Organized Sport Participation Is Associated with Higher Levels of Overall Health-Related Physical Activity in Children (CHAMPS Study-DK)

Introduction

Many children fail to meet international guideline recommendations for health-related activity (≥60 minutes/day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [MVPA]), and intervention studies to date have reported negligible effects.

Objective

Explore the associations of organized leisure-time sport participation with overall physical activity levels and health-related physical activity guideline concordance.

Methods

This prospective cohort study was nested in the Childhood Health, Activity, and Motor Performance School Study Denmark. Study participants were a representative sample of 1124 primary school students. Organized leisure-time sport participation was reported via text messaging and physical activity was objectively measured over seven days with accelerometry. Associations between sport participation and physical activity level were explored with multilevel mixed-effects regression models and reported with beta coefficients (b) and adjusted odds ratios (aOR).

Results

Participants were 53% female, with mean(SD) age = 8.4(1.4) years. Boys were more active than girls (p<0.001), and physical activity levels and guideline concordance decreased with age (p<0.001). Soccer participation at any frequency was associated with greater overall MVPA (b[95% CI] = 0.66[0.20,1.13] to 2.44[1.44,3.44]). Depending on participation frequency, this equates to 5–20 minutes more MVPA on the average day and 3 to 15 fold increased odds of achieving recommended levels of health-related physical activity (aOR[95%CI] = 3.04[1.49,6.19] to 14.49[1.97,106.56]). Similar associations were identified among children playing handball at least twice per week. Relationships with other sports (gymnastics, basketball, volleyball) were inconsistent.

Conclusions

Many children, particularly girls and those in higher grade levels do not adhere to health-related physical activity recommendations. Organized leisure-time sport participation may be a viable strategy to increase overall health-related physical activity levels and international guideline concordance in children.     

Beyond the playing field: Experiences of sport,social capital,and integration among Somalis in Australia

This paper explores the role of recreational sport as a means and marker of social integration by analysing the lived experiences of Somali people from refugee backgrounds with sport. Drawing on a three-year multi-sided ethnography, the paper examines the extent to and ways in which participation in sport contributes to Somali Australians' bonding, bridging, and linking social capital. It is shown how social bonds and bridges developed in the sports context assist in the (re)building of community networks that have been eroded by war and displacement. Sport's contribution to social capital should however be neither overstated nor over-generalized. Bridging social capital in sport is relatively weak and few bridges are established between Somalis and the host community. Negative social encounters such as discrimination and aggression can highlight and reinforce group boundaries. Access to and use of linking social capital is also unequally distributed across gender, age, ethnic, and socio-economic lines.     

A different contender? Barack Obama,the 2008 presidential campaign and the racial politics of sport

Abstract

This paper explores popular representations of Barack Obama's relationship to sport during the 2008 US presidential campaign. It delineates how white normativity framed the candidate's passion for basketball and his participation in a highly publicized bowling game. We argue that Obama's athletic activities became key vehicles for reading his body and by extension his identity and his politics. The question that could only be asked in a white supremacist context – is Obama too black or not black enough to be President? – mirrored long-standing tensions in America's affective relation to black male athletes. Representations of Obama bowling further illuminate the complicated ways in which whiteness operates. The essay concludes with a brief discussion suggesting the importance of analyses of sport for ethnic and racial studies.     

Physical work causes suppression of ovarian function in women.

The suppression of reproductive function is known to occur in women engaging in activities that require high energetic expenses, such as sport participation and subsistence work. It is still unclear, however, if reproductive suppression is a response to high levels of energy expenditure, or only to the resulting state of negative energy balance. To our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence that work-related energy expenditure alone, without associated negative energy balance, can lead to the suppression of reproductive function in women. We document suppression of ovarian function expressed as lowered salivary progesterone levels in women from an agricultural community who work hard, but remain in neutral energy balance. We propose two alternative evolutionary explanations (the ''pre-emptive ovarian suppression'' hypothesis and the ''constrained down-regulation'' hypothesis) for the observed results.     

Hip and knee joint kinematics during a diagonal jump landing in anterior cruciate ligament reconstructed females

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is a common injury encountered by sport medicine clinicians. Surgical reconstruction is the recommended treatment of choice for those athletes wishing to return to full-contact sports participation and for sports requiring multi-directional movement patterns. The aim of ACL reconstruction is to restore knee joint mechanical stability such that the athlete can return to sporting participation. However, knowledge regarding the extent to which lower limb kinematic profiles are restored following ACL reconstruction is limited. In the present study the hip and knee joint kinematic profiles of 13 ACL reconstructed (ACL-R) and 16 non-injured control subjects were investigated during the performance of a diagonal jump landing task. The ACL-R group exhibited significantly less peak knee joint flexion (P=0.01). Significant between group differences were noted for time averaged hip joint sagittal plane (P<0.05) and transverse plane (P<0.05) kinematic profiles, as well as knee joint frontal plane (P<0.05) and sagittal plane (P<0.05) kinematic profiles. These results suggest that aberrant hip and knee joint kinematic profiles are present following ACL reconstruction, which could influence future injury risk.     

