The impact of participation in extra-curricular physical activity on males from disadvantaged schools

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarahjane Belton ◽  
Paul Prior ◽  
Eric Wickel ◽  
Catherine Woods

Extra-curricular physical activity (ECPA) may have an important role to play in the health and well-being of adolescents, but the actual benefits are relatively unknown. This study examined ECPA participation amongst adolescent males (age 12–15 years) from disadvantaged backgrounds, and evaluated its impact on overall physical activity (PA) accumulation and psychological well-being. At three time points over a single academic year, participants from four schools ( n = 174) wore a pedometer for seven days and completed a questionnaire assessing habitual PA, frequency of ECPA participation, barriers to ECPA participation and seven psychosocial subscales. An average year-long score was calculated for each participant, for each variable. Across seasons, 84% of participants reported regular (≥ twice a week) or occasional (once a week) participation in ECPA. Those reporting regular participation in ECPA were significantly ( p < .01) more active (steps/day) and scored higher ( p < .01) on each psychosocial subscale. Results of multinomial regression analysis showed that perceived physical competence ( p < .001) had a significant main effect on ECPA participation. Our study results indicate that students from disadvantaged backgrounds whom participate in ECPA at least once a week are significantly more physically active and have a higher level of psychological well-being than those who never participate.

2000 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva-Carin Lindgren ◽  
Ulla Tebelius ◽  
Bengt Fridlund

Sport participation or regular physical activity is often seen as a factor, which leads to better health and well being. Sport also has a social function, as most of the activities are performed together with other people. However, while club sports in Sweden have a stimulating effect on young men, there is a risk that they do not provide enough scope for young women. In particular, early specialization and a high level of seriousness do not suit all young sportswomen. The purpose of this study was to develop a theoretical understanding of the ways in which sport has influenced young women’s lifestyles in terms of their attitudes to physical activity in adult life. The data were collected using strategic interviews and analyzed using the grounded theory method. Based upon the results, young women’s physically active lifestyles varied depending on how they valued their sport in combination with how they handled their sport. Sport was regarded as having a positive effect on health and well being. This led to the young women studied intending to pursue a physically active lifestyle also in adult life. They enjoyed participating in sport, but not particularly sport with a high level of seriousness or a high level of vigor, which is what characterizes most club sports today.


2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique Banville ◽  
Pamela Hodges Kulinna ◽  
Ben Dyson ◽  
Michalis Stylianou ◽  
Rachel Colby ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study was to identify students’ perspectives of the role of healthy behaviours in their well-being and school success. Since a number of studies focused on establishing the link between healthy behaviours and learning have relied on quantitative measures, it was deemed important to provide a different perspective on the topic and give students a voice. Participants were 50 Aotearoa/New Zealand nine- and 10-year-old students of various ethnic backgrounds from two elementary schools. Using situated learning theory to determine the impact a school environment that promotes physical activity has on students’ perspectives, four categories were drawn from student focus-group interviews: (1) opportunities to be active, (2) roles of physical activity, (3) students’ misconceptions of health concepts, and (4) students’ support for health education and physical education at their schools. Students in this study were afforded multiple opportunities to be physically active and acknowledged the benefits these bouts of activities gave them while differentiating the types of opportunities and value they gained from them. Within their community of practice, students were sometimes ‘full’ participants as their knowledge was fully constructed, and sometimes ‘peripheral’ participants, needing more time, active engagement and content knowledge to better grasp some concepts. Little health education content knowledge was provided to classroom teachers, which might have caused some of the misconceptions held by students related to the impact of physical activity and nutrition on their brain function.


Author(s):  
Anna Chalkley ◽  
Lauren Sherar

Physical activity is beneficial to children’s health and well-being. Evidence suggests that physical activity declines with age from childhood through adolescence and into adulthood, with boys being more active than girls at all ages. Physical activity participation in childhood is affected by the social support and role modelling provided by family, peers, friends, and teachers. Marginalized groups are disadvantaged in terms of access to opportunities to be physically active. From a population perspective, the greatest gains in public health will be achieved by helping those who are most inactive to become moderately active. Physical activity promotion efforts for children have predominantly focused on school-based programmes, but multisectoral approaches are needed with transformative and enlightened public policy regarding many facets of children’s lives such as school curricula, active travel, safe play areas, and enhanced sports opportunities for all.


2020 ◽  
pp. 135245852096909
Author(s):  
Brian M Lozinski ◽  
V Wee Yong

While people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) historically were advised to avoid physical activity to reduce symptoms such as fatigue, they are now encouraged to remain active and to enlist in programs of exercise. However, despite an extensive current literature that exercise not only increases physical well-being but also their cognition and mental health, many PwMS are not meeting recommended levels of exercise. Here, we emphasize the impact and mechanisms of exercise on functional and structural changes to the brain, including improved connectome, neuroprotection, neurogenesis, oligodendrogenesis, and remyelination. We review evidence from animal models of multiple sclerosis (MS) that exercise protects and repairs the brain, and provide supportive data from clinical studies of PwMS. We introduce the concept of MedXercise, where exercise provides a brain milieu particularly conducive for a brain regenerative medication to act upon. The emphasis on exercise improving brain functions and repair should incentivize PwMS to remain physically active.


