What spurs curriculum making in physical education? Four narratives of experienced teachers

Anchored in the narrative inquiry tradition, this paper examines commonly held motives about curriculum making from the perspectives of four experienced physical education teachers in Korea. Field texts were collected throughout by employing narrative research tools such as in-depth interviews, focus groups, class observations and documents analyses, and transformed into research texts using broadening, burrowing, and storying and restorying as suggested by Connelly and Clandinin. For experienced physical educators, this paper illuminates what motivates curriculum making as a narrative phenomenon storied and restoried over time. Different stories produced different motives of curriculum making, and a number of issues related to teacher development for curriculum making emerged.     

High Body Mass Index is not a barrier to physical activity: Analysis of international rugby players’ anthropometric data

Abstract

Recent data indicate that levels of overweight and obesity are increasing at an alarming rate throughout the world. At a population level (and commonly to assess individual health risk), the prevalence of overweight and obesity is calculated using cut-offs of the Body Mass Index (BMI) derived from height and weight. Similarly, the BMI is also used to classify individuals and to provide a notional indication of potential health risk.

It is likely that epidemiologic surveys that are reliant on BMI as a measure of adiposity will overestimate the number of individuals in the overweight (and slightly obese) categories. This tendency to misclassify individuals may be more pronounced in athletic populations or groups in which the proportion of more active individuals is higher. This differential is most pronounced in sports where it is advantageous to have a high BMI (but not necessarily high fatness). To illustrate this point we calculated the BMIs of international professional rugby players from the four teams involved in the semi-finals of the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) cut-offs for BMI, approximately 65% of the players were classified as overweight and approximately 25% as obese.

These findings demonstrate that a high BMI is commonplace (and a potentially desirable attribute for sport performance) in professional rugby players. An unanswered question is what proportion of the wider population, classified as overweight (or obese) according to the BMI, is misclassified according to both fatness and health risk? It is evident that being overweight should not be an obstacle to a physically active lifestyle. Similarly, a reliance on BMI alone may misclassify a number of individuals who might otherwise have been automatically considered fat and/or unfit.     

Social influence in relation to current and intended physical activity among adolescents

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine the impact of social support and negative social influence from various contexts on adolescents’ current and intended physical activity. Questionnaire data were obtained from 1156 students aged 16–17 years. Relationships among variables were examined with principal component analysis and structural equation modelling. Social influence from several contexts was strongly related to current and intended physical activity, particularly among students in work preparing school programmes. Social support in a sport club context provided the strongest unique contribution to the relationship with physical activity, and social support from an outside perspective (e.g. suggestions, help to plan, and positive talk about physical activity), from the contexts school and leisure, had multidimensional effects. Social support could exist in tandem with experiences of negative social influences (e.g. complaints, critique, teasing). In conclusion, it is necessary to expand our understanding of processes that surround supportive as well as negative social influences on adolescents’ level of physical activity and distinguish between main, buffering, and intervening effects of social support.     

Recurrent pain and discomfort in relation to fitness and physical activity among young school children

Abstract

As an increase in pain symptoms among children has been shown in the last decades, the aim of this study was to describe perceptions of recurrent pain, measured physical fitness and levels of reported physical activity (PA) in children, and to investigate if any associations between PA, fitness and recurrent pain could be identified. A school-based study comprised 206 Swedish children 8–12 years old, 114 boys, 92 girls. A questionnaire with questions about perceived pain, self-reported PA and lifestyle factors was used. Health-related fitness was assessed by 11 physical tests. A physical index was calculated from these tests as a z score. High physical index indicated high fitness and low physical index indicated low fitness. ANOVA test, chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to compare active and inactive children. The prevalence of one pain location (head, abdomen or back) was 26%, two 11% and three 4% (n=206). Female gender, living in single-parent families, low PA and low subjective health were associated with reported recurrent pain. Children reporting high levels of PA had high physical index and reported low prevalence of pain symptoms. The physical index and level of self-reported PA decreased gradually the more pain locations. Physically active children had higher fitness levels and reported less pain symptoms than inactive peers. Coping with pain is an integral part of PA, and active children learn to cope with unpleasant body sensations which together with high fitness may reduce the perception of pain.     

Effects of a resistance-training programme on endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response and mitochondrial functions in PBMCs from elderly subjects

Abstract

Aging has been related with a decline in the ability to handle protein folding, which leads to endoplasmic reticulum stress and alterations in unfolded protein response (UPR). Importantly, physical activity could activate the UPR and attenuate or prevent age-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) dysfunction. The current study evaluated the effects of a resistance exercise on UPR and mitochondrial functions in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from elderly subjects. Thirty healthy women and men (age, 72.8, s_x??=?2.2 years) were randomized to a training group, which performed an 8-week resistance training programme, or a control group, which followed their daily routines. The phosphorylation of PERK and IRE1, as well as ATF4, and XBP1 protein expression, significantly increased following the training, while expression of BiP, AFT6 and CHOP remain without changes. Additionally, the intervention also induced an increase in PGC-1α and Mfn1 protein levels, while no changes were found in Drp1 expression. Finally, the resistance protocol was not able to activate PINK1/Parkin and Bnip3/Nix pathways. The results obtained seem to indicate that 8-week resistance exercise activates the UPR, stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis, maintains mitochondrial dynamics and prevents mitophagy activation by unfolded proteins in PBMCs from elderly subjects.     

