Creating community, assessing need: preparing for a community physical activity intervention

This paper describes the preliminary steps needed to begin a community physical activity intervention in a rural context, including forming a community coalition and assessing values, beliefs, and knowledge about physical activity. A random mail survey (N = 171) indicated relatively high activity rates, and perceived barriers consistent with the literature (time, program convenience, safety issues). Perceived benefits included improving/sustaining health and looking better/improving appearance. Five focus groups added additional barriers (e.g., physical isolation, lack of transportation). Residents were unaware of many existing services and indicated a desire for more walking trails, health-related activities, and low-cost exercise facilities. The discussion focuses on the importance of establishing a community coalition and implications for future program development and research.     

From Their Perspective: A Qualitative Examination of Physical Activity and Sport Programming for Working Mothers

Research has long demonstrated the benefits of participation in sport, exercise, and physical activity, which include lower mortality and morbidity (National Heart Foundation of Australia, 2001; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1996). Still, research demonstrates that 60-80% of adults are not active at a level sufficient to derive health benefits (Armstrong, Bauman, & Davies, 2000; Bowles, Morrow, Leonard, Hawkins, & Couzelis, 2002; Pate et al., 1995), and working mothers may face particular challenges in pursuing physical activity and sport (Jackson & Henderson, 1995). Utilizing the exercise psychology and women's leisure literatures, this study examines not only the barriers or constraints to participation, but also the ways that working mothers negotiate these barriers and, very practically, the ways that sport managers can better structure program offerings to increase access for this group (Bauman, Smith, Maibach, & Reger-Nash, 2006; Jackson & Henderson, 1995; Shaw, 1994). Forty-four working mothers from a university in the Southwestern United States participated in focus group inquiry regarding their physical activity and sport participation, barriers to participation, ways that they negotiated those barriers, and recommendations for change. Results indicated that rigid scheduling, guilt, and narrow programming constrained activity participation, and those constraints varied by marital status and social class. Negotiations included reframing entitlement to participation, garnering social support, and combating rigid work structures. Specific programming recommendations for sport managers as well as implications for social change are also discussed.     

Perceptions of Physical Activity in a Group of Adolescents with Cystic Fibrosis

Background: Participation in regular physical activity is routinely recommended for adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF), however, past research suggests that many patients are not regularly physically active. There may be a variety of reasons for this inconsistent participation. In this study, we used qualitative methods to explore attitudes toward physical activity with a focus on identifying facilitators and barriers in a small group of adolescents with CF.Methods: Ten participants with CF aged 13-17 volunteered for this study. Two, open-ended semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted. Participants were questioned about their current and past physical activity participation, their feelings about physical activity, and factors that made them want to be physically active or not. Participants were also questioned about their perceptions of physical activity for themselves and other adolescents with CF. Initial interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded into categories. During a follow-up interview, 3 to 4 weeks later, participants were reminded of their initial responses and allowed to elaborate or clarify their initial responses. All responses were categorized and became major themes describing facilitators and barriers to exercise.Results: All participants articulated understanding the importance of participating in physical activity for health benefits. Factors that served as facilitators to participation in physical activity included improving general or lung-specific health, as well as mental health. Barriers included general discomfort, increased lung symptoms, and disinterest.Conclusions: A group of adolescents with CF perceived positive general and lung health effects of physical activity, but also perceived barriers to participating in regular physical activity. Further work is needed to determine ways to accentuate facilitators and decrease barriers to promote regular physical activity in adolescents with CF.     

