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Effect of Simultaneous Intervention in Kindergarten and Home to Improve Ball Skills

Masashi Watanabe, Naoko Aoyagi, and Naomi Kaminaga

This study examines the effectiveness of a simultaneous intervention in kindergarten and home to improve ball skills in children. Two kindergartens in Ibaraki, Japan, were divided into intervention (N = 98, mean age = 5.5 [0.6] years) and control groups (N = 88, mean age = 5.6 [0.6] years). The intervention was for 4 weeks. Parents received emails with video URLs for four ball activities once a week, and they undertook the activities introduced in the video at home with their children. Before the intervention, a 60-min workshop was held for kindergarten teachers. Ball skills (distance thrown and percentage of ball catches) were assessed pre- and postintervention. Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance and multiple regression analysis were used to compare the groups and explore the factors related to the improvement of ball skills. As a result, although throwing skills did not change significantly in both groups, there was an increase in the frequency of ball activity at home and perceived change of batting skills, both of which were associated with postthrowing skills. Catching skills improved significantly only in the intervention group; however, no significant factors related to the improvement of these skills were found. Our study demonstrates that simultaneous intervention in kindergarten and home may contribute to improve catching skills over a short period of time.

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Global Physical Activity, Active Commuting to School, and Sedentary Behavior Among Latin American Adolescents: Global School-Based Student Health Survey and the National School Health Survey

Juliana Ilídio da Silva, Amanda Cristina de Souza Andrade, and Ana Paula Muraro

Background: This study aimed to compare the overall prevalence, stratified by sex and age group of global physical activity (GPA), active commuting to school (ACS), and sedentary behavior (SB) among adolescents from ten Latin American countries, and to assess the correlation of Development Index with the indicators. Methods: This research is grounded on data from the Global School-Based Student Health Survey (2009–2015) and the 2015 Brazilian National School Health Survey. The prevalence and 95% confidence intervals for GPA (≥5 d/wk), ACS (≥1 d/wk), and SB (>2 h/d) were calculated using the chi-square test to compare the sexes (male; female) and age group (≤13 y; 14 y; 15 y; ≥16 y). We also performed Pearson correlation analysis with the Human Development Index. Results: The prevalence of indicators ranged from 16.1% to 28.2% for GPA, from 56.7% to 71.2% for ACS, and from 20.7% to 62.6% for SB. Boys generally had a higher prevalence of GPA and ACS, and girls had a higher prevalence of SB. The prevalence of the indicators by age group varied between countries, with significant differences observed in some, depending on each indicator. A positive correlation was observed between Human Development Index, GPA, and SB. Conclusion: Health promotion policies must include guidelines that encourage and promote a more active and less sedentary lifestyle among young people in Latin America, considering specific groups, the local socioeconomic context, and differences between countries.

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A Conceptual Primer on the Potential of Adaptive Policies to Reduce Physical Inactivity

Karen Milton, Harry Rutter, Harriet Koorts, and Leandro Garcia

Background: Despite the existence of physical activity policies across many countries, insufficient physical activity remains a major global public health problem. Physical inactivity is an emergent feature of complex systems; it results from a wide range of factors at multiple levels that interact to influence behavior. Traditional approaches to public policy often fail within complex systems, largely due to unpredictability in how the system will respond. Adaptive policies, which are designed to allow for uncertainty about future system behavior and to change over time, may offer a promising solution. In this paper, we introduce the concept of adaptive policies and illustrate how this innovative approach to policy making may be beneficial for reducing physical inactivity. Design: Drawing on existing literature and guiding principles for policy making, we provide 3 examples to illustrate how the concept of adaptive policies can be applied to address physical inactivity. Discussion: The examples illustrate how changes to the way policies and interventions are developed, implemented, and evaluated could help to overcome some of the limitations in existing practices. A key challenge will be engaging policymakers to take a broader perspective of the physical activity system, develop policies that are designed to be adaptable across a range of different future scenarios, and embrace uncertainty and long-term adaptability. Conclusion: Adaptive policies may support decision makers globally to achieve the widespread and sustained changes necessary to increase population levels of physical activity.

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Digest

Kim Gammage, Erica Bennett, Matthew Bird, Jordan Blazo, Alyson Crozier, Alison Ede, Matt Hoffman, Seungmin Lee, Sascha Leisterer, Sean Locke, Eva Pila, and Matthew Stork

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Introducing the Task as a Challenge Does Not Mitigate the Negative Effect of Gender Stereotype Threat on Motor Skill Learning in Adolescents

Sara Soltanifar, Rasool Abedanzadeh, Adele Ahmadinezhad, and Seyyed Mohammadreza Mousavi

Gender stereotype threat is a sociocultural variable that has received significant attention over the past two decades. We explored whether presenting a task as a practical and challenging activity would reduce the negative impact of implicit activation of gender stereotype threat on motor learning in adolescent girls. Forty-five adolescent girls (M age ± SD: 13.24 ± 1.06) participated in the study and were asked to throw a tennis ball toward a circular target using their nondominant hand. They were asked to perform five throws as an initial assessment and then were randomly assigned to three groups: IS/CH (i.e., implicit stereotype threat activation and framing the task as a challenge), IS/TH (i.e., implicit stereotype threat activation and framing the task as a threat), and the control (with no instructions). In the IS/CH and IS/TH groups, the participants performed the acquisition phase (five blocks of 10 trials) in the presence of a male evaluator. We used verbal instructions to frame the task as a practical and challenging activity (i.e., learning this task might be a big help in physical education classes in school because it improves throwing skills, and it will help improve control over the nondominant arm which is important in daily activities) and/or threat (i.e., show how good you are on this type of task, and based on your scores, we will be able to measure your natural ability at throwing tasks) before the acquisition phase. One day after the acquisition phase, participants were asked to participate in the retention (10 throws) and transfer tests (10 throws from a distance of 6.5 m). Our findings demonstrated that participants in the control group were able to achieve more effective learning compared with participants in the IS/TH and IS/CH groups. Possible reasons for these results were discussed.

