International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Research

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11 pages, 607 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Factors Affecting Mothers’ Adherence to Home Exercise Programs Designed for Their Children with Cerebral Palsy

by Reem M. Alwhaibi, Asma B. Omer and Ruqaiyah Khan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10792; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710792 - 30 Aug 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2984

Abstract

Cerebral palsy is a common motor disorder that results in long-term impairment. The purpose of this study was to find out what factors influence Saudi mothers’ compliance with their Children with Cerebral Palsy (C-CP) Home Exercise Program (HEP). A self-administered online questionnaire [...] Read more.

Cerebral palsy is a common motor disorder that results in long-term impairment. The purpose of this study was to find out what factors influence Saudi mothers’ compliance with their Children with Cerebral Palsy (C-CP) Home Exercise Program (HEP). A self-administered online questionnaire was used to perform this qualitative research study on a group of 113 mothers who had children with CP. The study included mothers with children from birth to 12 years old who had received a HEP prescription from a physiotherapist. The measuring instrument tool was a questionnaire with two sections: demographic characteristics and a questionnaire about the parents’ adherence to the HEP. The questionnaire utilized in this study was subjected to a reliability analysis, and the derived Cronbach’s alpha was found to be 0.814 for the questionnaire (which had 17 phrases). These results imply that the questionnaire is reliable. A total of 113 responses were received, with 4 incomplete responses being eliminated. The majority of mothers (66.1%) did not follow the HEP, according to the findings of this survey. The demographics of the mothers revealed that 20–25-year-old mothers were more adherent than the other age groups. The findings of this study demonstrated that the physical therapist’s treatment of the mother influenced exercise compliance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity and Health in Children)

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15 pages, 561 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Physical Behaviour Intensity Spectrum and Body Mass Index in School-Aged Youth: A Compositional Analysis of Pooled Individual Participant Data

by Stuart J. Fairclough, Liezel Hurter, Dorothea Dumuid, Ales Gába, Alex V. Rowlands, Borja del Pozo Cruz, Ashley Cox, Matteo Crotti, Lawrence Foweather, Lee E. F. Graves, Owen Jones, Deborah A. McCann, Robert J. Noonan, Michael B. Owen, James R. Rudd, Sarah L. Taylor, Richard Tyler and Lynne M. Boddy

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8778; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148778 - 19 Jul 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3864

Abstract

We examined the compositional associations between the intensity spectrum derived from incremental acceleration intensity bands and the body mass index (BMI) z-score in youth, and investigated the estimated differences in BMI z-score following time reallocations between intensity bands. School-aged youth from 63 schools [...] Read more.

We examined the compositional associations between the intensity spectrum derived from incremental acceleration intensity bands and the body mass index (BMI) z-score in youth, and investigated the estimated differences in BMI z-score following time reallocations between intensity bands. School-aged youth from 63 schools wore wrist accelerometers, and data of 1453 participants (57.5% girls) were analysed. Nine acceleration intensity bands (range: 0–50 mg to ≥700 mg) were used to generate time-use compositions. Multivariate regression assessed the associations between intensity band compositions and BMI z-scores. Compositional isotemporal substitution estimated the differences in BMI z-score following time reallocations between intensity bands. The ≥700 mg intensity bandwas strongly and inversely associated with BMI z-score (p < 0.001). The estimated differences in BMI z-score when 5 min were reallocated to and from the ≥700 mg band and reallocated equally among the remaining bands were −0.28 and 0.44, respectively (boys), and −0.39 and 1.06, respectively (girls). The time in the ≥700 mg intensity band was significantly associated with BMI z-score, irrespective of sex. When even modest durations of time in this band were reallocated, the asymmetrical estimated differences in BMI z-score were clinically meaningful. The findings highlight the utility of the full physical activity intensity spectrum over a priori-determined absolute intensity cut-point approaches. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity and Health in Children)

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12 pages, 335 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Stand-Biased Desks on Afterschool Physical Activity Behaviors of Elementary School Children

by Nathan R. Tokarek, Chi C. Cho, Scott J. Strath and Ann M. Swartz

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 7689; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137689 - 23 Jun 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2054

Abstract

The purpose of this secondary analysis was to assess whether students’ use of stand-biased desks during the school day influenced physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviors (SB) during the afterschool period. By using a crossover design consisting of two 9-week intervention periods, 99 [...] Read more.

