Effects of curricular activity on students' situational motivation and physical activity levels

The purpose of this study was to examine (a) the effects of three curricular activities on students'situational motivation (intrinsic motivation [IM], identified regulation [IR], external regulation, and amotivation [AM]) and physical activity (PA) levels, and (b) the predictive strength of situational motivation to PA levels. Four hundred twelve students in grades 7-9 participated in three activities (cardiovascular fitness, ultimate football, and Dance Dance Revolution [DDR]) in physical education. ActiGraph GT1M accelerometers were used to measure students' PA levels for three classes for each activity. Students also completed a Situational Motivation Scale (Guay, Vallerand, & Blanchard, 2000) at the end of each class. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed that students spent significantly higher percentages of time in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) in fitness and football classes than they did in DDR class. Students reported higher lM and IR toward fitness than DDR They also scored higher in IR toward fitness than football. In contrast, students displayed significantly lower AM toward fitness than football and DDR Hierarchical Linear Modeling revealed that IM was the only positive predictor for time in MVPA (p = .02), whereas AM was the negative predictor (p < .01). The findings are discussed in regard to the implications for educational practice.     

Accelerometry to measure physical activity in toddlers: Determination of wear time requirements for a reliable estimate of physical activity

Accelerometry is widely used to evaluate physical activity in toddlers however recommendations regarding wear time are needed to understand physical activity behaviours in this age group. This study aimed to determine the minimum wear time to reliably evaluate physical activity in toddlers. Children from the 3D Birth Cohort (n = 255, 49.8% boys, 2.1 ± 0.2 years) were asked to wear an accelerometer (GT3X+, ActiGraph) for 7 days. Physical activity was expressed in active time (min/day) and counts per minute (CPM). Single day intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated to assess the effect of varying minimal wear time on reliability estimates. The Spearman-Brown formula was used to determine wear time required to achieve reliability levels of 70%, 80% and 90%. For active time, a reliability of 72.1% was achieved with wearing the accelerometer for ≥ 4 days of ≥ 6 h, which comprised 85.9% of the sample. For CPM, ≥ 4 days of ≥ 6 h provided a reliability of 74.7% and comprised 85.9% of the children. Results differed slightly when girls and boys were analysed separately, but restricting analyses to children with a weekend day did not. In summary, a minimum of 4 days with ≥ 6 h of accelerometry data provides a reliable estimate of physical activity in 2-year toddlers.     

Reliability of pedometer-determined free-living physical activity data in college women

This study examined stability and reliability of free-living physical activity assessed by pedometer in 69 young female college students (M age = 18.7 years, SD = 1.2, range: 18-25 years; body mass index = 23.2 kg/m2, SD = 0.6) for two complete weeks (Week 1 and Week 2) separated by 12 weeks. During Week 1, participants took an average of 8880 steps/day, SD = 3219, range: 1858-19480; during Week 2 9088 steps/day, SD = 3299, range 1736-16837; t (68) = -.568, p = .572. In both weeks, only Sunday differed significantly (repeated measures analysis of variance; Week 1: p < .0001; Week 2: p < .01) from all other days of the week. The computed intraclass correlation between weeks was moderate (.72). Group mean pedometer-determined physical activity was stable across 2 weeks separated by 12 weeks in this young, healthy sample of women. Individuals within these groups held their rank order to a moderate extent over time. These findings provide important evidence of the reliability of pedometer-determined physical activity data and are of practical importance to study design.     

Promoting physical activity among sedentary women using pedometers

Sedentary women (n = 92) classified as low (L), medium (M), and high (H) in baseline step counts and assigned to 10,000-step goal (TSG) and personal step goal (PSG) groups (within levels) were compared on goal attainment and step counts. A significant interaction for goal attainment, F(2, 86) = 4.51, p = .014, indicated that the L group was significantly less likely to meet the TSG than the M and H groups. Step counts increased after goal assignment, but not more for one group than the other. Results of this research support the previous finding that women with low baseline step counts are unlikely to meet a TSG, but a TSG does not result in lower step counts than a PSG.     

Physical activity and situational motivation in physical education: influence of the motivational climate and perceived ability

The influence of perceptions of the motivational climate and perceived ability on situational motivation and the physical activity behavior of 213 male and 229 female adolescent physical education students (M age = 12.56 years; SD = 0.96) was examined over a 3-day period. A significant age by gender interaction emerged, with physical activity declining from the sixth to eighth grade. The decline was more pronounced among female than male students. Perceptions of a mastery climate were strongly related to more self-determined forms of situational motivation. In contrast, perceptions of a performance climate were strongly related to less self-determined forms of situational motivation. Results of a hierarchical regression analysis revealed gender, perceived ability, and perceptions of a mastery climate to explain a significant amount of variance in physical activity. These findings suggest that promoting a mastery oriented motivational climate in physical education will foster self-determined situational motivation and physical activity.     

