Psychosocial correlates of cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength in overweight and obese post-menopausal women: a MONET study

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychosocial correlates of cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak) and muscle strength in overweight and obese sedentary post-menopausal women. The study population consisted of 137 non-diabetic, sedentary overweight and obese post-menopausal women (mean age 57.7 years, s = 4.8; body mass index 32.4 kg.m(-2), s = 4.6). At baseline we measured: (1) body composition using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; (2) visceral fat using computed tomography; (3) insulin sensitivity using the hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamp; (4) cardiorespiratory fitness; (5) muscle strength using the leg press exercise; and (6) psychosocial profile (quality of life, perceived stress, self-esteem, body-esteem, and perceived risk for developing chronic diseases) using validated questionnaires. Both VO2peak and muscle strength were significantly correlated with quality of life (r = 0.29, P < 0.01 and r = 0.30, P < 0.01, respectively), and quality of life subscales for: physical functioning (r = 0.28, P < 0.01 and r = 0.22, P < 0.05, respectively), pain (r = 0.18, P < 0.05 and r = 0.23, P < 0.05, respectively), role functioning (r = 0.20, P < 0.05 and r = 0.24, P < 0.05, respectively), and perceived risks (r = -0.24, P < 0.01 and r = -0.30, P < 0.01, respectively). In addition, VO2peak was significantly associated with positive health perceptions, greater body esteem, and less time watching television/video. Stepwise regression analysis showed that quality of life for health perceptions and for role functioning were independent predictors of VO2peak and muscle strength, respectively. In conclusion, higher VO2peak and muscle strength are associated with a favourable psychosocial profile, and the psychosocial correlates of VO2peak were different from those of muscle strength. Furthermore, psychosocial factors could be predictors of VO2peak and muscle strength in our cohort of overweight and obese sedentary post-menopausal women.     

Physical activity levels,game performance and friendship goals using two different pedagogical models: Sport Education and Direct Instruction

Background: Advances in technology have changed children’s lifestyle so much that the majority of them do not meet the recommended 60 min of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. Compulsory Physical Education has been highlighted as an ideal context to achieve the suggested physical activity (PA) goals, since it could be the only place where some students become truly physically active. In those classes, the teacher selects a pedagogical approach and this selection could be vital to meet the advised PA levels.

Purpose: The goal was to assess the effects of two instructional approaches, Sport Education Model (SEM) and Direct Instruction (DI) in Primary Education students’ physical activity intensity levels, game performance, and friendship goals.

Method: A total of 88 students with an average age of 11.16?±?0.63 years, enrolled in two year-5 (from 10 to11 years) and two year-6 (from 11 to 12 years) Physical Education classes of the same school agreed to participate. The number of participants in the SEM was 47 and in DI was 41. The schools’ administration distributed one class of each grade to the experimental group, which experienced SEM, and to the non-equivalent group, which experienced DI. The content selected for both study groups was the same: Handball. Both study groups experienced a 15-session learning unit (45 min per class, three sessions per week). The goal was to conduct the experiment in a non-manipulated (intact) educational context. It followed a pre-test, post-test, experimental, non-equivalent group design. Participants wore Actigraph GT3X accelerometers in order to monitor physical activity levels, answered questionnaires to assess friendship goals, and their game performance was assessed using the Game Performance Assessment instrument (GPAI).

Results: Results showed that students who experienced the SEM had significantly higher light and moderate physical activity levels, friendship-approach and friendship-avoidance goals, while the ones who experienced DI had significantly higher sedentary physical activity levels. The GPAI scores showed significant gains in students’ game performance in both study groups, but these were larger in the SEM one.

Conclusions: The SEM could be considered more effective than DI to improve Primary Education students’ PA levels, game performance and friendship goals.     

Can an early perceptuo-motor skills assessment predict future performance in youth table tennis players? An observational study (1998–2013)

This study intended to investigate the capability of the 4 test items “sprint”, “agility”, “speed while dribbling” and “throwing a ball” of the Dutch perceptuo-motor skills assessment used at the age of 7–10 years to predict table tennis performance (U13, U15 and U18) in an observational study. Data of 1191 young table tennis players, collected from 1998 to 2013, were analysed in univariable and multivariable logistic and linear regression models. The test items “sprint” and “throwing a ball” showed to be significant predictors for table tennis performance outcomes in boys (P < 0.05). For girls, besides these test items also “speed while dribbling” had a significant contribution (P < 0.05). Since the accuracies of the models were low, it is advised to include other determinants to enhance the predictive value of a model for table tennis performance. Nevertheless, it can be concluded that a perceptuo-motor skills assessment might improve the effectiveness of talent programmes in table tennis as an additional method to objectively estimate a youth players’ potential. Future research focusing on the inclusion of test items specifically assessing eye hand coordination and other domains, for example, the psychological and the environmental domain, related to table tennis performance are recommended.     