The purpose of this secondary analysis was to assess whether students’ use of stand-biased desks during the school day influenced physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviors (SB) during the afterschool period. By using a crossover design consisting of two 9-week intervention periods, 99 participants from grades 3, 4, and 6 were randomly assigned by their teacher to either a traditional (Group 1; sit–stand) or stand-biased (Group 2; stand–sit) desk in the classroom. The desk type then switched between intervention periods. Afterschool PA and SB were measured by accelerometry at baseline (fall) and following both intervention periods at post I (winter) and post II (spring). Independent sample t-tests and mixed-effects modeling were applied at a significance value of p < 0.05 to detect differences between groups. No significant differences in afterschool SB, light-intensity PA (LPA), or moderate- to vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA) were found between groups. There were also no significant two- or three-way interaction effects detected between desk assignment, time, and afterschool SB, LPA, or MVPA. Stand-biased desks in the classroom were not detrimental to children’s afterschool PA and SB. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity and Health in Children)

11 pages, 557 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bi-Directionality between Physical Activity within School and Fundamental Movement Skills in School-Aged Students: A Cross-Lagged Study

by Shanshan Han, Bo Li, Shuqiao Meng, Yaxing Li and Wenxia Tong

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 7624; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137624 - 22 Jun 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2348

Abstract

Background: Evidence has indicated the health importance of fundamental movement skills (FMS) and physical activity (PA) in children and their relationships seems bidirectional. However, their bidirectional relationship has not yet been fully answered in the literature. Aim: This study sought to determine bidirectional [...] Read more.

Background: Evidence has indicated the health importance of fundamental movement skills (FMS) and physical activity (PA) in children and their relationships seems bidirectional. However, their bidirectional relationship has not yet been fully answered in the literature. Aim: This study sought to determine bidirectional relationship between FMS and PA in children using cross-lagged study design. Methods: A total of 183 second-level students (8.8 ± 1.1 years old) from three primary schools in Henan Province, China were selected as subjects. The average number of steps per school day was used as the amount of PA in the school environment; the third edition of the test of gross motor development was used for FMS testing. The baseline data (T1) and tracking data (T2) were collected at the beginning and end of the fall semester, respectively. The two tests were separated by 3 months (11 weeks), and a cross-lag model analysis was performed. Based on the hypothetical model, we tested the cross-lag effect of children’s PA and FMS. Results: The model fit index was χ²/df = 2.861 (p < 0.001, n = 183); goodness of fit index GFI = 0.900; NFI = 0.909; CFI = 0.931 and the 95%CI was between 0.071–0.192. The RMSEA = 0.063, and the standardized residual root mean square SRMR = 0.029. The T1 FMS can be used to predict the number of steps in the T2 teaching days with statistical significance (β = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.07–0.38, p = 0.003). However, the T1 steps cannot be used to predict the T2 FMS (β = 0.05, 95% CI: 0.07–0.13, p = 0.475). Further analysis shows that the main contributor to these relationships are ball skills in the FMS. Conclusions: The relationship between children’s fundamental movement skills and PA is not two-way. Students with higher FMS are expected to reach higher levels of PA after undergoing school PA in a teaching cycle. The PA of the students can be improved by improving their motor skills, which further improves their physical and mental health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity and Health in Children)

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18 pages, 1550 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Sit-Stand Tables in Classrooms on Children’s Sedentary Behavior and Teacher’s Acceptance and Feasibility: A Mixed-Methods Study

by Paula Schwenke and Michaela Coenen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(11), 6727; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116727 - 31 May 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2809

Abstract

Children spend over 70% of their school day sitting, most of the time in the classroom. Even when meeting physical activity guidelines but sitting for long uninterrupted periods, children are at risk of poorer health outcomes. With an approach to create an active [...] Read more.