Moving towards social inclusion: Manager and staff perspectives on an award winning community sport and recreation program for immigrants

This case study examined manager and staff perspectives on their local sport and recreation department's role, organizational practices, and challenges faced when developing and sustaining a wellness program for immigrants that received a program excellence award from a provincial recreation association in Canada. Data were collected through a document analysis and interviews with all 10 staff and managers involved in the development and implementation of the newcomer wellness program, an integrated intervention with a physical activity and sport component. The findings revealed that the recreation department largely adopted an assimilation role where newcomers were expected to fit into existing programs and the implications of this are discussed. Managers and staff pointed to four key organizational practices that fostered newcomer inclusion including: having multiple staff champions, using a leisure access counselling approach, developing community partnerships and outreach, and implementing culturally sensitive marketing. Challenges encountered were reducing multiple barriers to program participation, uncertainty about interculturalism, managing partnerships, and a reliance on short-term funding that threatened the sustainability of the program. We extend a theoretical framework on the organizational dimension of social inclusion, suggest ideas for future research, and discuss implications for community sport and recreation practitioners.     

Program providers’ perspective: Recruitment and retention strategies for women in physical activity programs

This paper examined the perceptions from eight program providers in Victoria, Australia regarding the recruitment and retention of women in physical activity programs. Eight case studies were conducted. Each involved an in-depth interview with a provider of a successful physical activity program for women. Inductive content analysis generated common themes related to key aspects that enable the recruitment or retention of women. Three core themes were identified, namely creating an environment for women to exercise; facilitating involvement; and promoting the program to the community. In this study, we applied the social-ecological model to determine the levels of influence and the opportunities in the core themes to further enable the recruitment and retention of women in physical activity programs. A key conclusion was that links with several related community organisations leads to both the successful recruitment and the enhanced retention of women in physical activity programs.     

Self-efficacy for coping with barriers helps students stay physically active during transition to their first year at a university

The present study examined undergraduate students' physical activity during transition from high school to first-year university. Students' (N = 127) self-efficacy for coping with barriers to physical activity was investigated both as a predictor of physical activity and mediator of the relationship between pretransition and first-year physical activity. Physical activity was found to track moderately from pretransition to first year (rs = .58). Self-efficacy for coping with barriers predicted physical activity (R2adjusted = .18, p < .05) and partially mediated the relationship between pretransition and first-year physical activity. Results support an interpretation that future intervention efforts could target first-year students' self-efficacy for coping with barriers to help curb the decline in physical activity that occurs during the transition to university life.     

REACH Harlem: young urban boys’ experiences in an after-school PA positive youth development program

Background: After-school approaches offer a viable solution to the current challenge of physical inactivity among many adolescents; however, availability, cost, transportation, and interest limit many youths’ choices during non-school hours [Roth, Brooks-Gunn, Murray, and Foster 2003. “Youth Development Programs: Risk, Prevention and Policy.” Journal of Adolescent Health 32 (3): 170–182]. In addition to these limitations, safety concerns in urban communities act as barriers to participation in both after-school programs [Sanderson and Richards 2010. “The After-School Needs and Resources of a Low-income Urban Community: Surveying Youth and Parents for Community Change.” American Journal of Community Psychology 45: 430–440] and physical activity [Moore, Roux, Evenson, McGinn, and Brines 2010. “A Qualitative Examination of Perceived Barriers and Facilitators of Physical Activity for Urban and Rural Youth.” Health Education Research 25 (2): 355–367].

Purpose: This year-long qualitative case study sought to explore young urban boys’ experiences in an after-school program that aimed to empower young men through the sport of basketball.

Method: Two coaches facilitated weekly sessions for 5–20 young men of color in an urban, public school after-school program in Harlem, NY. The program recruited young men to an after-school program that offered basketball instruction in a safe space. During the program, students worked on basketball skills as well as reflective reading and writing through weekly journals and immersive conversations that revolved around weekly themes such as sportsmanship, culture, power, and communication. At the conclusion of the study seven boys aged 10–14 agreed to be interviewed about their experiences in the REACH program. Sources of data include journals, interviews, and observations. These data were coded by two independent coders, peer reviewed by a third researcher and analyzed using the constant comparative method.

