took place 6 months later, in the autumn of 2021, when restrictions had ended and vaccination rates were high. Within-participant changes in students showed that mental wellbeing significantly improved over 6 months, suggesting positive adjustment. Fear of COVID-19 and engagement in COVID-19 protective behaviours significantly decreased as pandemic restrictions eased. Physical activity levels were high and did not change over time, while greenspace visits significantly diminished. Social support remained the same and group membership significantly increased over time. Hierarchal regressions revealed that social support was the most critical contributor to mental wellbeing. We discuss lessons for mental wellbeing promotion strategies: encouraging the use of greenspace as locations for distanced social interaction and physical activity in times of lockdown constraints.
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- 2024
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35. Brief Report: A Specialized Fitness Program for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder Benefits Physical, Behavioral, and Emotional Outcomes
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Scott L. J. Jackson, Emily A. Abel, Shara Reimer, and James C. McPartland
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Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) engage in less physical activity than typically-developing peers. This can result in serious negative consequences for individual well-being and may contribute to the physical, behavioral, and emotional challenges associated with ASD. This study explored the potential benefits of trainer-led, individualized, physical fitness sessions specialized for ASD. Eleven individuals (ages 7-24 years) with ASD were assessed at baseline and following 15 fitness sessions. Participants demonstrated improvements in core and lower-body strength and reductions in restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, along with non-significant but marked reductions in issues with daytime sleepiness. Results suggest the merit of specialized fitness programs and emphasize the need for larger and more rigorous research studies on this topic.
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- 2024
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36. Enhancing Physical Activity Participation among Female Employees: Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Educational Intervention
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Mohtasham Ghaffari, Bita Sadeghi, Sara Dadipoor, and Ali Safari-Moradabadi
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This paper evaluates the effectiveness of an educational intervention based on the transtheoretical model aimed at increasing physical activity (PA) participation among female employees in Bandar Abbas city (Iran) healthcare centers in December 2017 and August 2018. Using a semi-experimental interventional study design with a randomized and multi-stage method, 100 participants were included in both the intervention (n = 50) and control groups (n = 50). Data collection involved questionnaires assessing demographic information (age, gender, marital status and education), stages of change in PA behavior, Perceived Benefits, Barriers and Self-efficacy. The data were analyzed using SPSS-16, employing both descriptive (mean, SD, frequency, percentage) and inferential statistics (t-tests, chi-squared tests, etc.). Prior to the educational intervention, 19 participants (0.38%) in the intervention group engaged consistently in PA (stages 4-5). After 3 and 6 months of intervention, these numbers increased to 29 (0.58%) and 25 (0.50%), respectively. This improvement was statistically significant compared to the pre-intervention stage (P < 0.001). The findings highlight the importance of theory-based behavior change models and health education programs in promoting PA and combating sedentary lifestyles. Although focused on a specific population in Bandar Abbas, the intervention can serve as a model for similar programs targeting diverse social classes and populations.
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- 2024
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37. Public Awareness of War on Diabetes Campaign and Its Association with Behavioural Outcomes
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Rajeswari Sambasivam, Edimansyah Abdin, P. V. AshaRani, Kumarasan Roystonn, Fiona Devi, Peizhi Wang, Eng Sing Lee, Chee Fang Sum, and Mythily Subramaniam
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The War on Diabetes campaign was launched in 2016, encouraging Singapore residents to engage in regular exercise, adopt healthy dietary habits and screen for early detection of diabetes. This study aims to examine campaign awareness and its associations with sedentary behaviour, dietary habits and identifying diabetes. Data were obtained from the nationwide Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices study on diabetes in Singapore. A total of 2895 participants responded to a single question assessing campaign awareness. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet screener assessed dietary habits, and the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) measured sedentary behaviour. Recognition of diabetes was established using a vignette depicting a person with diabetes mellitus. Logistic and linear regression models were used to measure the associations. Most participants were 18- to 34-years old (29.9%) and females (51.6%). About 57.4% identified the campaign. Campaign awareness exhibited positive associations with identifying diabetes based on the vignette [odds ratio (OR): 1.5; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1-2.2; P = 0.022], lower odds of sedentary behaviour [greater than or equal to] 7 h/day (OR: 0.7; CI: 0.5-0.9; P = 0.018) and higher DASH scores ([beta] = 1.3; P < 0.001). The study recognized early significant associations between the behavioural outcomes and the campaign, emphasizing the need for ongoing campaign sustainability and evaluation of its long-term impact on population health.
