Journal of Aging and Physical Activity
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Volume 31 (2023): Issue 3 (Jun 2023)
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
JAPA Virtual Special Issues
The Journal of Aging and Physical Activity (JAPA) is proud to present online-only issues curated by Editorial Board Members and featuring articles published in JAPA throughout its history. Each issue features a collection of articles centered around a theme or area of study, introduced by an Editorial outlining the collection and its importance. All of these curated issues are free to read; simply click on the issue title below.
Reflections on JAPA's First 30 Years
Curated by Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko, Debra J. Rose, Diane E. Whaley, Philip D. Chilibeck
Considering Sex of Participants in Research
Curated by Dana M. Ghareeb, Owen D. Harris, and Jennifer M. Jakobi (lead)
The Promise of Qualitative Research
Curated by Rylee A. Dionigi (lead), Maria Horne, Anne-Marie Hill, and Mary Ann Kluge
Fall Prevention
Curated by Ellen Freiberger
Tai Chi for Aging
Curated by Samuel R. Nyman
Mission
Th
e Journal of Aging and Physical Activity (JAPA) is a multidisciplinary journal that publishes peer-reviewed original research reports, scholarly reviews, and professional-application articles on the relationship between physical activity and the aging process. The journal encourages the submission of articles that can contribute to an understanding of (a) the impact of physical activity on physiological, psychological, and social aspects of older adults and (b) the effect of advancing age or the aging process on physical activity among older adults.
In addition to publishing research reports and reviews, JAPA publishes articles that examine the development, implementation, and evaluation of physical activity programs among older adults. Articles from the biological, behavioral, and social sciences, as well as from fields such as medicine, clinical psychology, physical and recreational therapy, health, physical education, and recreation, are appropriate for the journal. Studies using animal models do not fit within our mission statement and should be submitted elsewhere.
JAPA consists of three peer-reviewed sections: Original Research, Scholarly Reviews, and Professional Applications. The Original Research section contains scientific studies and investigations, systematic clinical observations, and controlled case studies. The Scholarly Reviews section publishes reviews that synthesize research and practice on important issues in the study of physical activity and aging. Articles based on experience in working with older populations and the available scientific evidence that focus on program development, program activities, and application of exercise principles are appropriate for the Professional Applications section.
JAPA also includes an editorial section for exchange of viewpoints on key issues affecting physical activity and older adults.
*Average time from submission to first decision includes only those articles sent for peer review. Please note that this number is an average and that some manuscripts will take more or less time depending on subject matter, complexity, and availability of reviewers.
Editors-in-Chief
Patricia Heyn
Marymount University, USA
Lindsay Nagamatsu
Western University, Canada
Editorial Assistant
Liz Terhune
Marymount University, USA
Editors-in-Chief Emeriti
Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko (Founding Editor: 1993–2002)
C. Jessie Jones (2003–2005)
Debra J. Rose (2003–2006)
Anthony A. Vandervoort (2007–2009)
Gareth Jones (2007–2009)
Jennifer L. Etnier (2009–2012)
Diane E. Whaley (2012–2016)
Philip D. Chilibeck (2016–2019)
Samuel R. Nyman (2020–2022)
Associate Editors
Patricia Alpert
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA
Michael J. Annear
Waseda University, Japan
Christopher Bell
Colorado State University, USA
Sebastien Chastin
Glasgow Caledonian School of Health and Life Science, UK
Philip D. Chilibeck
University of Saskatchewan, Canada
Rylee A. Dionigi
Charles Sturt University, Australia
Adam B. Evans
University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Ellen Freiberger
University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institute for Biomedicine of Aging, Germany
Jeffrey Hallam
Kent State University, USA
Adriano Akira Hino
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Brazil
Shanthi Johnson
University of Alberta, Canada
Elisa A. Marques
Loughborough University, UK, and University of Maia, Portugal
Matthew J. Peterson
Campbell University, USA
Emerson Sebastião
Northern Illinois University, USA
Liza Stathokostas
Active Aging Canada, Canada
Jannique van Uffelen
University of Leuven, Belgium
Editorial Board
Nicolas Aguilar-Farias, Universidad de La Frontera, Chile
Ruth Barclay, University of Manitoba, Canada
Yolanda Barrado-Martin, University College London, United Kingdom
Danielle R. Bouchard, University of New Brunswick, Canada