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Relationship Between Motor Competence and Soccer-Specific Skills: A Longitudinal Study With Young Players

Álvaro Fortunato, Celina Gonçalves, and Vítor P. Lopes

The complexity of interactions in team sports requires players to have excellent technical skills. The purpose of this study was to longitudinally investigate the predictive value of motor competence (MC) on soccer-specific skills development. Participants were n = 79 boys, aged between 5.89 and 14.63 years at baseline followed for 3 consecutive years. MC was assessed with Körperkoordination Test für Kinder, and soccer-specific skills were assessed with soccer wall-volley, soccer dribble, juggling, and shuttle run with a ball. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to estimate developmental trajectories of proficiency in soccer-specific skills. The final model shows that soccer-specific skills proficiency significantly improved, and that MC was a significant predictor of this improvement. For every point increase in MC, the change in soccer-specific skills proficiency improved to 0.03 z scores each year. In conclusion, MC is a predictor of specific soccer skills.

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Saccades and Microsaccades Coupling During Free-Throw Shots in Basketball Players

Alessandro Piras, Francesco Del Santo, Andrea Meoni, and Milena Raffi

We investigated the role of saccades and microsaccades when different levels of basketball players were engaged in an ecological free-throw condition. All participants made more correct than incorrect shoots, with a movement time initiation shorter in amateurs than in near-expert groups. Near-experts had more stable gaze fixation than amateurs, with higher microsaccade rate and duration and lower peak velocity. Amateurs showed higher saccade rate, peak velocity, and amplitude than near-experts. The temporal sequence of near-experts’ microsaccade rate increased after the saccade peak; on the contrary, in amateurs, the saccade peak is shown after the decrement in microsaccade rates. The spatiotemporal characteristics of microsaccades and saccades may reflect an optimal sampling method by which the brain discretely acquires visual information and can differentiate between participants who use a fixation before the critical movement time and participants who move their eyes to catch more visual cues to make decisions.

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Physical Activity and Mental Health: A Little Less Conversation, a Lot More Action

Brendon Stubbs, Ruimin Ma, Felipe Schuch, James Mugisha, Simon Rosenbaum, Joseph Firth, and Davy Vancampfort

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Pickleball Participation and the Health and Well-Being of Adults—A Scoping Review

Kim Stroesser, Adam Mulcaster, and David M. Andrews

Background: Pickleball has grown tremendously in recent years, yet little evidence exists regarding pickleball-related injuries. This scoping review extends current work on pickleball participation by identifying positive and negative health effects associated with the sport. We summarize how pickleball impacts the health and well-being of adult participants. Methods: Searches were conducted on MEDLINE, CINAHL, ProQuest Nursing, ERIC, SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO, Scopus, CBCA Complete, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Selected studies considered aspects of health and/or well-being of adult pickleball participants. Using the population/concept/context framework, participants were healthy, able-bodied adults 18 years of age or over, who had played pickleball at least once. The positive and negative outcomes of pickleball on participants’ health and well-being (concept) within the context of pickleball participation were examined. Full-text articles written in English since 2013 were included. Extracted data were tabulated, and a descriptive summary with thematic analysis was completed. Results: This scoping review comprised 27 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Pickleball is promising as an exercise intervention for all adults, and there is evidence of positive social and psychological effects, and health and fitness benefits to participating in pickleball by older adults. Conclusions: Although we are still in the early stages of studying pickleball, there have been some documented health benefits of using the sport as a physical exercise intervention for adults. More research is needed on the types, prevalence, and severity of pickleball injuries and the sport’s impact on younger players.

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Understanding the Relationship Between Attachment Orientation and Physical Activity Participation: An Exploratory Study

Jessica Hill, Pamela Meredith, Grace Forrester, Julia Shirley, and Sjaan R. Gomersall

Background: Physical inactivity is recognized as a global health challenge. Attachment theory may provide insight into individual physical activity (PA) patterns, informing the development of PA interventions to promote the maintenance of behavior change. This study investigated the associations between attachment orientation and why and how individuals engage in PA. Given the association between attachment and sensory processing, this study also investigated the link between sensory processing and PA participation. Methods: Participants (N = 141) completed an online questionnaire that included the Modified Experiences of Close Relationships Scale and the Highly Sensitive Person Scale. The relationship between attachment orientation and sensory processing patterns, and preference for PA participation were analyzed using 2-sided independent t tests. Results: Attachment avoidance, attachment anxiety, and sensory sensitivity were significantly related to participants’ preference for PA participation in theoretically consistent ways. Avoidantly attached individuals were less likely to participate in PA as a form of social interaction (mean = 8.57, SD = 2.87, P = .005, d = 0.48). Anxiously attached individuals were more likely to participate in PA to support weight management (mean = 37.02, SD = 11.54, P = .01, d = −0.46) or if recommended by a health professional (mean = 43.55, SD = 12.45, P = .039, d = −0.88). Sensory sensitive individuals were more likely to participate in PA alone (mean = 124.11, SD = 19.23, P = .005, d = −0.510), and more likely to prefer light-intensity forms of PA (mean = 133.29, SD = 12.67, F 3,123 = 5.49, P = .001). Conclusions: Findings highlight the potential value of considering an individual’s attachment orientation and sensory processing patterns in the development of PA interventions. This may help to address the challenges of PA participation, by individually tailoring interventions to participants.