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- 2024
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38. Lifestyle Behaviors and Health-Related Quality of Life in Cancer Survivors: A Latent Class Analysis
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Jenny L. Olson, David E. Conroy, Scherezade K. Mama, and Kathryn H. Schmitz
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Healthy lifestyle behaviors can improve health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in cancer survivors; but the combination of behaviors most important for HRQOL is not known. This study investigated the patterns of lifestyle behaviors among cancer survivors and differences in HRQOL between behavioral classes. Cancer survivors (n = 2,463) were invited to participate in a cross-sectional survey. Participants (N= 591) were predominately female (63%) and non-Hispanic White (90%). Survey items included self-reported physical activity, diet, smoking, sleep, HRQOL, and demographics. Behavioral classes were estimated by latent class analysis. Differences between classes were assessed by latent class regression. Compared with the "healthy lifestyles" class (higher probabilities of meeting aerobic/strength-based activity guidelines, high fruit/vegetable intake, and no sleep problems; 11% of sample), the "sleep and diet problems with inconsistent physical activity" class (higher probabilities of not meeting strength-based guidelines, low fruit/vegetable intake, some sleep problems; marginally higher probability of meeting aerobic guidelines; 41%) had poorer general and physical HRQOL. The "poor physical activity and diet" class (higher probabilities of not meeting aerobic/strength-based guidelines, low fruit/vegetable intake, and some sleep problems; 48%) had poorer general, physical, and mental HRQOL. Few participants exhibited healthy lifestyle patterns associated with HRQOL. The findings provide opportunities to develop differentiated multiple behavior-change interventions, targeted to two common patterns of behavior. A large subgroup of cancer survivors was susceptible to suboptimal physical activity and diet, warranting interventions exclusively targeting these behaviors. Another subgroup was susceptible to suboptimal physical activity, diet, and sleep, indicating interventions for this group should include strategies targeting these three behaviors.
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- 2024
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39. Physical Activity, Sports Participation and School Exclusion: An Analysis of the Millennium Cohort Study
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A. J. Brinkley
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Background: Physical activity and modes of sport are widely adopted to promote health, wellbeing, behavioural outcomes and educational attainment in young people excluded from education. However, little is known about the physical activity or sports involvement of excluded young people or the role of participation on predictors and outcomes associated with exclusion. Aims: The study aimed to understand (i) how active excluded young people are, (ii) whether predictors of school exclusion are influenced by participation in physical activity or sport and (iii) if physical activity or sports participation moderates the relationship between school exclusion and health, behavioural and educational outcomes. Methods: Millennium Cohort Study Wave 6 data were analysed using linear multiple regression models. Participants were 11,066 young people. Dependent variables were physical activity or sports participation. Independent variables included school exclusion, body composition and physical health, cognitive and educational outcomes, crime, anti-social and harmful behaviours, mental health and individual demographic predictors. Results: Multiple regression analysis of Millennium Cohort Study Wave 6 data indicates young people excluded from education participate in more (+20.71 ± 9.72, p = 0.03) minutes of physical activity but less (-22.38 ± 32.52, p = 0.49) minutes of sport than non-excluded participants. Physical activity or sport did not influence predictors or outcomes associated with exclusion. Conclusion: Findings indicate young people excluded from education participate in 8% more MVPA, but 13% less sport than peers not excluded from education. These findings highlight concerns related to the provision of school sports and physical education opportunities for young people excluded from education. Moreover, these findings question the role of physical activity or sport as a silver bullet within UK educational policy.
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- 2024
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40. Children's Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Summer Camp
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Dyer, Samantha L., Constantino, Nora, Chen, Li-Teng, Burns, Ryan D., and Fu, You
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The average daily amount of physical activity (PA) expended by children in summer camp is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the trends in PA and sedentary behavior in school-aged summer campers during an outdoor adventure summer camp. Participants were a convenience sample of school-aged children (N = 183; 102 males and 81 females; mean age = 9.69 ± 1.47 years) who attended one week of an outdoor adventure summer camp. PA and sedentary behavior were assessed and collected via wrist-worn Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometers during camp hours, from 9am to 4pm daily. Outcome variables included percentage of time spent in sedentary behavior, percentage of time spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), and average steps per day. Data were analyzed using a Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) test. Results indicated a decreasing trend of PA across the eight-week summer camp period. Both boys and girls engaged in MVPA for about 9% of the total time during weeks one and two, which decreased to about 7% of the total time by weeks seven and eight. Sedentary behavior remained constant, with an increase during weeks 5 and 6 of camp. Average daily step count decreased by about 3,000 steps per day from the first to the final week of camp. There was a significant main effect for sex on PA (Wilk's [lambda]= 0.000, F = 6.77, p < 0.05) and a significant main effect for week on PA (Wilk's [lambda] = 0.000, F = 3.05, p < 0.05). This indicates the influence of camper sex and week of attendance on PA variables. Overall, weekly PA decreased during the duration of the summer camp. Seasonal outdoor weather patterns and counselor teaching styles may have impacted PA levels of campers. It is recommended that camp staff implement strategies to encourage consistent levels of PA across the summer camp season.