Christi Brewer, Eastern Washington University, USA
Nicola Burton, Griffith University, Australia
Bettina Callary, Cape Breton University, Canada
Denise Connelly, Western University, Canada
Jennifer L. Copeland, University of Lethbridge, Canada
Stephen Cornish, University of Manitoba, Canada
Jennifer L. Etnier, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, USA
Nicolas Farina, University of Sussex, UK
Brooke Forester, University of South Alabama, USA
Andrew Froehle, Wright State University, USA
James Gavin, University of Southampton, UK
Anne-Marie Hill, University of Western Australia, Australia
Keith Hill, Monash University, Australia
Maria Horne, University of Leeds, UK
Jeanne Johnston, Indiana University, USA
Mary Jung, University of British Columbia, Canada
Joel Krentz, Brandon University, Canada
Duncan McGregor, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK
Xi Pan, Texas State University, USA
Marina Pinheiro, The University of Sydney, Australia
Merja Rantakokko, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Natalie Richer, The University of Winnipeg, Canada
Julie D. Ries, Marymount University, USA
Tamar Semerjian, San José State University, USA
Harshvardhan Singh, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
Cody Sipe, Harding University, USA
Juliana Souza Oliveira, University of Sydney, Australia
Afroditi Stathi, University of Birmingham, UK
Gwendolyn Thomas, Pennsylvania State University, USA
Sandra Webber, University of Manitoba, Canada
Kevin Zwetsloot, Appalachian State University, USA
Statistical Advisor
Laura Bonnett, University of Liverpool, UK
George Kelley, West Virginia University, USA
Social Media Manager
Jennifer Hanna Al-Shaikh, Western University, Canada
Human Kinetics Staff
Tammy Miller, Senior Journals Managing Editor
Prior to submission, please carefully read and follow the submission guidelines detailed below. Authors must submit their manuscripts through the journal’s ScholarOne online submission system. To submit, click the button below:
Authorship Guidelines
The Journals Division at Human Kinetics adheres to the criteria for authorship as outlined by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors*:
Each author should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for the content. Authorship credit should be based only on substantial contributions to:
a. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
b. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
c. Final approval of the version to be published; AND
d. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Conditions a, b, c, and d must all be met. Individuals who do not meet the above criteria may be listed in the acknowledgments section of the manuscript. *http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html
Open Access
Human Kinetics is pleased to allow our authors the option of having their articles published Open Access. In order for an article to be published Open Access, authors must complete and return the Request for Open Access form and provide payment for this option. To learn more and request Open Access, click here.
Manuscript Guidelines
The Journal of Aging and Physical Activity (JAPA) consists of three peer-reviewed sections: Original Research, Scholarly Reviews, and Professional Applications. The Original Research section contains scientific studies and investigations, systematic clinical observations, and controlled case studies. The Scholarly Reviews section publishes reviews that synthesize research and practice on important issues in the study of physical activity and aging. Articles based on experience in working with older populations and the available scientific evidence that focus on program development, program activities, and application of exercise principles are appropriate for the Professional Applications section. JAPA also includes an editorial section for exchange of viewpoints on key issues affecting physical activity and older adults.
Questions?
Most submission inquires can be addressed by reading the guidelines below. However, if you have questions not covered here, contact us.
Format
In preparing manuscripts for publication in JAPA, authors should adhere to the guidelines in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition, 2020) unless otherwise noted in these submission guidelines. Copies of the APA Publication Manual can be found in most university libraries or purchased online through the APA website. Please note that the APA guidelines particularly require that authors acknowledge the existence of similar publications so that the Editor can “make an informed judgment as to whether the submitted manuscript includes sufficient new information to warrant consideration.” If similar publications exist, please address this in your cover letter and provide a brief explanation of how the submitted manuscript adds to the literature. Manuscripts that do not conform to APA guidelines and to the guidelines described here may be rejected without review.