从认知派激励论看体育教学中的动机培养

认知心理学认为人的内在因素在动机形成和发展中起着非常重要的作用。通过对认知派观点和两种激励理论的学习,对动机的形成和发展有了更高的认识,并运用到具体的体育教学中,进行动机的培养和激发,从而更好地为体育教学服务。     

Exploring the challenges in obtaining physical activity data from women using hip-worn accelerometers

Quality objective physical activity data are required to inform physical activity-based health improvement initiatives, however, various challenges undermine acquisition of such data. We examined the efficacy and challenges of a hip-worn accelerometry protocol in women. Specific objectives included determining accelerometer-wear-compliance rates and understanding the barriers and acceptability of wearing accelerometers. Healthy New Zealand women (n?=?406) of three ethnicities (Māori (indigenous New Zealander), Pacific, European) aged 16–45 years (30.9?±?8.7 y) wore hip-mounted Actigraph wGT3X+ accelerometers for 7 consecutive days under a 24-h wear protocol. Post hoc, a sub-sample (n?=?45; age: 29.4?±?9.0 y) was interviewed to investigate comfort/convenience and burdens of accelerometer-wear. Wear-compliance (≥10?h/day, ≥4 day) was 86%. European women returned more valid data (92.7%, p?<?.04) than Pacific (73.0%) or Māori women (82.1%). Twenty-two participants (5.4%) had completely missing data; 13 due to lost accelerometers. Burden of accelerometer-wear was greatest during sleeping (66.7%) due to discomfort. Embarrassment of accelerometer visibility through clothing and consequent restricted clothing choices caused high burden in social settings (45.2%). Discomfort during sleeping, embarrassment due to perceived appearance in social settings and ethnicity are key factors affecting the efficacy of collecting physical activity data from women using hip-worn accelerometers. Refining accelerometer design to reduce size and subsequently participant burden should improve acceptability and wear-compliance. Increasing overall participant compliance by reducing burden and ensuring appropriate understanding of study aims and relevance should reduce attrition and improve wear-compliance and data quality when collecting accelerometry data from women of different ethnicities.     

Methodological considerations for researchers and practitioners using pedometers to measure physical (ambulatory) activity

Researchers and practitioners require guidelines for using electronic pedometers to objectively quantify physical activity (specifically ambulatory activity) for research and surveillance as well as clinical and program applications. Methodological considerations include choice of metric and length of monitoring frame as well as different data recording and collection procedures. A systematic review of 32 empirical studies suggests we can expect 12,000-16,000 steps/day for 8-10-year-old children (lower for girls than boys); 7,000-13,000 steps/day for relatively healthy, younger adults (lower for women than men); 6,000-8,500 steps/day for healthy older adults; and 3,500-5,500 steps/day for individuals living with disabilities and chronic illnesses. These preliminary recommendations should be modified and refined, as evidence and experience using pedometers accumulates.     

体育院系技术课多媒体教学的手段与方法

通过多媒体组合教学等方法,对我院体操、排球、蛙泳等技术课进行了教学试验,比较深入地探索了技术课电化教学的特点、方法与手段、教学效果,结果表明:电教媒体能符合术科教学特点和教学目标的要求,具有直观性、科学性、高效性和易操作性,各媒体多元化、立体型优化组合,可互为取长补短,使教育传播处于最佳状态,为体育院系技术课多媒体教学提供科学的依据与实用的手段和方法.     

Measures of cardiac autonomic control in women with differing volumes of physical activity

In this study, we investigated heart rate variability in women who exercise regularly, but with differing volumes of physical activity. Forty women participated and were allocated to either a "high" or "moderate" activity group. Heart rate as R-R intervals was recorded during supine rest and analysed using time domain, frequency domain, and Poincaré plot techniques. All time domain and Poincaré analysis measures revealed significant differences in heart rate variability between the "high" and "moderate" activity groups. Frequency domain analysis also revealed a significant difference between the two groups in absolute measures of high-frequency and low-frequency power, but not between measures such as the low-frequency/high-frequency ratio, proposed to represent the sympathetic/parasympathetic balance of cardiac control. The results demonstrate that there is a significant difference in heart rate variability between women who engage in "high" compared with "moderate" volumes of physical activity, which may have implications for cardiac autonomic health.     

Measures of cardiac autonomic control in women with differing volumes of physical activity

Abstract

The most recent (1996) drinking guidelines of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) propose that athletes should drink “as much as tolerable” during exercise. Since some individuals can tolerate rates of free water ingestion that exceed their rates of free water loss during exercise, this advice has caused some to overdrink leading to water retention, weight gain and, in a few, death from exercise-associated hyponatraemic encephalopathy. The new drinking guidelines of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), recently re-published in this Journal, continue to argue that athletes must drink enough to replace all their weight lost during exercise and to ingest sodium chloride since sodium is “the electrolyte most critical to performance and health”. In this rebuttal to that Consensus Document, I argue that these new guidelines, like their predecessors, lack an adequate, scientifically proven evidence base. Nor have they been properly evaluated in appropriately controlled, randomized, prospective clinical trials. In particular, these new guidelines provide erroneous recommendations on five topics.