Sport activity and eating habits of people who were attending special obesity treatment programme

The aims of the study were to analyse the sport activity and eating habits of obese people in their childhood and adulthood. The research was underpinned by a survey questionnaire containing 37 variables which was completed by 71 people attending the obesity programme. The frequencies and contingency tables were calculated, whereas statistical significance was established at a 5% significance level. The analysis of the results showed that more than one-half of the survey respondents joined the obesity programme primarily for reasons of health and well-being. Most obese people did not engage in any organised sport activity in their childhood, nor did most of their parents. The respondents practiced sport in their childhood to a greater extent if their parents were also physically active and if they guided and encouraged their children. No less than one-third of the respondents were overweight in their childhood, of whom two-thirds did not participate in any organised sport activity. The majority of the respondents (85.9%) are currently engaged in an organised sport activity in their adulthood, mainly due to their participation in the weight reduction programme; most of them practice sport twice a week. Their eating habits are encouraging; the share of skipped meals is considerably lower and practically negligible compared to that in childhood. It has to be emphasized that most of them are of opinion that obese people have difficulties finding expert information on obesity, nutrition and sport activities as well as weight management centers and institutions.     

Sport Engagement by Accelerometry under Field Conditions in German Adolescents: Results from GINIPlus

Introduction

Sporting activities differ in their ability to promote moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). To assess adolescents’ engagement in sport under field conditions we used accelerometers to measure their MVPA levels during sport. We pay special attention to differences between team and individual sport and between common sports.

Methods

Diary data and 7-day accelerometry from 1054 Germans ages 15–17 were combined to measure physical activity. 1373 diaried episodes of more than 40 common sports were identified from 626 participants and grouped into team and individual sport. We modeled the effect of team and individual sport, and described levels of MVPA and episodes of no MVPA for all recorded sports.

Results

German boys and girls averaged 43 (SD 21) and 37 (SD 24) minutes MVPA per day. Boys got 2.2 times as much MVPA per minute during team compared to individual sport (p<0.0001) but there was no significant difference for girls. Percent of time spent in MVPA during sport ranged from 6% for weight training to 74% for jogging, with individual sports averaging 10–30% and team sports 30–50%. 11% of sport episodes had no MVPA: half of episodes of cycling, 5% of jogging, and none for tennis or badminton. An episode of individual sport was 17 times more likely to have no MVPA than an episode of team sport (p<0.0001).

Conclusion

Under field condition, adolescents were active for only a fraction of diaried sporting time. As measured by accelerometry, individual sport often produced no MVPA. Characteristics of the sport, such as team vs. individual, were more predictive of MVPA than were characteristics of the participant, such as background activity levels.     

Gender and performance in athletics

Abstract

A comparison of women's and men's performance in swimming, running, and skating is made based on available world record data. The ratio of women's to men's record times is analyzed as a time series, and the asymptotic value of this ratio is discussed in the context of a model. “Rate of improvement curves” are defined over time and by event in a given sport and are compared across gender. The relationship of record time to event distance is estimated and also analyzed across event and gender boundaries. We make three conclusions: 1. The rate of improvement for women has been extraordinary and is larger for longer distance vents. 2. Law‐like relations emerge for record times and event lengths. These relations have interesting physical interpretations when examined for various sports. 3. The male physiology is more suited to anaerobic strength events while, given increased access and participation, women can be expected to be more on a par with men in some long‐distance aerobic events.     

Neuromuscular training techniques to target deficits before return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Surgical intervention and early-phase rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction have undergone a relatively rapid and global evolution over the past 25 years. Despite the advances that have significantly improved outcomes, decreases in healthcare coverage (limited visits allowed for physical therapy) have increased the role of the strength and conditioning specialist in the rehabilitation of athletes returning to sport after ACL reconstruction. In addition, there is an absence of standardized, objective criteria to accurately assess an athlete's ability to progress through the end stages of rehabilitation and safely return to sport. The purpose of this Scientific Commentary is to present an example of a progressive, end-stage return to sport protocol that is targeted to measured deficits of neuromuscular control, strength, power, and functional symmetry that are rehabilitative landmarks after ACL reconstruction. The proposed return to sport training protocol incorporates quantitative measurement tools that will provide the athlete with objective feedback and targeted goal setting. Objective feedback and targeted goal setting may aid the strength and conditioning specialist with exercise selection and progression. In addition, a rationale for exercise selection is outlined to provide the strength and conditioning specialist with a flexible decision-making approach that will aid in the modification of return to sport training to meet the individual athlete's abilities and to target objectively measured deficits. This algorithmic approach may improve the potential for athletes to return to sport after ACL reconstruction at the optimal performance level and with minimized risk of reinjury.     

