Teaching adolescents to use self-management strategies may be an effective approach to promoting lifelong physical activity (PA). However, the extent to which adolescents use self-management strategies and their impact on current PA have not been studied previously. The aims of this study were 1) to describe the prevalence of self-management strategy use in adolescents; and 2) to determine relationships between self-management strategy use, PA self-efficacy, and PA participation. 197 students completed questionnaires measuring use of self-management strategies, self-efficacy, and PA behavior. The most prevalent self-management strategies (>30%) were thinking about the benefits of PA, making PA more enjoyable, choosing activities that are convenient, setting aside time to do PA, and setting goals to do PA. Fewer than 10% reported rewarding oneself for PA, writing planned activities in a book or calendar, and keeping charts of PA. Use of self-management strategies was associated with increased self-efficacy (r = .47, p < .001) and higher levels of PA (r = .34 p < .001). A 1-unit difference in self-management strategy scores was associated with a ~fourfold increase in the probability of being active (OR = 3.7, 95% CI = 1.8-7.4). Although strongly associated with PA, a relatively small percentage of adolescents routinely use self-management strategies.
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Use of Physical Activity Self-Management Strategies by High School Students
Stewart G. Trost and Jan Hutley
Pacing Strategies of Inexperienced Children During Repeated 800 m Individual Time-Trials and Simulated Competition
Danielle Lambrick, Alex Rowlands, Thomas Rowland, and Roger Eston
Prior experience of fatiguing tasks is considered essential to establishing an optimal pacing strategy. This study examined the pacing behavior of inexperienced children during self-paced, 800 m running, both individually and within a competitive environment. Thirteen children (aged 9−11 y) completed a graded-exercise test to volitional exhaustion on a treadmill (laboratory trial), followed by three self-paced, individual 800 m time-trials (Trials 1−3) and one self-paced, competitive 800 m time-trial (Trial 4) on an outdoor athletics track. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and heart rate (HR) were measured throughout all trials. Overall performance time improved from Trial 1−3 (250.1 ± 50.4 s & 242.4 ± 51.5 s, respectively, p < .017). The difference in overall performance time between Trials 3 and 4 (260.5 ± 54.2 s) was approaching significance (p = .06). The pacing strategy employed from the outset was consistent across all trials. These findings dispute the notion that an optimal pacing strategy is learned with exercise experience or training.
Knowledge of Repetition Range Does Not Affect Maximal Force Production Strategies of Adolescent Females
Jonathan C. Reid, Rebecca M. Greene, Nehara Herat, Daniel D. Hodgson, Israel Halperin, and David G. Behm
Purpose:
Contrary to adult force reserve strategies, it is not known whether adolescent females with less experience performing maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) have specific responses to a known or unknown fatigue endpoint.
Methods:
Using a counterbalanced random crossover design, fourteen inexperienced female adolescents completed three elbow flexor (EF) fatiguing protocols. Participants were randomly assigned to a control (informed they would perform 12 MVCs), unknown (not informed of the number of MVCs to be completed, but stopped after 12) or deception condition (instructed to complete 6 MVCs, however, after the sixth repetition performed another 6 MVCs). Before and during the interventions, EF impulse, force, and biceps brachii (BB) and triceps brachii (TB) electromyography (EMG) activity were recorded. Results: Participants exhibited decreases in impulse (10.9%; p < .05), force (7.5%; p = .001), BB (16.2%; p < .05) and TB (12.9%; p < .05) EMG activity between the pretest and the first repetition of all protocols. Knowledge of endpoint, or lack of it, did not change measures with the repeated MVCs. When informed about the final repetition, force remained depressed suggesting no physiological reserve.
Conclusion:
Adolescent females exhibited an anticipatory response to the task of performing repeated MVCs. A lack of change with knowledge of endpoint indicates that those lacking in MVC experience do not employ the same pacing strategies as in previous studies of participants with MVC experience.
