scholarly journals Animal-Assisted Play: A Strategy for Promoting Children’s Physical Activity Play

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Boisvert ◽  
W. Andrew Harrell
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Life Quality ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Free Play ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Therapeutic Benefits ◽  
Agency Risk ◽  
Health And Well Being

This article explores how animal-assisted play might be used as a strategy in playwork to support children’s right to play, enrich their play experiences, encourage their physical activity play and better their health and life quality. Children’s interactions with pets or companion animals in free play or animal-assisted activities (AAA) can yield therapeutic benefits by increasing physical and mental health and well-being and also offer possibilities for more outdoor play, agency, risk-taking, fun and enjoyment, as well as high-quality play experiences. We invite playwork practitioners to consider the important role of animals in children’s lives and the potential value of animal-assisted play in creating opportunities for enriching children’s play and life quality.

scholarly journals “This Brings you to Life” The Impact of Friendship on Health and Well-being in Old Age: the Case of La Verneda Learning Community

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 192
Author(s):  
Susana León-Jiménez
Keyword(s):  
Learning Community ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Life Quality ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Social ◽  
Ancient Times ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

Friendship has been studied along centuries, since ancient times to present-day, as the basis of the social cornerstone, present at all stages of the lifespan and belonging to the world of truthful sentiments. Benefits of friendship on health have been demonstrated. Less is known about the role of friendship on seniors. The aim of this case study has been to show how the end friendship developed in an adults’ school operating for more than 40 years in Barcelona is having a positive impact on the well-being and health of their participants. Through the communicative discussion group, we have deepened in the trajectories of some of the school participants. The results show how participation in the school and the dialogic gatherings have contributed to the emergence of a non-instrumental friendship feeling and to consider an impact on the perceived general wellness and health and an improvement of their life quality. It is discussed how this research provides more elements to the existing literature. More research on how other communitarian environments have similar effects on this population, or on the impact of these dialogical spaces in the development of end friendships in other stages of the life cycle would be of interest.

scholarly journals A A Review on Ayurvedic concept of significance of Nidra in Lifestyle Disorders.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (02) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehrukh Fatima Syed
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Disturbed Sleep ◽  
Rapid Changes ◽  
Lack Of Sleep ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Mental Fitness ◽  
Comprehensive Manner ◽  
Health And Well Being

Many new disorders have come up in recent years due to rapid changes in lifestyle of people, collectively called as lifestyle disorders. According to the Ayurveda,   man is said to be healthy whose Dosha, Dhatu, Mala & Agni are in the state of equilibrium along with mental, sensory and spiritual pleasantness and happiness. Ayurveda emphasizes on physical & mental fitness with prevention of disease & preservation of health in a comprehensive manner. There are many unhealthy practices followed by people in their day to day life which badly affect their health, one of them is lack of sleep or disturbed sleep pattern.   “Early to bed & early to arise makes a man healthy, wealthy & wise.” This proverb has a great significance. Ayurveda believes in saying it. Trayopstambha ( Ahara, nidra, Brahmacharya) is key to health and disease on which our life and vitality is based. It focus on daily regimen (Dincharya) that can avoid lifestyle disorders. Nidra plays an important role in physical and mental health. Ayurveda has prescribed certain rules, in regard to diet and sleep, called seasonal regimen (Rutucharya).  Present article emphasized on role of Nidra in promotion of maintenance of health and well being and prevention of lifestyle disorders.

scholarly journals Levelling the Playing Fields: A Pilot Intervention

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Alexander ◽  
K Frohlich
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Free Play ◽  
Outdoor Play ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Independent Mobility ◽  
Pilot Intervention

