Many adults worldwide do not meet current physical activity (PA) guidelines. Mental fatigue decreases the likelihood of choosing to engage in PA. Message framing may enhance PA motivation when fatigued. We examined the effects of mental fatigue and message framing on PA motivation with additional focus on the messaging “congruency effect.” Three hundred and twenty undergraduates completed measures of dispositional motivational orientation and were exposed to either gain-framed or loss-framed messages before completing an effort discounting questionnaire. Results showed lower motivation to engage in PA of higher intensities and longer durations. Direct effects of message framing on PA motivation were not significant. Interaction effects revealed that participants receiving messages congruent with their dominant motivational orientation showed increased motivation for light-intensity PA and decreased motivation for vigorous-intensity PA as mental fatigue increased. Findings suggest that providing messages congruent with one’s dominant motivational orientation may increase motivation for engaging in light-intensity PA when fatigued.
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What’s in a Message? Effects of Mental Fatigue and Message Framing on Motivation for Physical Activity
Sheereen Harris, Jade Mardlin, Rebecca Basset-Gunter, and Steven R. Bray
Abolishing Amateurism: Reimagining the Future of U.S. College Football
Kirsten Hextrum and Howard Croom III
Recently, college athletes have won new rights to their name, image, and likeness; to educational benefits; to transfer; and to earn compensation based on the revenue their labor produces. Using critical race theories, we review the desegregation of college football alongside the legal protections for National Collegiate Athletic Association amateurism, as it was practiced from the 1950s through recent days. We argue that such amateurism still structures a racialized property relationship that grants ontological, monetary, and educational benefits to white stakeholders at the expense of Black football players. Throughout, we offer legal and historical insights about the limitations of the law for social change. We conclude with suggestions to dismantle amateurism and establish a labor market for college football players through which athletes can secure just compensation and workplace protections.
Abolition or Reform? A Review of Historical Perspectives on Football Safety From the 1890s to 1950s and How They Shape Youth Football Debates Today
Kathleen Bachynski
This essay provides a synthesis of secondary literature and primary sources to trace debates about football’s safety and value. It examines ideas from the Progressive Era to the 1950s and shows that such perspectives inform how the American public grapples with increasing research on the risks of repetitive brain trauma and the acceptability of football for younger children in the 21st century. Whether football’s risks were celebrated as inherently good, treated as short-term nuisances that could be minimized through safety reforms, or decried as long-term calamities preventable only by abolishing the sport has always depended on deeply contested social values that remain in tension and unresolved.
Abstracts From the 2024 North American Society for Pediatric Exercise Medicine Conference: Giving Kids a Chance Through Exercise (August 2024, Louisville, Kentucky, USA)
Family Car Ownership: Driving Inactivity in Young People? Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analyses in the International Children’s Accelerometry Database
Esther M.F. Van Sluijs, Ulf Ekelund, Pedro C. Hallal, Bjorge H. Hansen, Jenna Panter, Jo Salmon, Stephen J. Sharp, Lauren B. Sherar, Andrew J. Atkin, and on behalf of the International Children’s Accelerometry Database (ICAD) Collaborators
Background: Ubiquitous car ownership may affect children’s activity and health. We assessed the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between household car ownership and children’s daily time spent sedentary (SED) and in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Methods: Pooled cohort data were from the International Children’s Accelerometry Database. Outcome measures were average daily accelerometer-measured SED and MVPA (in minutes per day). Exposures were household car ownership (none, 1, and ≥2) and change in car ownership. Associations were examined using multivariable mixed-effects linear regression. Results: Mean age of participants (N = 4193) was 10.4 years (SD = 2.0), 53.4% were girls, and mean follow-up duration (N = 1333) was 3.3 years (SD = 1.1). Cross-sectionally, household car ownership was associated with higher SED (vs none: 1 car: β = 14.1 min/d, 95% CI, 6.7–21.5; ≥2 cars: 12.8, 95% CI, 5.3–20.4) and lower MVPA (vs none: 1 car: β = –8.8, 95% CI, −11.9 to −5.7; ≥2 cars: β = –8.8, 95% CI, −12.0 to −5.7). Associations were stronger in boys than girls and in children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds (SED only). Prospectively, there were no associations with increased car ownership. Reductions in household car ownership (of which 93.1% had ≥ 2 cars at baseline) were associated with a greater reduction in MVPA (vs no change: β = −8.4, 95% CI, −13.9 to −3.0) but not SED. Conclusions: Children in households with car access were more SED and less active than those without. Losing access to a second car was associated with greater decreases in MVPA, potentially related to losing access to activity-enabling environments. Reducing car access and use are important public health targets (eg, reducing air pollution), but their potential impact on children’s activity opportunities should be mitigated.