Findings: Theme one: Shooting guns (violence) is a barrier to shooting hoops at local courts. Analysis of the data highlighted violence as an always-present barrier to playing basketball, specifically, and physical activity, generally speaking. Theme two: Future plans, the NBA. The vast majority of boys discussed joining the NBA, either directly from high school or after a year at a college. The NBA dream operated as a perceived pathway to a safer future and higher education. Theme three: Having and being role models. Analysis of the data also pointed to participants both being and/or having a role model. These relationships impacted them in a variety of ways and not only helps us better understand their experiences in the program but also elucidates how barriers to physical activity were alleviated. The young men who participated in this after-school program were able to engage in interest-based physical activity and academic learning tasks, thus creating a peaceful space to develop positive associations between school, physical activity, and community.

Conclusion: Closely examining the lived experiences of the REACH participants is significant for understanding their barriers to physical activity and how REACH, as a PYD sport program, alleviated those barriers. Examining the data around these issues also expands on the need for PYD programs [Wright and Li 2009. “Exploring the Relevance of Positive Youth Development in Urban Physical Education.” Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy 14 (3): 241–251] and extends understandings of the PYD framework put forth by Holt et al. [2017. “A Grounded Theory of Positive Youth Development Through Sport Based on Results From a Qualitative Meta-Study.” International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology 10: 1–49]. Specifically, our study demonstrates the reciprocal and iterative nature of PYD climate, life skills focus, and PYD outcomes. Our study also expands on the understandings of PYD climate, extending the focus beyond relationships to also including participants’ experiences and perceptions.     

Self-Efficacy for Coping With Barriers Helps Students Stay Physically Active During Transition to Their First Year at a University

The present study examined undergraduate students' physical activity during transition from high school to first-year university. Students' (N = 127) self-efficacy for coping with barriers to physical activity was investigated both as a predictor of physical activity and mediator of the relationship between pretransition and first-year physical activity. Physical activity was found to track moderately from pretransition to first year (r _s = .58). Self-efficacy for coping with barriers predicted physical activity (R ² _adjusted = .18, p < .05) and partially mediated the relationship between pretransition and first-year physical activity. Results support an interpretation that future intervention efforts could target first-year students' self-efficacy for coping with barriers to help curb the decline in physical activity that occurs during the transition to university life.     

Motivational factors for youth recruitment in voluntary interventions: the case of a community sport program

Recruitment is known to be a challenge for intervention programs targeting youths, including sports programs. Following the popularity of the Alter-Action program of the Montreal-based organization DesÉquilibres, we wanted to understand the motivations and barriers to youths' recruitment in this voluntary sports community program. A qualitative methodology was favored. We conducted 27 semi-structured interviews (n = 27) with participants, 5 (n = 5) with the partners, and we carried out a focus group with 5 (n = 5) of the organization's service practitioners. We also conducted a participant observation with youth cohorts and during preparatory meetings. Five factors influencing recruitment emerged: (1) socialization/belonging; (2) training/physical aspects; (3) ‘extraordinary’ dimension; (4) practicality of the program; and (5) social influences. Four key elements thus appear important to consider when promoting the recruitment of youths in voluntary community programs: (1) favoring social interactions; (2) insisting on the specific and beneficial elements of the program; (3) allowing youths to experiment a trial period; and (4) including testimonies of former participants in the information session. Further recommendations for psychosocial intervention programs targeting youths are discussed in this article.     

Parent Support for Children’s Physical Activity: A Qualitative Investigation of Barriers and Strategies

Purpose: Parents play an important role in supporting children’s physical activity (PA) behavior. Parent PA support is a behavior unto itself that has been examined within the framework of an adapted theory of planned behavior (TPB). The primary purpose of this research was to identify key barriers to parent PA support to understand perceptions of control in relation to parent PA support. The second purpose of this research was to identify potential strategies to enhance parent PA support via enhanced perceived behavioral control. Method: Focus groups were conducted with parents (N = 21) of children aged 5 to 11 years old. A deductive content analysis was employed to analyze the data guided by an adapted TPB. Results: Themes related to barriers included parents’ motivation, affective experiences in providing PA support, and control factors (e.g., cost, time, safety concerns, screen). Themes related to potential strategies included opportunities for participation and improved affective experiences for parents, community parenting, and self-regulatory strategies. Conclusion: The identification of specific barriers to parent PA support can guide the development of interventions to facilitate parent PA support. Informational, programming, and self-regulatory training interventions may be useful in enhancing parent support.     