Maori Sport and Cultural Identity in Australia

Sport is an important aspect of cultural identity for New Zealand Maori migrants living in Australia. Maori sporting endeavours, especially at festivals such as the Taki Toa Tournament in New South Wales, often reveal distinctive Maori features of cultural performance, in the rituals prior to a game, in the spirited manner with which a game is played, and in the whânau (large/extended family) spirit of belonging and celebration that is encouraged after a game. However, notwithstanding the occasional Maori tournament or festival, Maori sporting participation in Australia is not restricted to an ‘ethnic ghetto’. Widespread Maori involvement in sport has provided an important avenue for Maori migrants to mix socially with Aboriginal and other Australians in their local communities, and to gain acceptance, respect and, in some cases, economic advancement. Many first‐generation Maori migrants display a keen sense of a New Zealand rather than an Australian identity when it comes to trans‐Tasman international sport. Transnational links are also important for Australian Maori who visit New Zealand with sporting teams and stay on various marae (tribal meeting places). The experience of ‘Maori culture’ and hospitality offered by their New Zealand kinsfolk may have a significant influence upon the sporting visitors' subsequent development of Maori cultural identity.     

Family Structure as a Correlate of Organized Sport Participation among Youth

Organized sport is one way that youth participate in physical activity. There are disparities in organized sport participation by family-related factors. The purpose of this study was to determine whether non-traditional family structure and physical custody arrangements are associated with organized sport participation in youth, and if so whether this relationship is mediated by socioeconomic status. Data were from the 2009–10 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey, a nationally representative cross-section of Canadian youth in grades 6–10 (N = 21,201). Information on family structure was derived from three survey items that asked participants the number of adults they lived with, their relationship to these adults, and if applicable, how often they visited another parent outside their home. Participants were asked whether or not they were currently involved in an organized sport. Logistic regression was used to compare the odds of organized sport participation according to family structure. Bootstrap-based mediation analysis was used to assess mediation by perceived family wealth. The results indicated that by comparison to traditional families, boys and girls from reconstituted families with irregular visitation of a second parent, reconstituted families with regular visitation of a second parent, single-parent families with irregular visitation of a second parent, and single-parent families with regular visitation of a second parent were less likely to participate in organized sport than those from traditional families, with odds ratios ranging from 0.48 (95% confidence interval: 0.38–0.61) to 0.78 (95% confidence interval: 0.56–1.08). The relationship between family structure and organized sport was significantly mediated by perceived family wealth, although the magnitude of the mediation was modest (ie, <20% change in effect estimate). In conclusion, youth living in both single-parent and reconstituted families experienced significant disparities in organized sport participation that was partially mediated by perceived family wealth.     

Participation in Complex and Social Everyday Activities Six Years after Stroke: Predictors for Return to Pre-Stroke Level

Background

Long-term disability following stroke can lead to participation restrictions in complex and social everyday activities, yet information is lacking on to what extent stroke survivors return to their pre-stroke levels of participation.

Objectives

The objectives of this study were to investigate the level of participation in complex and social everyday activities 6 years after stroke, to compare this with pre-stroke participation and to identify predictors of returning to pre-stroke levels of participation.

Method

All patients admitted to Karolinska University Hospital''s stroke units during a 1-year period were eligible to participate and 349 patients were recruited. Assessments were made at base-line, 3 months and 6 years using self-reported outcome measures. Participation was assessed using the Frenchay Activities Index (FAI). The 6-year score for each participant was compared to the pre-stroke score, both for the total score and for each domain (domestic chores, leisure/work and outdoor activities). Predictors of having the same or better level of participation at 6 years were identified using logistic regression.

Results

At 6 years, 121 participants were followed up, 166 were deceased, 44 declined to take part and 18 could not be traced. At 6 years 84% could be described as active (FAI≥15). The same level of participation or better than pre-stroke was found in 35% of participants, in 65% the level was lower. Similar predictors were identified for achieving the same or better level of participation at 6 years for FAI total and the three domains; ability to walk without aids and a lower age at stroke onset, and perceived mobility, participation and recovery at 3 months.