Children spend over 70% of their school day sitting, most of the time in the classroom. Even when meeting physical activity guidelines but sitting for long uninterrupted periods, children are at risk of poorer health outcomes. With an approach to create an active learning environment through the implementation of sit-stand tables, this exploratory mixed-methods study aims to evaluate a holistic concept for reducing sedentary time in schools by implementing sit-stand tables as well as to examine the feasibility and didactic usability in classroom settings. Children from eight German schools aged 7 to 10 in primary schools and 11 to 13 in secondary schools (n = 211), allocated into control and intervention groups, were included in the study, as well as teachers (n = 13). An accelerometer was used as a quantitative measure to assess sitting and standing times and sport motoric tests were taken. Qualitative interviews were performed with teachers regarding feasibility and acceptance of the sit-stand tables. Independent t-test analysis adjusted for age, sex and school type found that sitting times of children in the intervention group could be reduced (by 30.54 min per school day of 6 h, p < 0.001) within all school and age levels. Overall, implementing sit-stand tables in classrooms serves as a feasible and effective opportunity to reduce sedentary behaviour and create an active learning environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity and Health in Children)

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13 pages, 392 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dimensions of Athlete-Coach Relationship and Sport Anxiety as Predictors of the Changes in Psychomotor and Motivational Welfare of Child Athletes after the Implementation of the Psychological Workshops for Coaches

by Dominika Wilczyńska, Tamara Walczak-Kozłowska, David Alarcón, Dominika Zakrzewska and Jose Carlos Jaenes

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3462; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063462 - 15 Mar 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3757

Abstract

(1) Background: Coach workshops based on seven principles (inspiration, explanation, expectation, support, reward, appreciation, growth, and winning) enhance the sport experience of adult athletes. Here, we report effects of such workshops with coaches of child athletes and the predictors of those changes. (2) [...] Read more.

(1) Background: Coach workshops based on seven principles (inspiration, explanation, expectation, support, reward, appreciation, growth, and winning) enhance the sport experience of adult athletes. Here, we report effects of such workshops with coaches of child athletes and the predictors of those changes. (2) Methods: Study participants were 8 coaches of 57 children aged between 9 and 12 years old (girls practicing gymnastics and boys practicing football). Three coaches of 28 children attended three workshops over 12 weeks, while a control group of 5 coaches of 29 children attended no workshops. Measures of motivation, relationships, anxiety, and psychomotor performance were taken on children before and after the intervention. (3) Results: There were significant effects of the workshop on motivation and psychomotor performance. The analysis of the predictors the intervention used in this study might be effective for enhancing psychomotor performance and motivation while considering components of Athlete-Coach relationship and anxiety levels as moderators. (4) Conclusions: The beneficial effects of the workshop are encouraging but need to be investigated with higher numbers of coaches and children from various sport disciplines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity and Health in Children)

10 pages, 490 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reliability Study of the Items of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) Using Kappa Analysis

by Jooyeon Ko and Hyun Kyoon Lim

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(3), 1767; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031767 - 4 Feb 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3192

Abstract

Purpose: We evaluated the interrater and intrarater reliabilities of the Korean version of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (K-AIMS). Methods: For the interrater reliability test, six raters participated in the K-AIMS evaluation using video clips of 70 infants (aged between 0 and 18 [...] Read more.