Children ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren C. Bates ◽  
Gabriel Zieff ◽  
Kathleen Stanford ◽  
Justin B. Moore ◽  
Zachary Y. Kerr ◽  
...  

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, social restrictions to contain the spread of the virus have disrupted behaviors across the 24-h day including physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep among children (5–12 years old) and adolescents (13–17 years old). Preliminary evidence reports significant decreases in physical activity, increases in sedentary behavior, and disrupted sleep schedules/sleep quality in children and adolescents. This commentary discusses the impact of COVID-19-related restrictions on behaviors across the 24-h day in children and adolescents. Furthermore, we suggest recommendations through the lens of a socio-ecological model to provide strategies for lasting behavior change to insure the health and well-being of children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic.


Author(s):  
Carl P. Nienhuis ◽  
Iris A. Lesser

Background: A global pandemic caused by COVID-19 resulted in restrictions to daily living for Canadians, including social distancing and closure of recreation facilities and provincial parks. Methods: The objective of this study was to assess whether sex differences exist in physical activity and well-being since COVID-19 and to explore how barriers or facilitators to physical activity may explain these differences. Chi-square tests, independent t-tests and one-way ANOVAs were conducted to evaluate data provided by 1098 Canadians—215 men and 871 women. Results: Women were significantly less physically active than men and reported more barriers and fewer facilitators to physical activity and experienced significantly more generalized anxiety than men. Women who were engaged in less physical activity due to COVID-19 reported significantly lower mental health scores, lower social, emotional and psychological well-being, and significantly higher generalized anxiety, while women who engaged in more physical activity had improved mental health scores. Conclusions: Given the challenges that women uniquely face due to restrictions, it is imperative to advocate and provide environmental opportunity and support for physical activity to reduce the mental duress women may be experiencing. Specific physical activity programming that is inclusive of lifestyle physical activity and can engage children is encouraged.


Author(s):  
Subhashini Akurathi ◽  

Psychological well-being has become one of the crucial aspects of modern psychology. It has attracted not only psychologists but also medical practitioners in compliance with the mental health, emotions, depression, stress, etc. of the individual’s academic and social life. Right from the existence of behavioral sciences, efforts have been made by researchers of different disciplines to get a deep understanding of the various and different dimensions and correlates of psychological well-being. Social media platforms are an online association site where individuals cooperate to construct, offer and change their thought and remarks concerning any data. Over the past decade, online long distance social networking communication has brought significant changes in the way people communicate and collaborate. The study aimed to determine the impact of social media’s early health issues such as student depression and anxiety. A descriptive study was conducted among Tertiary level educated students in Visakhapatnam with a sample of 130 respondents. It included questions on demographical information, the pattern of social networking usage, social relationship, and health effects. Results: Present study results found that there is a significant association between time spent on social media and the number of social networking apps. There is a positive correlation between Depression feelings with serious active on social networking apps than in real life. Conclusion: This study concludes that more usage of social networking sites is affecting the Tertiary school student’s well-being such as depression and anxiety.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elgloria Harrison ◽  
Lillie Monroe-Lord ◽  
Andrew D. Carson ◽  
Anne Marie Jean-Baptiste ◽  
Janet Phoenix ◽  
...  

Abstract Background COVID-19 has taken its toll on citizens in all 50 states of the United States. The United States (U.S.) leads the world with 30,291,863 confirmed reported cases and 549,664 deaths as of March 29, 2021 compared to globally confirmed cases at 127,442,926 and 2,787,915 deaths as of March 29, 2021. The U.S. federal government primarily left the response to the virus to individual states, and each implemented varying measures designed to protect health of citizens and the state’s economic well-being. Unintended consequences of the virus and measures to stop its spread may include decreased physical activity and exercise, shifting access and consumption of food, and lower quality-of-life. Therefore, our primary goal was to quantify the impact of COVID-19 on health and well-being by measuring changes in physical activity, mental health-quality of life, food security and nutrition in adults ages 40 and older. We believed shifts in health behaviors would be more prevalent in minorities, less educated, lower socio-economic status, older adults, and those with underlying health conditions, so a secondary goal was to determine the impact of COVID-19 on these sub-populations. Methods We conducted an online survey with 9969 adults 40 years and older between 9 August and 15 September 2020 in urban areas across the four U.S. census regions. The survey included questions about demographic variables, pre-existing health conditions, physical activity, access to food, quality-of-life, and nutritional food status and asked participants to respond with information from pre-pandemic and pandemic conditions. We used paired-sample t-tests to detect changes in variables after the start of the pandemic and Cohen’s d to determine effect sizes. Results Our main findings showed a decrease in physical activity since the onset of COVID-19 for minorities and non-minorities. Food security also slightly increased for minorities during the pandemic, but we found no other changes in food security, quality-of-life indicators, or nutritional status of those who responded to this survey. Conclusions It is concerning that physical activity declined. Such activity helps maintain physical and mental health, and it is also an important time to socialize for many older adults. In many ways, our data indicate that the older adult population in U.S. cities may be more resilient than expected during the pandemic. However, the pandemic could have negative impacts that we did not detect, either due to the survey instrument or the timing of our survey, so the health and well-being of older adults should continue to be monitored in order to mitigate potential negative impacts.


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