Conclusion

Six years after stroke, 35% of participants had the same or better level of participation as pre-stroke. Rehabilitation after stroke to improve walking ability and participation might improve long-term participation in complex and social everyday activities.     

Interrelation of Sport Participation,Physical Activity,Social Capital and Mental Health in Disadvantaged Communities: A SEM-Analysis

Background

The Health through Sport conceptual model links sport participation with physical, social and psychological outcomes and stresses the need for more understanding between these outcomes. The present study aims to uncover how sport participation, physical activity, social capital and mental health are interrelated by examining these outcomes in one model.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in nine disadvantaged communities in Antwerp (Belgium). Two hundred adults (aged 18–56) per community were randomly selected and visited at home to fill out a questionnaire on socio-demographics, sport participation, physical activity, social capital and mental health. A sample of 414 adults participated in the study.

Results

Structural Equation Modeling analysis showed that sport participation (β = .095) and not total physical activity (β = .027) was associated with better mental health. No association was found between sport participation and community social capital (β = .009) or individual social capital (β = .045). Furthermore, only community social capital was linked with physical activity (β = .114), individual social capital was not (β = -.013). In contrast, only individual social capital was directly associated with mental health (β = .152), community social capital was not (β = .070).

Conclusion

This study emphasizes the importance of sport participation and individual social capital to improve mental health in disadvantaged communities. It further gives a unique insight into the functionalities of how sport participation, physical activity, social capital and mental health are interrelated. Implications for policy are that cross-sector initiatives between the sport, social and health sector need to be supported as their outcomes are directly linked to one another.     

The hockey-stick method to estimate evening dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) in humans

The onset of melatonin secretion in the evening is the most reliable and most widely used index of circadian timing in humans. Saliva (or plasma) is usually sampled every 0.5–1 hours under dim-light conditions in the evening 5–6 hours before usual bedtime to assess the dim-light melatonin onset (DLMO). For many years, attempts have been made to find a reliable objective determination of melatonin onset time either by fixed or dynamic threshold approaches. The here-developed hockey-stick algorithm, used as an interactive computer-based approach, fits the evening melatonin profile by a piecewise linear-parabolic function represented as a straight line switching to the branch of a parabola. The switch point is considered to reliably estimate melatonin rise time. We applied the hockey-stick method to 109 half-hourly melatonin profiles to assess the DLMOs and compared these estimates to visual ratings from three experts in the field. The DLMOs of 103 profiles were considered to be clearly quantifiable. The hockey-stick DLMO estimates were on average 4 minutes earlier than the experts' estimates, with a range of ?27 to +13 minutes; in 47% of the cases the difference fell within ±5 minutes, in 98% within ?20 to +13 minutes. The raters' and hockey-stick estimates showed poor accordance with DLMOs defined by threshold methods. Thus, the hockey-stick algorithm is a reliable objective method to estimate melatonin rise time, which does not depend on a threshold value and is free from errors arising from differences in subjective circadian phase estimates. The method is available as a computerized program that can be easily used in research settings and clinical practice either for salivary or plasma melatonin values.     

The Relationship between Regular Sports Participation and Vigilance in Male and Female Adolescents

The present study investigated the relationship between regular sport participation (soccer) and vigilance performance. Two groups of male and female adolescents differentiated in terms of their sport participation (athletes, n = 39, and non-athletes, n = 36) took part in the study. In one session, participants performed the Leger Multi-stage fitness test to estimate their aerobic fitness level. In the other session, participants completed the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) to evaluate their vigilance performance. Perceived arousal prior to the task and motivation toward the task were also measured in the PVT session. The results revealed that athletes had better cardiovascular fitness and showed better performance in the PVT. However, correlation analyses did not show any significant relationship between cardiovascular fitness and performance in the PVT. Athletes showed larger scores in motivation and perceived arousal measures with respect to non-athletes, although, once again, these variables were not correlated with PVT performance. Gender differences were observed only in the Leger test, with males showing greater fitness level than females. The major outcome of this research points to a positive relationship between regular sport participation and vigilance during adolescence. This relationship did not seem to be influenced by gender, perceived arousal, motivation toward the task or cardiovascular fitness. We discuss our results in terms of the different hypotheses put forward in the literature to explain the relationship between physical activity and cognitive functioning.     

Can morbidity associated with untreated asthma in primary school children be reduced?: a controlled intervention study.