Please upload a Title Page as a separate document. This page should include the manuscript title, names of authors and institutional affiliation(s), suggested running head, and full mailing address, email address, and telephone and fax numbers of the corresponding author. The manuscript itself should not contain any author-identifying information and should be uploaded as the Main Document. Within the Main Document, the first page of the manuscript should contain only the title of the article. Page 2 should contain the abstract, with the text of the manuscript beginning on page 3. All manuscripts must include an unstructured (no headings) abstract of 100–150 words. Beneath the abstract, please also include 3–5 keywords not included in the title. The manuscript must be double-spaced, including the abstract, references, and any block quotes. Include line numbers that restart on each page of the manuscript (through Page Setup in Microsoft Word). Every effort should be made to see that the manuscript itself contains no clue to the author’s identity. Please also include, when relevant, a statement regarding compliance with regulations for the use of human subjects. This will include a statement in the method section that prior to recruitment approval was obtained from an institutional/regional/national research ethics committee (while keeping the author's instiution blinded), and that all participants provided written informed consent.
JAPA does not impose limits for word count (outside of the 150 word limit for abstracts) or page count. However, authors should be concise in their writing. Information provided in tables and figures should be self-explanatory without referring to the main text, and should not duplicate information provided in the text. JAPA is able to publish supplementary material online alongside the journal article. Supplementary material must be referred to in the main document and uploaded as a separate file to be included in the peer-review process. However, supplementary material is not included in the copy-editing process and so the author retains responsibility for the content and presentation of the material.
The JAPA Editorial Board are in agreement with the APA style manual that the term “the elderly” is no longer an appropriate label for older adults, as it can be viewed as pejorative and is stereotypical. Instead, please refer to your sample as older adults or even more appropriately, by the specific age range. Similarly, JAPA is striving for a more positive approach to aging. Consistent with theories of aging, we discourage the “aging as decline” approach in favor of how older adults adapt to a changing physical, social, and cognitive landscape. We ask you to consider this more positive approach in writing your manuscript. Also note that JAPA uses the term “participants” and not “subjects” to refer to adults who have taken part in a study.
Specific Study Designs
Clinical trials. Manuscripts reporting clinical trials are required to follow the CONSORT guidelines and include a CONSORT flow diagram (figure). The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) defines a clinical trial as follows: “any research project that prospectively assigns people or a group of people to an intervention, with or without concurrent comparison or control groups, to study the relationship between a health-related intervention and a health outcome” (2019, page 13). Health-related interventions are defined as those used to modify a biomedical or health-related outcome including physical activity interventions. Health outcomes are defined as any biomedical or health-related measure obtained from participants, including pharmacokinetic measures, psychological outcomes, and adverse events (ICMJE 2019). It is recommended that a clinical trial is registered in a public repository at the beginning of the research process (prior to participant enrolment). Trial registration numbers should be included at the end of the abstract with full details in the methods section. The registry should be publicly accessible at no charge, open to all prospective registrants, and managed by a not-for-profit organization. For a list of registries that meet these requirements, please visit the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. The registration of all clinical trials facilitates the sharing of information and enhances public confidence in research. In addition, if authors have not yet published their trial protocol, we encourage authors to include their trial protocol to be published alongside their main trial outcome paper as online supplementary material (on the understanding that there are no copyright restrictions). We also encourage authors to consult the TIDiER checklist for improving the transparency of intervention descriptions (https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/tidier/).
Systematic reviews. It is recommended that authors have their systematic review protocol publicaly available in a register such as PROSPERO prior to analysis. Authors are also encouraged to use the PRISMA statement and checklist for transparent reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. In addition, JAPA welcomes other types of review articles (narrative, scoping, and rapid, etc.) as long as they provide a novel contribution to the literature (e.g., new theoretical advance or synthesis).