Effects of aerobic and cognitively-engaging physical activity on academic skills: A cluster randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT

This cluster randomized controlled trial (trial-number #) compares effects of two school-based physical activity interventions (aerobic vs. cognitively-engaging) on reading, mathematics, and spelling achievement; and whether effects are influenced by volume of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and baseline achievement. Twenty-two primary schools participated, where a third and fourth grade class were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. Intervention groups were randomly assigned to a 14-week aerobic or cognitively-engaging intervention, receiving four physical education lessons a week. Control groups followed their regular physical education program. Academic achievement of 891 children (mean age 9.17 years, 49.4% boys) was assessed with standardized tests before and after the interventions. Post-Test academic achievement did not significantly differ between intervention groups and control group. A higher volume of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity resulted in better post-test mathematics achievement in both intervention groups, and post-test spelling achievement in the cognitively engaging intervention group. Compared to the control group, lower achievers in reading performed better in reading after the cognitively-engaging intervention. A combination of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and cognitively-engaging exercises seems to have the most beneficial effects. Future intervention studies should take into account quantitative and qualitative aspects of physical activity, and children’s baseline academic achievement.     

Associations of total sedentary time,screen time and non-screen sedentary time with adiposity and physical fitness in youth: the mediating effect of physical activity

The aims of the present study were: i) to examine the associations of total accelerometer-based sedentary time (ST) and specific-domain self-reported ST (i.e., screen-based, educational-based, social-based, and other-based ST) with adiposity and physical fitness in youth; and ii) to analyse the mediation effect of physical activity (PA) on associations.

This study was conducted with 415 children (9.1 ± 0.4 years) and 853 adolescents (13.6 ± 1.6 years) in Spain during 2011–2012. Total ST and PA were assessed by accelerometry. Leisure-time spent in twelve sedentary behaviours was self-reported. Adiposity and physical fitness was measured following the ALPHA battery for youth.

Total accelerometer-based ST was positively associated with global adiposity score in children, and negatively associated with global physical fitness score in children and adolescents; but relationships were not independent of PA. PA mediated all associations of accelerometer-based and self-reported ST with adiposity or physical fitness in children. Conversely, screen-, educational-, social-, and other-based ST were negatively related to physical fitness in adolescents, independently of PA.

These findings give an impetus to developing effective strategies for specifically promoting PA in children and for increasing PA while reducing ST in adolescents in order to produce improvements on adiposity and physical fitness.     

Effects of aerobic exercise and cognitively engaging exercise on cardiorespiratory fitness and motor skills in primary school children: A cluster randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT

This paper examined effects of two interventions on cardiorespiratory fitness and motor skills, and whether these effects are influenced by baseline levels, and dose of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during the intervention. A cluster randomized controlled trial was implemented in 22 schools (n = 891; 9.2 ± 07 years). Intervention groups received aerobic or cognitively engaging exercise (14-weeks, four lessons per week). Control groups followed their regular physical education programme. Cardiorespiratory fitness, motor skills and MVPA were assessed. Multilevel analysis showed no main effects on cardiorespiratory fitness and motor skills although the amount of MVPA was higher in the aerobic than in the cognitively engaging and control group. Intervention effects did not depend on baseline cardiorespiratory fitness and motor skills. Children with a higher dose of MVPA within the intervention groups had better cardiorespiratory fitness after both interventions and better motor skills after the cognitively engaging intervention. In conclusion, the interventions were not effective to enhance cardiorespiratory fitness and motor skills at a group level, possibly due to large individual differences and to a total dose of MVPA too low to find effects. However, the amount of MVPA is an important factor that influence the effectiveness of interventions.     

Correction to: Mechanisms mediating the relation between reading self-concept and reading comprehension

European Journal of Psychology of Education - The article Mechanisms mediating the relation between reading self-concept and reading comprehension, written by Franziska Maria Locher, Sarah Becker,...     

EVALUATING STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDING OF KINETIC PARTICLE THEORY CONCEPTS RELATING TO THE STATES OF MATTER, CHANGES OF STATE AND DIFFUSION: A CROSS-NATIONAL STUDY

This paper reports on the understanding of three key conceptual categories relating to the kinetic particle theory: (1) intermolecular spacing in solids, liquids and gases, (2) changes of state and intermolecular forces and (3) diffusion in liquids and gases, amongst 148 high school students from Brunei, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore using 11 multiple-choice items that required students to provide explanations for their selection of particular responses to the items. Students’ responses to the items revealed limited understanding of the particle theory concepts, with nine alternative conceptions held by more than 10% of various samples of students. Also, 40.5–78.4% of all students indicated consistent understanding relating to the three conceptual categories based on their responses to the 11 items. However, when their explanations were taken into account, very few students displayed consistent understanding of the related concepts.     

Verträge an Universitäten und deren Besonderheiten

Die Universität benötigt zur Umsetzung ihrer hoheitlichen und privatwirtschaftlichen Aufgaben und Ziele eine Vielzahl vertraglicher Vereinbarungen. In diesem Beitrag werden beispielhaft gewählte Vereinbarungen und einige wesentliche vertragliche Regelungen im Folgenden dargestellt und sollen als Praxisanregung bei der Vertragsgestaltung mit der Universität dienen.