OBJECTIVE--To determine whether an intervention programme based on existing school and community resources can reduce school absence and improve participation in games lessons and sport in children with unrecognised or undertreated asthma. DESIGN--Parallel group controlled intervention study. SETTING--102 primary schools in Nottingham: 49 were randomised to receive the intervention and 53 to be control schools. SUBJECTS--All children aged 5 to 10 years with parent reported absence from school because of wheezing in the previous year and taking no treatment or beta agonists only. INTERVENTIONS--Children with asthma were referred to their general practitioner for assessment of symptoms and treatment. Teachers were given education on asthma by the school nurse in 44 of the 49 intervention schools. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Changes in school absence and missed games and swimming lessons because of wheezing, and schools'' policy towards management of asthma in school. RESULTS--Of 17,432 children screened, 451 met the entry criteria--228 in intervention schools and 223 in control schools. 152 (67%) children in intervention schools visited their general practitioner, of whom 39 (26%) were given a new diagnosis of asthma and 58 (38%) had treatment for asthma increased or changed. Over the next academic year mean (SE) parent reported school absence due to wheezing fell significantly, but to a similar extent, in both intervention and control schools (0.82 (0.11) and 1.09 (0.21) weeks respectively). There was little change in school recorded absence or participation in games lessons and swimming lessons in either group. At the end of the study intervention schools were more likely to have improved aspects of management of asthma in school. CONCLUSION--The intervention resulted in a majority of children being assessed by their general practitioner and improved teachers'' understanding and management of asthma, but it did not result in any appreciable reduction in morbidity.     

School-age involvement in sport and perceived quality of sport services

Creating an active and healthy lifestyle starts in infancy and adolescence. A number of individual and collective factors affect whether or not sport is taken up and continued, which is an essential element in achieving a healthy lifestyle in adolescence and extending this into adult life. This study sets out to determine the perceived quality of the sport service provided by schools with organised physical activities, and whether the most positively assessed public organisations have a higher percentage of participation than those with a more negative assessment. The study population was 1109 adolescents from 28 towns comprising part of a sport provision system. A self-devised questionnaire with all the necessary properties, validity and reliability was conducted. The results showed that 42% of the adolescents take part in organised physical sport, and give the service provided a positive assessment. It was found that in organisations with a more positive assessment, the town has a higher rate of involvement in sporting activities.     

Physical Activity Levels and Domains Assessed by Accelerometry in German Adolescents from GINIplus and LISAplus

Background

Physical activity (PA) is a well-known and underused protective factor for numerous health outcomes, and interventions are hampered by lack of objective data. We combined accelerometers with diaries to estimate the contributions to total activity from different domains throughout the day and week in adolescents.

Methods

Accelerometric and diary data from 1403 adolescents (45% male, mean age 15.6 ± 0.5 years) were combined to evaluate daily levels and domains of sedentary, light, and moderate-to-vigorous activity (MVPA) during a typical week. Freedson’s cutoff points were applied to determine levels of activity. Total activity was broken down into school physical education (PE), school outside PE, transportation to school, sport, and other time.

Results

About 2/3 of adolescents’ time was spent sedentary, 1/3 in light activity, and about 5% in MVPA. Boys and girls averaged 46 (SD 22) and 38 (23) minutes MVPA per day. Adolescents were most active during leisure sport, spending about 30% of it in MVPA, followed by PE (about 20%) transport to school (14%) and either school class time or other time (3%). PE provided 5% of total MVPA, while leisure sport provided 16% and transportation to school 8%. School was the most sedentary part of the day with over 75% of time outside PE spent sedentary.

Conclusions

These German adolescents were typical of Europeans in showing low levels of physical activity, with significant contributions from leisure sport, transportation and school PE. Leisure sport was the most active part of the day, and participation did not vary significantly by sex, study center (region of Germany) or BMI. Transportation to school was frequent and thus accounted for a significant fraction of total MVPA. This indicates that even in a population with good access to dedicated sporting activities, frequent active transportation can add significantly to total MVPA.     

A Community of Strangers: The Dis-Embedding of Social Ties

In this paper we explore two contrasting perspectives on individuals'' participation in associations. On the one hand, some have considered participation the byproduct of pre-existing friendship ties — the more friends one already has in the association, the more likely he or she is to participate. On the other hand, some have considered participation to be driven by the association''s capacity to form new identities — the more new friends one meets in the association, the more likely he or she is to participate. We use detailed temporal data from an online association to adjudicate between these two mechanisms and explore their interplay. Our results show a significant impact of new friendship ties on participation, compared to a negligible impact of pre-existing friends, defined here as ties to other members formed outside of the organization''s context. We relate this finding to the sociological literature on participation and we explore its implications in the discussion.