试论城市社区体育志愿者服务体系发展模式

随着全民健身活动的深入开展,广大人民群众对体育健身的需求日益增多,社区体育健身活动是实现体育社会化的重要途径。着力构建社区体育的服务体系,对发展社区体育,扩大社区体育人口,推进社区体育的社会化有着积极意义。     

Assessing preschool children's physical activity: the Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in children-preschool version

In this paper we present initial information concerning a new direct observation system-the Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in Children-Preschool Version. The system will allow researchers to record young children's physical activity levels while also coding the topography of their physical activity, as well as detailed indoor and outdoor social and nonsocial contextual information. With respect to interobserver agreement (IOA), the kappa and category-by-category agreement mean of those obtained for the three illustrative preschools were generally above .80. Hence, our IOA data indicated that trained observers in the three preschools frequently agreed on the eight observational categories and accompanying codes. The results for preschoolers' level of physical activity indicated they spent the majority of observational intervals in sedentary activity (i.e., more than 80% intervals) and were observed in moderate to vigorous physical activity much less frequently (i.e., 5% or fewer intervals). For the 15 indoor and 12 outdoor activity contexts, variability across both the activity contexts and the three preschools were evident. Nevertheless, three classroom contexts-transition, snacks, and naptime--accounted for the greatest porportion of coded activity contexts for the children. In the three preschools, 4 of 17 physical activity types--sit and squat, lie down, stand, and walk--accounted for the topography of much of children's physical activity behavior Systematic observation of more representative preschool samples might better inform our present understanding of young children's physical activity in community preschool programs.     

人口老龄化与体育活动

为了提高老年群体的健康水平以应对人口老龄化,采用文献资料法论述了体育活动与老年人健康的关系,提出了增加老年人体育活动水平的对策：加大健康教育宣传力度,帮助老年人建立体育生活方式、依托社区开展体育活动,帮助老年人在社区形成健康的行为、加强老年健身的科学指导和研究、制定有利于体育活动的公共政策,为老年人健身提供政策和环境的支持。     

Health locus of control predicts free-living, but not supervised, physical activity: a test of exercise-specific control and outcome-expectancy hypotheses

We statistically controlled fitness (1.5-mile run), outcome-expectancy values, and perceived barriers for physical activity and then compared internal health locus of control (IHLOC) with internal exercise locus of control (IEXLOC) for predicting the physical activity of college students (N = 84). Prospective observations of self-reported free-living physical activity (seven-day recall) and supervised running (time x distance) were made at 2-, 5-, and 9-week intervals. IHLOC predicted seven-day recall at Week 2 (beta = .19) and Week 5 (beta = .36) (increase in adjusted R2 ranged from .05 to .12, p less than .05). Consistent with theory, the prediction was not reproducible when generalized outcome-expectancy value rather than outcome-expectancy value for health was assessed. IHLOC was unrelated to supervised running. IEXLOC was unrelated to activity in all analyses, even though exercise-specific measures of outcome-expectancy values (beta s = .20) and perceived barriers (beta s = .27-.32) predicted both seven-day recall and supervised running (p less than .05). IHLOC also discriminated (p less than .05) high active and low active subjects when criterion groups were formed from population norms on seven-day recall (greater than or less than 280 kcal.kg-1.week-1). Results indicate that tests of decision theories that include locus of control measures specific to health or exercise must adjust for fitness, perceived barriers to physical activity, and behaviorally relevant outcome-expectancy values of physical activity when studying college students. The construct validity of exercise locus of control remains uncertain for college students.     

Physical education's role in public health

The public health community is becoming increasingly interested in the potential contributions of school physical education to child health. School physical education is seen as an ideal site for the promotion of regular physical activity because up to 97% of elementary school children participate in some sort of physical education program. For maximal public health benefit, school physical education programs should prepare children for a lifetime of physical activity. This public health goal for physical education may require some changes in current approaches. Physical educators are challenged to collaborate with public health professionals in developing and evaluating school physical education programs that will improve the health of the nation's youth.     