Purpose: We evaluated the interrater and intrarater reliabilities of the Korean version of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (K-AIMS). Methods: For the interrater reliability test, six raters participated in the K-AIMS evaluation using video clips of 70 infants (aged between 0 and 18 months). One rater participated in an intrarater reliability test. Among 70 infants, 46 were born preterm and 24 were born full term. A total of 58 AIMS items were evaluated for supine, prone, sitting, and standing positions. A reliability analysis was conducted using ICC and Fleiss’ kappa. Results: The highest Fleiss’ kappa was found for the 4–7 months group for sitting (K = 0.701–1.000) and standing (K = 0.721–1.000), while the lowest K was the 3 months or under group for standing (K = 0.153–1.000). We found higher Fleiss’ kappa statistics when all infants were evaluated without grouping for the three positions (K = 0.727–1.000), except standing (K = 0.192–1.000), for the interrater analysis. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate the good reliability for the Korean version of the AIMS for Korean infants (preterm and full term). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity and Health in Children)

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9 pages, 318 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Psychometric Properties of the Chinese-Language Attitude toward Physical Activity Scale: A Confirmatory Study on Chinese Children

by Yanli Zhou, Sensen He, Ke Zhou, Garry Kuan, Ming-Kai Chin, Yee Cheng Kueh, Abdulwali Sabo, Biljana Popeska and J. Larry Durstine

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(17), 9253; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18179253 - 2 Sep 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2231

Abstract

Background: This study examined the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Attitude toward Physical Activity Scale (APAS) using a cross-sectional design. Methods: The sample consisted of 692 primary students in China (boy 52.6%, girl 47.4%). The mean age of the participants [...] Read more.

Background: This study examined the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Attitude toward Physical Activity Scale (APAS) using a cross-sectional design. Methods: The sample consisted of 692 primary students in China (boy 52.6%, girl 47.4%). The mean age of the participants was 9.4 years (SD = 0.92). Psychometric properties of the 57-item APAS was examined using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results: The hypothesized seven factors model was supported by CFA (CFI = 0.912, TLI = 0.901, SRMR = 0.041, RMSEA = 0.029) after 22 items were removed and the inclusion of seven residual covariance for items loaded on the same factor. Cronbach’s alphas of the scales ranged between 0.50 and 0.76. The composite reliability (CR) was between 0.50 and 0.75. All inter-factor correlation coefficient was less than 0.85. Conclusions: Findings provided empirical evidence that the Chinese version of the APAS has adequate psychometric properties for assessing attitudes of primary school children in China toward physical activity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity and Health in Children)

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22 pages, 571 KiB

Open AccessReview

Interventions to Improve Child Physical Activity in the Early Childhood Education and Care Setting: An Umbrella Review

by Melanie Lum, Luke Wolfenden, Jannah Jones, Alice Grady, Hayley Christian, Kathryn Reilly and Sze Lin Yoong

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(4), 1963; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19041963 - 10 Feb 2022

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 6266

Abstract

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) services are a key setting to support improvements in the physical activity of young children. This umbrella review gathered and synthesised systematic review evidence of the effectiveness of interventions in the ECEC setting on the physical activity [...] Read more.

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) services are a key setting to support improvements in the physical activity of young children. This umbrella review gathered and synthesised systematic review evidence of the effectiveness of interventions in the ECEC setting on the physical activity levels of children aged 0–6. We also mapped the current evidence to the existing ECEC sector-specific physical activity practice recommendations. Five electronic databases were searched to identify systematic reviews that evaluated the impact of any ECEC-based interventions on the physical activity levels (e.g., moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, total physical activity) of children aged 0–6. One reviewer extracted data on intervention effectiveness and quality of the reviews, checked by a second reviewer. Ten reviews were included. Overall, the majority of the reviews found interventions delivered in ECEC improved child physical activity. Across reviews, the impact of six intervention strategies were identified, mapped to four (of eight) broad recommendations (i.e., providing opportunity, offering educator training, educators promoting the benefits of physical activity, creating a physical activity-promoting environment). The impact of the majority of recommendations, however, did not have systematic review evidence. Further investigation of the effectiveness of ECEC-based physical activity strategies is required to demonstrate support for the existing recommended practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity and Health in Children)

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Other

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21 pages, 7466 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Correlations between Physical Activity Participation and the Environment in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Using Ecological Frameworks

by Longxi Li and Michelle E. Moosbrugger

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(17), 9080; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18179080 - 28 Aug 2021

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 5157

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) and sports are efficient ways to promote the young generation’s physical and mental health and development. This study expected to demonstrate the complexity of correlates associated with children’s and adolescents’ non-organized PA participation. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic [...] Read more.