Gender, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Inequalities in Physical Activity Throughout the Life Course: A Systematic Review of Cohort Studies
Giulia Salaberry Leite, Charles Philipe de Lucena Alves, Otavio Amaral de Andrade Leão, and Inácio Crochemore-Silva
Background: This study aimed to assess longitudinal changes in physical activity inequalities according to gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity throughout the life course. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus databases for cohort studies addressing trajectories or monitoring physical activity at a minimum of 2 time points, presenting stratified estimates for at least 1 dimension of inequality (gender, socioeconomic status, or ethnicity). Main methodological characteristics and physical activity point estimates were extracted, enabling interpretation of the stability or increasing/decreasing inequalities over time. Results: Out of the 22 included studies in the review, none were designed or presented with specific aims addressing changes in physical activity according to the dimension of inequalities throughout the life course. Therefore, the main results and interpretation were performed according to available information. Males consistently showed a higher prevalence of physical activity than females. We observed both an increase and stability in gender inequality during childhood, followed by an increase in the transition from childhood to adolescence. During adolescence, both increase and stability in gender inequality were identified, with mixed results observed during adulthood, and in later life stages, in a limited number of studies. There is no or very limited evidence regarding ethnicity and socioeconomic status inequalities throughout the life course. Conclusion: Although none of the studies directly measured inequalities, an early emergence of gender inequalities was observed. Future research should include these dimensions as well as other social identities to enhance the understanding of inequalities throughout the life course.
Influence of the Sociomotor Component of Sports Practice on Adolescent Sustainability Awareness
Salvador Boned-Gómez, Alberto Ferriz-Valero, José María Giménez Egido, and Salvador Baena-Morales
Background: In the context of increasing global focus on sustainability, it is critical to explore how various activities, such as sports, affect young people’s understanding of sustainability. Despite the recognized importance, there is a significant research gap regarding the impact of different sports practices especially their sociomotor components on adolescents’ sustainability awareness (SA) across environmental, social, and economic dimensions. Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed the relationship between the sociomotor component of sports practices and SA in 1157 adolescents, representing diverse genders, socioeconomic backgrounds, and educational levels. The Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire was employed to measure aspects of sustainability, and sports practices were categorized by their sociomotor components to evaluate their influence on SA. Results: Analysis revealed a significant association between cooperative sports without opposition and SA, particularly within the social dimension. These sports practices, which emphasize team collaboration over competition, were linked to increased social SA among adolescents, suggesting the educational potential of incorporating such sports into academic and extracurricular programs. Conclusions: The findings underscore the potential role of cooperative sports in fostering a deeper understanding of sustainability among youth. By reducing ego-centric behavior and encouraging teamwork, these sports practices may contribute to developing a more socially conscious and sustainable mindset. This study points to the importance of including cooperative sports in educational curricula and suggests the need for further research to explore the long-term effects of sports on sustainability education, with the goal of leveraging sports as a tool for promoting a sustainable future.