Qualitative studies. JAPA is a multidisciplinary journal and its Editorial Board recognizes that qualitative research reflects a variety of epistemological traditions. Therefore, it is not mandatory for authors to adhere to a particular checklist when submitting qualitative journal articles to JAPA. Nonetheless, JAPA expects a basic standard of reporting that is consistent with international norms that are outlined below.
At a minimum, researchers should include statements in their manuscript outlining a theoretical framework, describing the theoretical basis for methods to be used, the research aims, respondent sampling and defending the rigor and trustworthiness of their analyses. Evidence of rigor and trustworthiness can be shown by authors through a range of practices illustrated in the following non-exhaustive list: use of a detailed methods section explaining the “researcher-as-instrument” or acknowledgement of reflexivity / positionality (researcher acknowledges, reflects and embraces their personal biases and details the process they undertook), a secondary coder (or “critical friend”) to discuss your coding process and analysis, presentation of exemplar / key informant quotations, discussion of negative, atypical or contrasting cases, providing evidence of data saturation, use of triangulation, and clear depictions of coding processes. We also encourage authors to consider the reader when composing a qualitative or mixed methods manuscript and write with clarity and a central message in mind. Finally, while accepting that qualitative reports often employ small samples and focus on in-depth analyses of highly contextual and lived experiences, we expect authors to clearly articulate the theoretical contributions of their research, as well as wider social, geographic, policy, or economic related implications of their findings.
Artwork and Table Instructions
All figures should be in a separate file and not in the main document (one file for each). All tables are to appear at the end of the Word document after the reference list. Format tables in the table function of your word processing program rather than aligning columns in text with tabs and spaces or using text boxes. When creating tables, the size and complexity should be determined with consideration for its legibility and ability to fit the printed page.
All art must be professionally prepared, with clean, crisp lines; freehand or typewritten lettering will not be accepted. If photos are used, they should be black and white, sharply focused, and show good contrast. Each figure and photo must be properly identified. In graphs, use black and white or gray shading only, no color. Keep labels proportionate with the size of the figures on the journal page, which is 6.5 in. wide. Digital images should be 300 dpi at full size for photos and 600 dpi for line art. Any images where an individual is identifiable must have their identity concealed (e.g., blurring of the face) along with confirmation that it is not an image taken from a study participant or that the participant has provided written informed consent.
Authors wishing to reproduce previously published material should obtain prior written permission to reprint from the copyright holder(s) of the original manuscript. Any fees associated with reprinting material are the responsibility of the author(s). Any permission document should be included as a supplementary file with the manuscript submission.
Peer Review
Manuscripts are read by the Editor and/or an Associate Editor and, when possible, by at least one member of the Editorial Board and one or two additional reviewers. The review process is expected to take 6–12 weeks. There are no page charges to contributors. Manuscripts are evaluated through blind review.
All submissions should show evidence of good scholarship, judged by the explanation and rationale for the study, topical relevance and interest to the readership, the design and conduct of the project, and the presentation and discussion of results. Manuscripts that are judged as failing to meet these initial criteria may be rejected by the Editor without further review.
Before Submitting
Manuscripts must not be submitted to another journal at the same time. Public posting of a study protocol, including a brief (<500 words) summary of its results into a trial registry or pre-print server will not be considered prior publication. JAPA will also accept submissions of full papers that have been posted on pre-print servers. With any public posting, please include the DOI for the pre-print or weblink to the protocol in the JAPA submission form. Authors should not post an updated version of their paper on the pre-print server while it is being peer-reviewed for possible publication in the journal. If your paper is accepted, you must include a link on your preprint to the final version of your paper.
Authors are advised to check very carefully the typing of the final copy, particularly the accuracy of references, and to retain a duplicate copy to guard against loss. Authors are also encouraged to create and keep current an ORCiD personal identifier.
Authors of manuscripts accepted for publication must transfer copyright to Human Kinetics, Inc. This transfer of copyright form will be provided to authors upon submission.
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The Journal of Aging and Physical Activity is pleased to present infographics inspired by research published in the journal. To view an infographic at full-size, click on the thumbnail. When viewing the full-size version, then click on the graphic to link to the research that inspired the infographic.
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