Patterns of physical activity and overweight among 7-13-year-old Russian children: a 7-year nationally representative monitoring study

This is a repeated cross-sectional study of overweight and physical activity (PA) and inactivity patterns of successive samples of 7-13-year-old Russian children who were surveyed six times between 1995 and 2002 as part of the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey. This analysis focused on moderate/vigorous (MOD/VIG) PA (e.g., active commuting to school, during school MOD/VIG PA as part of physical education classes, and/or before/after school MOD/VIG PA) and inactivity patterns (e.g, television viewing habits) obtained through parent proxy-reports of 3,507 boys (M age = 10.1 years, SD = 2.0; body mass index = 17.5 kg/m2, SD = 3.0) and 3,273 girls (M age = 10.1 years, SD = 2.0; body mass index = 17.2 kg/m2, SD = 3.0). Time spent in MOD/VIG PA appears to be on the rise, while the proportion of those actively commuting to school is decreasing, especially among girls.     

Creating Personal Meaning through Technology-Supported Science Inquiry Learning across Formal and Informal Settings

In this paper, a novel approach to engaging students in personal inquiry learning is described, whereby they carry out scientific investigations that are personally meaningful and relevant to their everyday lives. The learners are supported by software that guides the inquiry process, extending from the classroom into the school grounds, home, or outdoors. We report on a case study of personal inquiry learning with 28 high school students on the topic of healthy eating. An analysis of how the personal inquiry was enacted in the classroom and at home, based on issues identified from a study of interviews with the students and their teacher, is provided. The outcomes showed that students were alerted to challenges associated with fieldwork and how they responded to the uncertainty and challenge of an open investigation. The study, moreover, raised an unexpected difficulty for researchers of finding the ‘sweet spot’ between scientifically objective but unengaging inquiry topics, and ones that are personally meaningful but potentially embarrassing. Implications for further research are shaped around ways of overcoming this difficulty.     

Using an action learning set (ALS) to support the nurse and allied health professional consultant role

Advanced clinical practice roles are now an integral feature of many healthcare services and have been adopted in a diversity of areas. However, mentoring of these roles is not well documented in the literature and formal mechanisms of support are limited. An action learning set (ALS) was developed to provide support for consultants currently in post. The purpose was to facilitate clinicians in developing and meeting the demands of these posts by providing peer supervision, identifying strategies for leading service developments, providing a focus for problem solving and reflection. The ALS meets bi-monthly and is externally facilitated with the option to attend individual sessions with the facilitator. Participants also completed questionnaires measuring coping skills and stress, which were fed back in the individual sessions, providing opportunity for further opportunities for reflection. Initial evaluation was conducted formally using a structured questionnaire and reflective accounts, and provided evidence of the value of the ALS and an indication of how the criteria for success were being met, with greatest achievement reported in the area of work–life balance. The evaluation demonstrates the ongoing value of this ALS and the effectiveness of this method of supporting senior clinical staff.     

Newman's Objection

This paper is a review of work on Newman's objection to epistemicstructural realism (ESR). In Section 2, a brief statement ofESR is provided. In Section 3, Newman's objection and its recentvariants are outlined. In Section 4, two responses that arguethat the objection can be evaded by abandoning the Ramsey-sentenceapproach to ESR are considered. In Section 5, three responsesthat have been put forward specifically to rescue the Ramsey-sentenceapproach to ESR from the modern versions of the objection arediscussed. Finally, in Section 6, three responses are consideredthat are neutral with respect to one's approach to ESR and allargue (in different ways) that the objection can be evaded byintroducing the notion that some relations/structures are privilegedover others. It is concluded that none of these suggestionsis an adequate response to Newman's objection, which thereforeremains a serious problem for ESRists.

1. Introduction
2. EpistemicStructural Realism

   2.1 Ramsey-sentences and ESR

   2.2WESR andSESR

3. The Objection

   3.1 Newman's version

   3.2 Demopoulosand Friedman'sand Ketland's versions

4. Replies that Abandonthe Ramsey-Sentence Approach to ESR

   4.1Redhead's reply

   4.2French and Ladyman's reply

5. Replies Designed to Rescue theRamsey-Sentence Approach

   5.1Zahar's reply

   5.2 Cruse's reply

   5.3 Melia and Saatsi's reply

6. Replies that Argue thatSome Structures/Relations are Privileged

   6.1 A Carnapian reply

   6.2 Votsis' reply

   6.3 The Merrill/Lewis/Psillosreply

7. Summary

     

Rasch calibration and optimal categorization of an instrument measuring women's exercise perseverance and barriers

The purposes of this study were: (a) to determine the optimal categorization of an instrument measuring women's exercise perseverance and barriers using the Rasch analysis and (b) to examine urban women's exercise perseverance and barriers. A 23-item barrier instrument with five response categories was administered to 479 women from a metropolitan area. The data analysis started from collapsing the original five adjacent categories into three and four categories and 11 sets of original and collapsed data were analyzed using the Rasch rating scale model. The model-data fit, category and separation statistics, and parameter estimates provided by Rasch analyses were used to determine the optimal categorization of the instrument. Instead of the original five-category construct, which had a disordered internal construct, a collapsed three-category construct (i.e., Very Often/Often, Sometimes/Rarely, and Never) was found to have the optimal categorization. The time barrier domain was found to be the most severe barrier domain, but the barrier "lack of self-discipline" was the most severe individual barrier. Rasch calibration provides a new way to construct an instrument with optimal categorization, to describe the nature of barrier items and the respondents' attribute being measured, and to develop a practical and informative scoring sheet.