Modifying Middle School Physical Education: Piloting Strategies to Increase Physical Activity
Russell Jago, Robert G. McMurray, Stanley Bassin, Laura Pyle, Steve Bruecker, John M. Jakicic, Esther Moe, Tinker Murray, and Stella L. Volpe
Two pilot studies were conducted to examine whether 6th grade students can achieve moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) from 1) activity-based physical education (AB-PE) with 585 participants and 2) a curricular-based (CB-PE) program with 1,544 participants and randomly sampled heart rates during lessons. AB-PE participants spent between 54–66% with a heart rate >140 bpm. CB-PE participants spent between 49–58% with a heart rate >140 bpm. Girls’ mean heart rate was 3.7 bpm lower than the boys. PE can be readily modified so that students spend more than 50% of time in MVPA.
Exploration of Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing Best Practice in Exercise Medicine in Primary Pediatric Care—Pediatrician Perspectives
Kim D. Lu, Dan Cooper, Raluca Dubrowski, Melanie Barwick, and Shlomit Radom-Aizik
, combined with evidence-based implementation processes and strategies, can improve implementation effectiveness (citations) and subsequent outcomes. We explored the perspectives, practices, and challenges faced by PCPs in communicating, assessing, and prescribing PA recommendations for their pediatric
Evaluating Girls on the Run in Promoting Positive Youth Development: Group Comparisons on Life Skills Transfer and Social Processes
Maureen R. Weiss, Lindsay E. Kipp, Alison Phillips Reichter, and Nicole D. Bolter
are “ . . . those that use sport as a vehicle to provide experiences that promote self-discovery and teach participants in an intentional and systematic manner . . . these programs have clearly defined goals and strategies to enhance the generalizability and transfer of life skills to other
The Effects of Using a Cycling Desk at School on Executive Function, Physical Fitness, and Body Composition in Primary School Children: Impact of Socioeconomic Status
Camille Chambonnière, Lore Metz, Alicia Fillon, Pauline Demonteix, Nicole Fearnbach, Mélina Bailly, Audrey Boscaro, Bruno Pereira, David Thivel, and Martine Duclos
and motor development in children. Thus, strategies to limit sedentary behavior and increase PA time at school may have downstream effects on academic and cognitive performance via improved PF, highlighting the need for targeted programs. In order to limit the time spent in sedentary activities at
A 5-Week Guided Active Play Program Modulates Skin Microvascular Reactivity in Healthy Children
Asal Moghaddaszadeh, Emilie Roudier, Heather Edgell, Agnes Vinet, and Angelo N. Belcastro
contrast, ED microvascular function assessed by Ach was not impacted by GAP with no change in peak and average perfusions. In summary, community-based GAP programming may be an effective strategy for improving diastolic blood pressure and increasing EI microvascular functions for normal weight children
Physical Fitness and Developmental Coordination Disorder in Greek Children
Georgia D. Tsiotra, Alan M. Nevill, Andrew M. Lane, and Yiannis Koutedakis
We investigated whether children with suspected Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD+) demonstrate different physical fitness levels compared with their normal peers (DCD−). Randomly recruited Greek children (n = 177) were assessed for body mass index (BMI), flexibility (SR), vertical jump (VJ), hand strength (HS), 40m dash, aerobic power, and motor proficiency. ANCOVA revealed a motor proficiency (i.e., DCD group) effect for BMI (p < .01), VJ (p < .01), and 40m speed (p < .01), with DCD+ children demonstrating lower values than DCD−. Differences between DCD+ and DCD− were also obtained in log-transformed HS (p < .01). These findings suggest that intervention strategies for managing DCD should also aim at physical fitness increases.
A Longitudinal Study of Children’s Enjoyment of Physical Education
Judith J. Prochaska, James F. Sallis, Donald J. Slymen, and Thomas L. McKenzie
One mission of physical education (PE) is the promotion of enjoyable physical activity participation. PE enjoyment of 414 elementary school students (51% male, 77% Caucasian) was examined in a 3-year prospective study. Analyzed using Generalized Estimating Equations, PE enjoyment decreased significantly from the fourth to sixth grade (p < .001) and was lower among girls (p < .001) and students not in organized sports (p < .005). Ethnicity and body mass index were not significant predictors of PE enjoyment. Girls, older children, and those not on sports teams are especially dependent on PE as the setting for accruing health-related physical activity, and strategies are needed to enhance their PE enjoyment.