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- 2023
41. Relationship between Chinese College Students' Perceived Transformational Leadership by Physical Education Teachers and Their Exercise Adherence: The Mediating Role of Physical Self-Efficacy
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Ke, Wei and Huang, Jianhao
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The interruption of regular physical exercise among Chinese college students is a key cause of the lack of motivation to exercise. Therefore, on the basis of self-efficacy theory, this study analysed the interrelationships between the perception of transformational leadership in physical education (PE) by teachers, physical self-efficacy, and exercise adherence among Chinese college students. A questionnaire survey was conducted using a convenience sample of 448 students from five universities in Hebei Province, China. They perceived transformational leadership by PE teachers to significantly positively influence exercise adherence. In addition, physical self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between college students' perceptions of transformational leadership by PE teachers and exercise adherence. These findings suggest that university administrators could encourage PE teachers to make greater use of transformational leadership and improve education and guidance regarding physical self-efficacy for college students to promote exercise adherence.
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- 2023
42. The Role of Participation in Sports and Physical Activity in the Effects of Negative Emotions and COVID-19 on Quality of Life
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Cakir, Gökhan
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The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of sports participation and physical activity on negative emotions and the quality of life of COVID-19. Data were collected through the personal information form, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, the COV19-Impact on Quality of Life scale, and Positive-Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Data were collected through stratified sampling from Recep Tayyip Erdogan University and Kirsehir Ahi Evran University. The sample of the study consisted of 888 students. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0. Necessary assumptions were ensured before the analysis. Afterwards, descriptive statistics and MANOVA were used in the research. It has seen that the number of students who do not do sports under license, who passively participate in sports 2-3 times a week, and whose physical activity level is moderate are more in number. The findings show that students who do sports under license, passively participate in sports, and are physically active experienced lower levels of negative emotions and COVID-19 affected their quality of life at lower levels. As a result, it can be said that participation in sports and physical activity have an impact on negative emotions and the quality of life of COVID-19 in the sample of university students.
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- 2023
43. An Examination of Physical Literacy of High School Students
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Cengiz, Caner
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The aim of this study is to examine the physical literacy of high school students. Since the high school age group is between 14-18, it is designed for adolescents. Physical literacy emerges as a concept that does not date back very much. When the literature is examined, it is seen that the number of studies related to this concept is low in Turkish context. A total of 260 high school students residing in the province of Ankara participated voluntarily for this purpose. Regarding the gender distribution of the participants, 163 were female and 97 were male. Demographic information and Perceived Physical Literacy Scale for Adolescents were conducted via Google form. The scale developed by Sum et al. (2018) was adapted into Turkish by Yilmaz and Kabak (2021) has also been used for data collection. Data were collected from the accessible group by simple random sampling method. Descriptive statistics were used in the analysis of the findings. Since the groups showed normal distribution, one-way ANOVA and independent groups t-test were used in the analyses. As a result, no difference was found in the gender variable. At the grade level, significant differences were found between 9th and 11thgrades, and between 9th and 11thgradesagainst 9th.According to the status of doing sports, a significant difference was found in favor of those who do sports. According to the statistics made among those who do sports regularly every week, it was found that as the number of days of exercise increased, physical literacy also increased. The findings are discussed in the light of the relevant literature.