Acute Effects of Taurine Supplementation on Maximal Fat Oxidation and FATmax in Recreational Endurance Runners: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover, and Triple-Blinded Study
Abdolrahman Ghazzagh, Alireza Naderi, Hamid Agha-Alinejad, Ali Livani, Mohsen Sarlak, Samaneh Aghamohammadi, and Bryan Saunders
Taurine (TAU) has been shown to improve time to exhaustion (TTE) and fat oxidation during exercise; however, no studies have examined the effect of acute TAU supplementation on maximal fat oxidation (MFO) and related intensity to MFO (FATmax). Our study aimed to investigate the effect of acute TAU supplementation on MFO, FATmax, VO2peak, and TTE. Eleven recreationally trained male endurance runners performed three incremental running tests. The first visit included a familiarization to the test, followed by two subsequent visits in which exercise was performed 90 min after ingestion of either 6-g TAU or placebo (PLA) using a triple-blind randomized crossover design. There was no effect of TAU on MFO (p = .89, d = −0.07, TAU: 0.48 ± 0.22 g/min; PLA: 0.49 ± 0.15 g/min or FATmax (p = .26, d = −0.66; TAU: 49.17 ± 15.86
The British Preschool Children’s Play Survey: When, Where, and How Adventurously Do British Preschool-Aged Children Play?
Helen F. Dodd and Kathryn Hesketh
Background: Outdoor, adventurous play supports physical activity and might help to prevent mental health problems, yet data on preschool-aged children’s outdoor play are scarce. Method: Data were collected from a nationally representative sample of 1166 parents/caregivers of children aged 2–4 years (52% male; 88% white) living in Britain. Caregivers reported time children spent playing in 7 locations and corresponding adventure level. Responses were used to derive: total play time, outdoor play time, and adventurous play time (in hours per year). Associations between sociodemographic characteristics and play outcomes were examined, controlling for relevant confounding variables. Results: Outside of childcare, preschool-aged children spent approximately 4 hours per day playing, with 1 hour 45 minutes spent playing outdoors. Most outdoor play happened in gardens at home. Away from home, children most often played in playgrounds and green spaces. Levels of adventurous play were reported to be highest at indoor play centers, followed by playgrounds and green spaces. Total play differed significantly by location, with children in rural areas spending more time playing (vs urban areas). Child ethnicity was associated with play and outdoor play, with children belonging to minority ethnic groups (vs white) playing less. Child sex was also a significant predictor of outdoor play time: boys (vs girls) spent more time playing outdoors, driven primarily by time spent in green spaces. No associations were found for adventurous play. Conclusions: These results highlight how inequalities in access to outdoor space at home and good quality local play spaces may impact young children’s play opportunities and, in turn, exacerbate health inequalities.
Evaluation of Exercise Program for Overweight and Obese Pediatric Participants in a Single Tertiary Center in Singapore
Kylie Leong, Muhammad Munir Tohid, Bernard Xian Wei Liew, Siao Hui Toh, Mohammad Ashik Zainuddin, Fadzlynn Fadzully, Brandon Guoqiang Feng, Muhammad Alif Bin Abu Bakar, and Benny Kai Guo Loo
Purpose: Pediatric obesity is rising in prevalence. We audited the results of an exercise program for overweight and obese pediatric participants in a tertiary pediatric hospital. The main aim was to determine the program’s effectiveness, with the main outcome of change in body mass index (BMI). Method: Retrospective review of data from all pediatric participants attending the program between January 2017 and December 2022. Inclusion criteria for analysis were BMI ≥90th centile, ages 6–15, attendance in at least 2 sessions and for at least 1 week. Statistical analysis was done using Generalized Additive Modeling. Results: One hundred thirty seven participants were included. The average duration in the program was 16 months (min = 1 wk, max = 57 mo). Majority (66%, n = 94) attended at intervals of >4 weeks. Only 7% (n = 9) attended weekly. The shorter the visit intervals, the more likely the BMI loss. The greatest decrease in BMI (−0.275; 95% confidence interval, −0.381 to −0.17) was in 15-year-old obese participants with visit intervals of <1 week. At the last visit, 84.7% maintained, 12.4% improved and 2.9% worsened in BMI category, respectively. Conclusion: Participants who attended an exercise program at least weekly demonstrated the best outcomes. Most did not adhere to the recommended frequency and thus had poorer outcomes. We have since made improvements to our program to increase visit frequency.