Physical activity (PA) and sports are efficient ways to promote the young generation’s physical and mental health and development. This study expected to demonstrate the complexity of correlates associated with children’s and adolescents’ non-organized PA participation. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols (PRISMA), a systematic review and meta-analysis were applied. Seven electronic databases were systematically searched to identify eligible articles based on a series of inclusion and exclusion criteria. The internal validity of the systematic reviews thus identified was evaluated using a validated quality instrument. Calculations were produced in SPSS 27.0 and Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3.3. Thirty-nine eligible studies (N = 324,953) with moderate to high quality were included. No potential publication bias was detected using statistical analyses. The meta-analysis revealed that the overall ecological factors correlated positively with children and adolescents’ PA; the meta-analytic average of the correlations was (′r = 0.32, p < 0.001). Results from subgroup analysis indicated that theory-based influence factors achieved moderate effect with boys (′r = 0.37, p < 0.001) and girls (′r = 0.32, p < 0.001) in PA participation. Interestingly, higher correlations were found between ecological factors and twins’ PA participation (′r = 0.61, p = 0.001). Further, individual (′r = 0.32, p < 0.001), macro-, and chronosystems factors (′r = 0.50, p < 0.001) appeared slightly more influential than microsystems factors (′r = 0.28, p < 0.001) on children and adolescents’ PA participation. Although findings from the included studies covered were to some extent heterogeneous, it is possible to identify consistent correlates of PA in children and adolescents. The results supported that PA is a complex and multi-dimensional behavior, which is determined by numerous biological, psychological, sociocultural, and environmental factors. Future studies that focus on the integration effect of macrosystem and chronosystem environmental factors, and apply longitudinal designs and objective measurements are encouraged to further unfold the complexity of the ecological system and its implications in promoting children and adolescents’ PA participation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity and Health in Children)

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10 pages, 1005 KiB

Open AccessStudy Protocol

Physical Activity Participation and the Environment in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol

by Longxi Li, Michelle E. Moosbrugger and Yang Liu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(12), 6187; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18126187 - 8 Jun 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4480

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) and sports are efficient ways to promote the younger generation’s health and wellbeing. However, evidence is limited due to heterogeneous samples and measurements. This study aims to identify promoting and inhibiting correlates associated with children’s and adolescents’ non-organized PA participation [...] Read more.

Physical activity (PA) and sports are efficient ways to promote the younger generation’s health and wellbeing. However, evidence is limited due to heterogeneous samples and measurements. This study aims to identify promoting and inhibiting correlates associated with children’s and adolescents’ non-organized PA participation and further demonstrate the complexity of PA and ecological factors. A systematic review and meta-analysis will be applied by following the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P). Seven bibliographic databases (PubMed, SPORTDiscus, PsycInfo, MEDLINE Complete, ERIC, Dimensions, and Academic Search Complete) will be systematically searched to identify eligible articles based on a series of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Inclusion criteria are that the study: (a) is not classified as a systematic review with or without meta-analysis; (b) is published in last 20 years; (c) includes children and adolescents; (d) quantitively measures PA; (e) includes review of ecological factors. The internal validity will be evaluated using a validated quality instrument. Calculations will be produced in SPSS 27.0 and Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3.3. This study will provide evidence and address the questions regarding the factors that significantly impact children’s PA participation and limitations regarding the design, sampling, and measurement in currently selected studies. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021244918. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity and Health in Children)

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