社会生态视角下武汉地区高校大学生体力活动的影响因素

目的调查武汉地区高校大学生体力活动的影响因素,构建社会生态模型,为制定大学生健康促进策略、提高其体质健康水平提供支持。方法对武汉地区5所高校1992名(男生1011人,女生981人;理科生1024人,文科生968人)大学生进行体力活动影响因素的问卷调查。结果武汉地区高校大学生体力活动的影响因素可由个人认识、家长朋友支持、学校条件、社区条件和教师支持这5个一阶因子和个人认识、人际关系、学校社区环境这2个二阶因子的社会生态模型来概括;个人认识同人际关系的关联度很高,但是同学校社区环境的关联度较低;男生在一阶因子得分和二阶因子得分都高于女生,文科生同理科生对比无差异。结论武汉地区大学生体力活动的影响因素可以由社会生态模型来解释,学校、社区和家庭三方配合较差,需要国家给予政策层面的支持和引导,为大学生创造可持续的体育参与机会,构建多方协调、合作、联动的体力活动促进模式。     

运动健身干预方案促进中、小学生身心素质提升的实验研究

针对我国中、小学大课间体育活动存在锻炼强度不高、锻炼密度不足、活动内容不合理等问题,依据中、小学体育特色学校大课间活动组合的功能及作用,建立了6套运动健身干预方案,研究各套运动健身方案与提高学生参加大课间体育活动的积极性和功效之间的关系。以吉林省体育特色校1 200名中、小学生为实验对象,进行10周的运动健身干预方案教学实验。结果表明,6套干预方案对中、小学生身体素质和心理素质均有较明显的促进作用。结论:只有提高大课间体育活动的强度和频率,增强活动内容的趣味性,对大课间体育活动进行科学、合理的组合,才能使中、小学生的身心素质得到全面的发展与提高。     

Indirekte Gesundheitseffekte des Unterrichtsprogramms HealthyPEP

Numerous studies have confirmed direct health effects of interventions with a physical activity component on students without providing sufficient information on the contents or the degree to which the programs have been carried out. The empirical evidence of the indirect health effects of physical education is weaker. In this article the focus is placed on the evaluation of the indirect health effects, such as the enhancement of physical activity and its psychological determinants (e.g. motivation, attitudes, self-efficacy and knowledge) of the health promotion program HealthyPEP, using a quasi-experimental design with 516 sixth grade students. When taking into account the contents of HealthyPEP and the degree of implementation, it was clear that the program had different effects on the two genders whereby girls evaluated HealthyPEP in a more positive way compared to boys. In girls, positive tendencies were observed on rational cognitive determinants (e.g. knowledge and attitudes towards sports). The contents of HealthyPEP must be further optimized in the future to achieve positive indirect health effects also on boys.     

社区体育健身服务体系的研究

在科学发展观的指导下提出:完善社区体育健身服务管理体系;理顺社区体育健身服务管理体制;遵循社区体育健身服务管理原则;采取有效的社区体育健身服务管理手段;建立一支社区体育健身服务指导队伍。     

Priorities in Intercollegiate Athletics: Development of a Scale

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 15-week aerobic activity program on the total cholesterol (TC) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels of 25 high school students, ages 14–17 years (experimental group = 14, control group = 11). Participants in the activity program exercised 4 days per week in a specially designed physical education class, while the control group participated in the regular physical education program. Results of the analysis of covariance found significant reductions in TC in the training group (control group Adj M = 190.2 mg/dl, experimental group Adj M = 173.1 mg/dl, p > .05), but no significant changes in HDL-C (control group Adj M = 49.8 mg/dl, experimental group Adj M = 50 mg/dl). While the exercise program appeared to have a beneficial effect on TC in 12 of 14 participants (86%), HDL-C also dropped in 12 of 14 participants (86%).