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Association Between 24-Hour Movement Behaviors and Adiposity in Malaysian Schoolchildren: A Compositional Isotemporal Substitution Analysis

Jyh Eiin Wong, Javier Palarea-Albaladejo, Shoo Thien Lee, Denise Koh, Ilse Khouw, Bee Koon Poh, and on behalf of the SEANUTS II Malaysia Study Group

Background: Physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB), and sleep are interrelated 24-hour movement behaviors that are important for the growth and well-being of children. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between 24-hour movement behaviors and adiposity, and predicted changes in adiposity following compositional time reallocations in 7- to 12.9-year-old Malaysian children from the South East Asian Nutrition Surveys II Malaysia. Methods: A total of 381 children (mean age 9.7 [1.6] y, 57% girls) provided 24-hour wrist-worn GENEActiv accelerometry data which captured time spent for sleep, SB, light PA and moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA). Indicators of adiposity were derived from anthropometry and bioelectrical impedance analysis: body-mass-index-for-age, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, percent body fat, and body mass index. The composition of 4-part movement behaviors was expressed as isometric log-ratio coordinates which were entered into regression models. Isotemporal substitution analysis was used to assess changes in adiposity indicators when reallocating time between movement behaviors. Results: Relative to other movement behaviors, time spent on MVPA was significantly associated with waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, percent body fat, and fat mass index. A 15-minute one-to-one reallocation from other movement behaviors to MVPA predicted lower body-mass-index-for-age (−0.03 to −0.11), smaller waist circumference (−0.67 to −1.28 cm), lower waist-to-height ratio (−0.004 to −0.008), percent body fat (−0.87% to −1.47%), and fat mass index (−0.23 to −0.42). Replacing SB and light PA with sleep or MVPA was associated with lower adiposity. Conclusions: The overall composition of movement behavior was significantly associated with the adiposity of Malaysian schoolchildren. Promoting MVPA and sleep and reducing SB and light PA are important for prevention of childhood obesity.

Open access

Consideration of Young People’s Active Travel in National Urban Policy Documents in Asia: A Documentary Analysis

Rizka Maulida, Andrea D. Smith, Amy Weimann, Tolu Oni, and Esther M.F. van Sluijs

Background: Active travel to school faces challenges in urbanized and car-centric Asian regions. The UN-Habitat supports global governments in formulating National Urban Policies (NUPs) for sustainable urban development. This study examined how young people’s active travel is discussed in NUP documents in selected Asian countries. Methods: Framing analysis using thematic coding was applied to NUP documents from Asian countries. NUP documents were identified via the UN-Habitat’s Urban Policy Platform website. A theory-based framework, using both inductive and deductive coding, was employed to identify discussions on key themes related to young people’s active travel (active travel, transport, physical activity, young people, and school). A semiquantitative heat map visualized theme patterns coverage (presence; degree of policy-relevant detail discussed). Results: NUP documents from 15 (of 47) Asian countries were retrieved. Transport promotion was acknowledged in 11/15 countries. Discussions on young people’s active travel were limited (7/15 featured detailed discussion). Main themes (active travel, physical activity, young people, and school) were treated as secondary considerations, with active travel framed as a utilitarian solution rather than a well-being promoter. Additional contextual considerations (sustainability, natural disaster risk, pollution, and urban congestion) were identified through inductive analysis. Conclusions: NUPs inadequately incorporate active travel, especially in relation to young people. NUPs focus on transport and sustainability while neglecting physical activity, schools, and youth. A more intersectoral approach, tailored to each country’s priorities, is necessary for enhanced policy development. Leveraging active travel as a double-duty intervention allows policymakers to tackle health and sustainability challenges along with concerns about traffic congestion and pollution.

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Direct Observations of Intergenerational Visits and Activities at Six Local Recreational Parks in Victoria, Australia

Pazit Levinger, Bronwyn Dreher, Marcia Fearn, Adrian Bauman, Natasha K. Brusco, Andrew Gilbert, Sze-Ee Soh, Elissa Burton, Mairead Hallissey, and Keith D. Hill

Local parks offer outdoor spaces for active play; they provide a common attractive space in which grandparents and grandchildren can interact and engage in physical activity. This study investigated how multigenerational active spaces within local parks were being used by older people, their grandchildren, and other age groups. Method: This study was an observational design using direct observations of park visitors over three consecutive months and an intercept survey of a subsample of older visitors in six community parks in Victoria, Australia. The number of visitors, activity interaction, type of accompaniment (e.g., intergenerational, family, group), and physical activity level were recorded and reported descriptively. Results: A total of 5,373 visitors were observed with 43.3% (n = 2,327) children and 10% (n = 537) older people. Most visitors attended with company (55.9%–97.7%), with older people’s most common accompaniments being intergenerational groups (n = 164, 30.5%). Within the observed intergenerational instances, 35% were older people and 45.1% children. Most people from all age groups were observed to be physically active (≥78%). Survey respondents (n = 48) reported attending the park alone (47.9%) or with company (e.g., 22.9% grandchildren, 12.5% a partner/friend). Approximately a third of respondents reported exercising with their grandchildren in the designated space. Discussion: A large proportion of older visitors were observed with intergenerational accompaniment in local parks, with most grandparents and their grandchildren observed to be physically active. The active spaces, which include multigenerational outdoor equipment, may be an attractive setting for both children and older adults to foster intergenerational interaction and engagement in physical activity.