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- 2023
44. Environmental Correlates of Physical Activity and Screen-Time in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Seven-Country Observational Study
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Justin A. Haegele, Fenghua Sun, Chunxiao Li, Kwok Ng, Jihyun Lee, Stefanie Hwee Chee Ang, Maria Luiza Tanure Alves, Hannah Yang, Yandan Wu, Jernice Sing Yee Tan, Pauli Rintala, Wendy Yajun Huang, Sean Healy, Isabella dos Santos Alves, Andre Lisandro Schliemann, Hyokju Maeng, Eija Karna, and Ding Ding
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This cross-sectional observational study sought to examine the environmental correlates of physical activity and screen-time among youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Parents of youth with ASD (n = 1,165) from seven countries/regions provided responses to an online survey form measuring environmental correlates (i.e., physical activity neighborhood environment, social network, social trust and cohesion, bedroom media, social home environment) and outcomes (i.e., physical activity, screen-time). Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to determine environmental predictors of the outcomes. Physical activity neighborhood environment (B = 0.15, p = 0.047), social network (B = 0.16, p = 0.02), and social home environment (B = 1.07, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with physical activity, whereas social trust and cohesion and bedroom media were not. Further, social trust and cohesion (B = -0.14, p = 0.001), bedroom media (B = 0.10, p = 0.001), and social home environment (B = -0.16, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with screen-time while neighborhood environment and social network were not. The identified environmental attributes of physical activity and screen-time behaviors should be targeted for health promotion among youth with ASD.
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- 2024
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45. Physical Activities in Hong Kong Kindergartens: A Content Analysis of the Quality Review Reports
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Thomas Fan, Alfredo Bautista, and Derwin King Chung Chan
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In Hong Kong, the Education Bureau (EDB) is responsible for the quality assurance of kindergarten education services. EDB inspectors regularly conduct school visits to monitor kindergartens' performance and publish a Quality Review (QR) report for each kindergarten. Given the limited research on pedagogical practices pertaining to physical activities in Hong Kong kindergartens, the current study analyzes the content concerning this learning area in the QR reports. We analyzed 164 QR reports (published between 2017 and 2020) according to four analytic dimensions: (1) Overall presence of content pertaining to physical activities; (2) References to specific forms of physical activities; (3) Positive feedback; and (4) Negative feedback and recommendations. The presence of physical activities in the QR reports was found to be low (5% on average). EDB inspectors alluded to physical activities generically, not specifying the motor skill(s) at hand. Both positive and negative feedback focused primarily on matters pertaining to the time of exposure to physical activities and teachers' pedagogical quality. Our evidence suggests the existence of potential gaps between Hong Kong's kindergarten policies and actual physical activity practices. Further professional development seems necessary to strengthen both teachers' pedagogies and inspectors' understandings of physical activities.
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- 2024
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46. Preliminary Translation of 'Reducing Disability in Alzheimer's Disease' among Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities and Caregiver Dyads
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Lauren T. Ptomey, Kelli Barton, Emma Swinford, Amy Bodde, Amanda George, Anna M. Gorczyca, C. Michelle Niedens, Susan C. Sprague, Amy Yeager, Brian Helsel, Linda Teri, Eric D. Vidoni, and Jaime Perales-Puchalt
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Background: The Reducing Disability in Alzheimer's Disease in Kansas City (RDAD-KC) intervention has been shown to improve the health of individuals with dementia and caregiver dyads. This manuscript reports the results of implementing the RDAD among individuals with intellectual disabilities and caregiver dyads. Methods: Nine community agencies deployed the 12-week intervention. We assessed changes in individuals with intellectual disabilities' behavioural symptom related severity and physical activity, and caregivers' behavioural symptom-related distress, unmet needs, and caregiver strain. Results: Forty-four dyads enrolled, and 23 (~60 years, 48% female) completed [greater than or equal to] 75% of the intervention. We observed decreases in behavioural symptom related severity (p = 0.07) and increases in physical activity (p = 0.20) among individuals with intellectual disabilities. We also observed decreases in behavioural symptom related distress (p = 0.14), unmet needs (p = 0.50), and caregiver strain (p = 0.50) among caregivers. Conclusions: The RDAD-KC intervention showed promising, although statistically non-significant, benefits among individuals with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers.