If novel universal guidelines for fluid ingestion during exercise are to be promulgated by important international bodies including the IOC, they should first be properly evaluated in appropriately controlled, randomized, prospective clinical trials conducted under environmental and other conditions that match those found in “out-of-doors” exercise. This, and the potential influence of commercial interests on scientific independence and objectivity, are the two most important lessons to be learned from the premature adoption of those 1996 ACSM drinking guidelines that are not evidence-based. These concerns need to be addressed before the novel IOC guidelines are accepted uncritically. Otherwise the predictable consequences of the premature adoption of the 1996 ACSM guidelines will be repeated.     

体质测试受试者动机量表的检验

采用前期研究的《体质测试受试者动机量表》,对2005年国家国民体质监测的成年组（20～69岁）1050名受试者进行了调查。调查结果经过内部一致性检验和结构方程模型分析,表明该问卷具有可接受的信度和效度,能够测验到体质测试受试者的动机。     

Factorial validity and invariance of a self-report measure of physical activity among adolescent girls

We examined the factorial validity and factorial invariance of the 3-day physical activity recall (3DPAR) using confirmatory factor analysis. Adolescent girls from two cohorts (N = 955, N = 1,797) completed the 3DPAR in the eighth grade; participants in Cohort 2 (N = 1,658) completed the 3DPAR again 1 year later in the ninth grade. The 3DPAR was best represented by two uncorrelated factors in Cohort 1. The two-factor, uncorrelated measurement model exhibited evidence of cross-validity between Cohorts 1 and 2. This model also exhibited configural and partial metric invariance between race and across time. Hence, the 3DPAR consisted of two uncorrelated factors underlying three indicators of both moderate and vigorous physical activity in this sample of Black and White girls across a 1-year period. The 3DPAR can be used in cross-sectional, prospective cohort and intervention studies that examine mediators and moderators of physical activity among Black and White adolescent girls.     

Predictors of intrinsic motivation among adolescent students in physical education

This study examined the relationships among social factors, individual differences, intrinsic motivation, and effort and persistence in the physical education context using cognitive evaluation theory as a framework. Female (n = 201) and male (n = 206) high school students completed measures of motivational climate, teaching style, perceived competence, self-determination, goal orientations, and intrinsic motivation. Teachers rated the students on effort and persistence in the class activities. Hypothesized relationships among the variables were tested using structural equation modeling. Results revealed that perceived competence and goal orientations directly predicted intrinsic motivation and mediated the effects of motivational climate and teaching style on intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation directly predicted effort and persistence. Task goal orientation mediated the effects of learning climate on perceived competence and self-determination. The strongest predictors of intrinsic motivation and effort and persistence were task goal orientation perceived competence, and learning climate.     

The influence of domain specificity on motivation in physical education

With the assumption that domain specificity would significantly influence students' motivation, our study was designed to investigate between- and within-domain relations of task value, perceived autonomy and competence, and achievement goal orientations across physical education and mathematics. Urban adolescents (N = 273, ages 12-14 years) completed questionnaires assessing these motivational constructs in both subjects. Based on our confirmatory factor analyses and fit indexes, all motivational constructs demonstrated strong subject specificity. Strengths of associations between physical education and mathematics differed by individual motivational constructs. Within-domain interrelations of these constructs were not consistent across physical education and mathematics. Our findings suggest that domain specificity in physical education plays a significant role in students' motivation.     

Establishing a successful physical activity program to recruit and retain women

Increasingly, health organisations and governing bodies in developed countries are paying serious attention to the problem of adult inactivity. Many of the programs designed to increase levels of activity, particularly amongst target populations, such as women, have not been systematically assessed for their effectiveness in recruiting women and helping them maintain activity levels. The purpose of this study was to determine what attracted and sustained women to participate in physical activity programs. Responses from a survey to sport and recreation program providers identified 64 successful programs in the state of Victoria, Australia. Eight of these programs were purposively selected for case study analysis. Data was collected from a focus group with women participants from each of these eight programs. Six core themes emerged from inductive content analysis of the focus groups. The most frequent participant responses related to the social aspects of the exercise environment. Women in the focus groups valued instructor professionalism and instructors’ technical knowledge, however, it was their awareness and sensitivity that participants appreciated most. This exploratory study is important because it reflects the voices of women talking about what made physical activity programs successful for them. The study raises critical questions that should be examined systematically through large-scale survey research and field-based intervention studies, which in turn should stimulate program development to encourage women in physical activity.