Characterization of aerobically fit individuals with cardiovascular disease

Abstract

With an ageing population there is an increased prevalence of individuals living with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Characteristics of older aerobically fit individuals with previously diagnosed CVD have not been studied. Therefore, our knowledge is limited as to how, or if, aerobically fit individuals with CVD attempt to adapt their physical activity and the intensity of their training programmes. The objective of this paper is to characterise the physical activity habits and behaviours of older aerobically fit individuals with CVD. We identified 28 aerobically fit patients with CVD from those who completed a minimum of 15 and 12 min of the Bruce treadmill protocol for men and women, respectively. Consenting participants responded to questionnaires regarding physical activity levels, competitive event participation and self-monitoring since diagnosis of heart disease. Average age and treadmill time of participants were 56 and 49 years and 15.6 and 13.0 min for males and females, respectively. Data were obtained regarding recent medical history (medical diagnoses, surgeries/procedures). Despite the majority of individuals participating in the same or more activity since their diagnosis, 25% indicated that their condition limited their activity and 39% reported having symptoms during activity. Nearly all participants (93%) indicated that they monitored their heart rate during exercise. However, only 14% of participants stated that their physician advised them on how to exercise safely. It is necessary for physicians and cardiac rehabilitation programmes to be involved in safe and effective exercise programming to allow individuals to return to sport after CVD.     

Reliability and validity of the German language version of Girls' Disinclination for Physical Activity Scale

Abstract

The high prevalence of insufficient physical activity (PA) among adolescents is an important public health issue. Studying reasons for disliking PA might help researchers better understand its underlying mechanisms, yet this psychological construct has been understudied. This study established the psychometric properties of the German language version of the Girls' Disinclination for Physical Activity Scale (G-DAS-Ger). Data were collected on a sample of 257 adolescent girls in Austria (mean age: 13.0 ± 0.7 years) using the G-DAS-Ger and the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale. One week after the first assessment, the questionnaires were re-administered to 78 girls. Between two administrations, PA of 215 girls was monitored for seven consecutive days using the ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometers. Confirmatory factor analysis of G-DAS-Ger showed good fit for a three-factor model (χ²/df = 2.025; Bollen–Stine (B-S) p = 0.159; root mean square error of approximation = 0.063; standardised root mean square residual = 0.054; comparative fit index = 0.950). Cronbach's alphas for G-DAS-Ger factors/subscales ranged 0.64–0.76. The test–retest reliability assessed by Spearman's rank correlation ranged 0.62–0.75. Only one subscale correlated significantly with vigorous-intensity PA (Spearman's rho = ?0.16) and none with moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA, which indicated poor predictive validity of the G-DAS-Ger. Correlations between G-DAS-Ger subscales and enjoyment of PA ranged from ?0.29 to ?0.41, indicating satisfactory convergent validity. The G-DAS-Ger may be used in its present form to assess disinclination for PA among adolescent girls in German-speaking countries. However, our results put into question the stability of the originally proposed factor structure of the questionnaire and its predictive validity among German-speaking adolescent girls. Methodological refinements to the G-DAS-Ger may be required to improve its psychometric properties in this population.     

Does current behaviour predict the course of children's physical fitness?

Abstract

The secular trend of reduced physical fitness (PF) leads to increased health risks. The aim of the present paper is to analyse various current factors that affect health behaviour with respect to the course of PF over 2 years. A path analysis combined with a latent growth curve analysis was based on a study that was conducted between June 2008 and June 2010 with 145 primary German school children (52.1% male, average age at baseline 7.95 years ± 0.95). PF was tested with the German Motor Test 6–18. For the mean PF and the course of PF, direct and indirect influences were shown over three levels, including migration background on the first level and physical activity (PA) on the second level. Body mass index (BMI) impacted the mean PF but not the course of PF. The influence of sedentary behaviour on the mean PF was diminished (compared to bivariate analysis) due to its common variance mainly with BMI. PA affected not only current PF in children but also the course of PF (a_intercept = .28, P = .001; a_slope = .27, P = .21). Consequently, preventive measures should focus on early adoption and maintenance of PA.     

Correlates of physical activity in youth: a review of quantitative systematic reviews

To increase young people's physical activity (PA) levels it is important to understand the correlates of PA in children and adolescents. We sought to identify factors associated with children's and adolescents’ PA by reviewing systematic quantitative reviews of non-intervention research. Systematic reviews examining associations between quantitatively measured variables and PA in young people (< 19 years) from 2000–2010 were identified using electronic and manual searches. Nine systematic reviews were identified. Demographic/biological correlates of PA were age and gender. Psychological correlates of PA were positive motivation, positive body image and the existence of barriers to PA. Behavioural correlates of PA were previous PA, sport participation, smoking, and sedentary behaviour. Social/cultural correlates of PA were parental influence and social support, and environmental correlates of PA were access to facilities, distance from home to school, time spent outside, and local crime. The evidence is suggestive of a number of different types of correlates of PA for children and adolescents. Beyond age and gender, though, most are likely to have only small or small-to-moderate effects in isolation and may work best in interaction with other influences. Psychologists must look to social, organisational and community-level correlates in addition to individual correlates.     

河南省在校大学生对体育课程结构需求的探析

本文采用了文献资料法、问卷调查法、访谈法等,对河南省普通高校在校生的体育课教材、教学内容及授课模式诸多方面进行了全面、客观的调查研究,分析了在校学生对体育课程具体需求,为构建河南省普通高校体育课程内容的先进性、合理性提供了有效的理论支撑,为河南省高校体育教学改革提供依据。