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Trends in Physical Abilities of Physical Education Students Between the Years 2000–2021

Eyal Weissblueth and Roni Jablonowsky

Background: The comforts of modern life have markedly caused a reduction in physical activity. Approximately only one third of the adult population engages in regular physical activity levels as recommended, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. The study aimed to determine if physical education undergraduate students’ cardiorespiratory and abdominal endurance levels changed between 2000–2021. Methods: We collected data from 1353 physical education undergraduate students, 20–30 years of age. Data included evaluations of the following abilities: cardiorespiratory endurance using the time result of a 2000-m run, abdominal muscle endurance measured using 1-minute sit-up test results, arms muscle endurance using maximal numbers of push-up test results, and agility using 4 × 10-m shuttle run results. Results: Findings include a statistically significant decline over the years in cardiorespiratory endurance with medium effect size for males and females (r = .293; 95% CI, 0.215 to .367; and r = .222; 95% CI, .133 to .308, respectively), and abdominal muscle endurance with medium effect size for males and females (r = −.394; 95% CI, −.455 to −.329; and r = −.366; 95% CI, −.434 to −.294, respectively). Conclusions: We concluded that the decline in the physical abilities of physical education undergraduate students over a span of 20 years is significant. Also, in light of the current technological age, further physical activity considerations should be given to populations younger than 18 and of other particular adult populations. 

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Volume 21 (2024): Issue 11 (Nov 2024)

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Volume 13 (2024): Issue 4 (Nov 2024): 2024 American Kinesiology Association Leadership Workshop: Addressing Social Justice Imperatives—Exemplars of Inclusive Excellence

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No “Failures of Kindness”

David K. Wiggins

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Results From the First Para Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Adolescents With Disabilities in Chile

Nicolas Aguilar-Farias, Sebastian Miranda-Marquez, Marcelo Toledo-Vargas, Kabir P. Sadarangani, Jessica Ibarra-Mora, Pia Martino-Fuentealba, Fernando Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Carlos Cristi-Montero, Matías Henríquez, and Andrea Cortinez-O’Ryan

Background: Global initiatives have been put in place to attain a thorough understanding of worldwide variations in physical activity (PA) among children and adolescents. Yet, there is limited knowledge about PA-related indicators, specifically for children and adolescents with disabilities (CAWD). To bridge this data gap, the Global Matrix of Para Report Cards (PRCs) of CAWD initiative was established to address the scarcity of information on PA for this population globally. The purpose of this manuscript is to summarize the results of Chile’s First PRC on PA for CAWD. Methods: Chile’s PRC included 10 core PA indicators common to the Global Matrix of PRCs. Evidence from scientific articles, reports, and databases available or released from 2018 to January 2022 was included for each indicator. A scientific committee collected and analyzed the data, assigning letter grades (A–F) based on benchmarks. Results: The grades assigned were as follows: Overall PA, D−; Organized Sports and Physical Activity Participation, C−; Active Play, INCOMPLETE; Active Transportation, D−; Sedentary Behavior, F; Physical Fitness, INCOMPLETE; Family and Peers, D+; School, C+; Community and Environment, D+; Government, B−. Conclusions: Chile scored low in most indicators. Although some efforts have been made in the last decade in terms of policies, these have not been reflected in PA and related behaviors in CAWD. The results underscore that maintaining the current situation is inadequate for addressing the widespread problem of physical inactivity among CAWD in Chile, emphasizing the urgency for substantial changes and a comprehensive approach to effectively combat this crisis.

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Social Comparison, Social Indispensability, or Both? On the Psychological Mechanisms Underlying Effort Gains in Swimming Relays

Ann-Kathrin Torka, Joachim Hüffmeier, Sebastian Fischer, and Claudia Braun

Members of swimming relays often show effort gains in relays (i.e., more effort and faster swimming times in the relay vs. the individual competition). The weakest relay members typically exhibit the most pronounced effort gains. However, the underlying psychological processes are unclear. Prior research suggests social comparisons with stronger fellow relay members, perceived social indispensability, or a combination of both processes as plausible mediators. In Study 1, using linear mixed model and regression analyses on N = 239 observations from 222 elite U.S. college swimmers, we found empirical support only for the social indispensability hypothesis. Study 2, a survey among N = 46 German national team swimmers, substantiated the results, because the athletes most often mentioned processes related to social indispensability as motivating them. Our findings offer theoretical conclusions for expectancy × value models on team member effort expenditure and practical implications for coaching and selecting the weakest members for swimming relays.

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A Multilevel Model to Explain the Opportunities for and Experiences of LGBTQ+ People in Elite American Football

George B. Cunningham, Kelsey M. Garrison, and Umer Hussain

American football holds immense cultural significance, from its impressive youth participation rates to the coverage of professional football. However, the reach of American football extends beyond cultural significance, as societal values and norms are frequently mimicked or even amplified in major sport settings. American football is a context that highlights the privileges of heterosexuality and cisgender people, effectively discouraging people from disclosing their lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) status. Because LGBTQ+ inclusion has received less attention in the American football context, and bias against LGBTQ+ people is common in sport, this paper aimed to explore LGBTQ+ inclusion in American football. Drawing on our related scholarship in this area, we present a multilevel framework, highlighting macrolevel (i.e., societal), mesolevel (i.e., organizational), and microlevel (i.e., individual) factors that shape LGBTQ+ inclusion in American football. The discussion includes strategies to implement LGBTQ+ inclusion in American football, as well as a call for further research.