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- 2024
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47. Making Physical Activity Fun and Accessible to Adults with Intellectual Disabilities: A Pilot Study of a Gamification Intervention
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Stéphanie Turgeon, Alexandra MacKenzie, Charles Sebiyo Batcho, and Jason D'Amour
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Background: Only about 9% of individuals with intellectual disabilities reach the government's physical activity (PA) recommendations. Combining gamification and technology seems particularly promising in overcoming personal and environmental barriers to PA participation. Method: Eighteen adults with varying levels of intellectual disabilities completed a pilot study to assess the initial effects of a cycling gamification intervention on levels of PA, fitness, psychosocial outcomes, and challenging behaviours. The study comprised three designs: pre-post single group, AB single-case, and qualitative. Social validity, implementation barriers and facilitators were also explored. Results: Nearly all 18 participants cycled daily. Time and distance cycled daily increase during the intervention while a decrease in stereotyped behaviours was observed. Participants and staff found the intervention enjoyable and socially valid. Conclusions: Results of the multiple-design study suggest that gamification interventions may be a suitable, enjoyable, and promising way to contribute to PA participation of adults with intellectual disabilities.
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- 2024
- Full Text
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48. The Use of Physically Active Academic Lessons during the Transition to Face-to-Face Classes
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Vagner Beserra, Miguel Nussbaum, Mónica Navarrete, Norman Garrido, and Danilo Alvares
- Abstract
Schools are pivotal stakeholders in increasing the amount of student physical activity, an attribution especially relevant while the COVID-19 pandemic is not overcome. This article evaluates how the use of physically active academic lessons impacted mathematics learning and the amount of physical activity during the transition to face-to-face classes. The objective was also to analyze students, parents, and teachers' perceptions of this experience. Therefore, for at least 6 weeks in mid-2021, 290 Chilean elementary school students from different schools, together with their 11 teachers, learned and practiced a choreography on geometry during the school routine. Both quantitative and qualitative instruments were used to evaluate this experience. The results from the pre- and post-test showed that students increased their geometry scores significantly (Z = 13.116, p < 0.001) by an average of 24.28 percentage points with an increase of 7.33 percentage points if the student attended face-to-face classes. Moreover, the results of the focus groups revealed a positive perception of the experience and increased physical activity. Overall, the study suggests that incorporating physically active academic lessons positively affect both academic performance and students' physical activity levels during the transition to face-to-face classes.
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- 2024
- Full Text
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49. Beyond 'Brain Breaks': A New Model for Integrating Classroom-Based Active Breaks
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Natalie J. Lander, Ana Maria Contardo Ayala, Emiliano Mazzoli, Samuel K. Lai, Jess Orr, and Jo Salmon
- Abstract
Regular physical activity provides physical, mental and cognitive benefits for children. However, globally, only 20% of children meet the recommended levels of physical activity and, on average, students sit for three-quarters of the school day. Active breaks are a well-tested component of many school-based physical activity interventions, but there are many barriers to the sustainable implementation of active breaks by teachers in schools. To overcome these barriers, the narrow, traditional idea of the 'brain break' needs to be reconceptualized, where active breaks are viewed as being separate from learning and teaching, and where physical activity is perceived as an interruption to learning. This article presents the TransformUs Active Break (TAB) model, which positions active breaks as part of an overall approach to proactive classroom management and as a key contributor to effective teaching. The TAB model comprises five types of active breaks, each serving a specific educative function-structure, transition, manage, energize and learn. The model demonstrates how active breaks can be integrated meaningfully into lessons to enhance teaching and learning as an effective approach for sustained school-based physical activity.
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- 2024
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50. Physical Activity Interventions to Increase Children's Social and Emotional Learning: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Based on the Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programme Framework
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Jongho Moon, Collin A. Webster, Kelly Lynn Mulvey, Ali Brian, David F. Stodden, Cate A. Egan, Taemin Ha, Christopher B. Merica, and Michael W. Beets
- Abstract
Mounting evidence from intervention research suggests that physical activity (PA) may contribute to children's social and emotional learning (SEL), which is an essential factor in healthy development and well-being. However, there have been no systematic reviews or meta-analyses of PA interventions and their effects on children's SEL. Such research is necessary to assess the growing knowledge base in this area and recommend future directions for research and practice. Based on the comprehensive school physical activity programme (CSPAP) framework, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of PA interventions to increase elementary school children's (5-12 years) SEL. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines we searched six electronic databases for articles during 12-30 April 2021. A total of 32 studies were included in the review and 26 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed a small to moderate effect of CSPAP-aligned PA interventions on SEL (Hedges' g = 0.44). However, there was considerable heterogeneity across studies. PA interventions to increase children's SEL show promise but continued investigation is needed with large sample sizes and rigorous randomised designs. Using the CSPAP framework to guide interventions may facilitate an understanding of how to maximise PA opportunities to enhance children's SEL.
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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