Abstract Despite the benefits of outdoor free-play for children (physical activity, well-being, independent mobility), access to urban spaces for play is on the decline in many cities. As such, there are increasing calls from public health officials, city planners and childhood advocates in Canada to promote outdoor play in cities. Responding to these calls, our pilot intervention will examine whether creating urban play spaces through road closures around schools and in neighbourhoods can increase children’s outdoor play, physical activity and social interaction among residents. The year-long intervention will involve road closures in four Montreal (Canada) neighbourhoods with different socio-economic profiles. After a diagnostic portrait of each site, participatory planning will engage children aged 8-12 and youth aged 13-18 to help redesign their neighbourhood streets for better access and playability. Outdoor play will be measured using a “playability index” to determine if increased outdoor play is due to intervention changes. Children’s physical activity, play and mobility patterns will be captured with GPS loggers and accelerometers, and play duration and location will be recorded through daily diaries. Questionnaires will be given to parents and children regarding changing behaviours and perceptions about outdoor play, risk/safety and independent mobility. While still in a pilot phase, this paper will present the intervention approach and outline how it promises to impact multiple components of urban life for children and adults (physical/mental health, safety, social interaction, environment/equity). The intervention is innovative by engaging children and families in its design and development, and by involving schools, municipalities and residents in its implementation and assessment. This co-creation and development promises broad impacts on local social practices and policy development, results which may be transferable to other Canadian and international cities. Key messages Access to urban outdoor play is critical for children’s well-being. Road closures can increase urban outdoor play, thereby contributing to physical and mental health and promoting social interaction. Child and youth participation in the planning and development of urban play spaces can increase their relevance and broaden their social, environmental, health and policy impacts.

scholarly journals Does Social Capital Benefit Older Adults’ Health and Well-Being? The Mediating Role of Physical Activity

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 688-697
Author(s):  
F. Boen ◽  
J. Pelssers ◽  
J. Scheerder ◽  
N. Vanbeselaere ◽  
S. Vos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
A Minor ◽  
Health And Well Being

Objectives: To assess whether social capital benefits older adults’ self-rated health and well-being and whether physical activity mediates this relation. Methods: A survey study was conducted among members of a sociocultural organization (age ≥55 years), both cross-sectionally (baseline Time 1; N = 959) and longitudinally (3-year follow-up Time 2; N = 409). Results: Specific indicators of social capital were positively, though modestly, related to health and well-being at Time 1 and Time 2. Experienced connectedness with age peers emerged as the strongest predictor. Physical activity only mediated the relation with experienced safety in society. Discussion: The relative importance of older adults’ experienced connectedness with their age peers underlines the importance of internalized group membership as a determinant of their health and well-being. Physical activity seems to play only a minor mediating role.

scholarly journals A242 EXERCISE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN PEDIATRIC INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 119-120
Author(s):  
L Hill ◽  
M Faraz ◽  
E Hartung ◽  
J Popov ◽  
N Pai
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Inflammatory Bowel Disease ◽  
Bowel Disease ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Poor Growth ◽  
Markers Of Inflammation ◽  
Inflammatory Bowel ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Background Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic life-long condition affecting 0.25% of the North American population. Childhood onset IBD is particularly aggressive, with disease often characterised by poor growth, severe unpredictable abdominal pain and frequent school absences. Treatment involves lifelong medications, which do not always resolve symptoms and carry increased cumulative risks of infections, malignancy, or other adverse effects. Exercise has been suggested as a method of ameliorating some of the symptoms associated with IBD. To date, few studies have investigated the role of exercise and physical activity in paediatric IBD patients. Aims We conducted a systematic review assessing the role of exercise and physical activity in paediatric IBD. Methods This Level III systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. An electronic database search of Pubmed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane used the search terms “(physical activity or exercise), (Inflammatory Bowel Disease), and (children or paediatric)”. Of the 1458 articles identified during the two rounds of review, only 21 articles met final inclusion criteria. Results Three main themes emerged from the review: 1) prescriptive exercise and physical activity ameliorated symptoms IBD and improved physical well-being, 2) patients who actively engage in exercise and physical activity show improved markers of inflammation and decreased future risk of disease, 3) exercise and physical activity improves the mental health and well-being of paediatric IBD patients. The results recommended 30–60 minutes, 6 times per week of mild to moderate aerobic exercise activity. It was noted that vigorous and high intensity exercise was well-tolerated by most IBD patients. Further, exercise prescription should be tailored to individual needs. Conclusions Exercise and physical activity improves mental and physical health and well-being of paediatric IBD patients, including decreasing the risk of future disease exacerbation in patients with mild to moderate disease activity. Clinicians and practitioners should consider actively prescribing exercise and physical activity to IBD patients as part of a standard treatment algorithm. Funding Agencies None

scholarly journals Health and Happiness in the New Urban Agenda: The Central Role of Public Space

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 5891
Author(s):  
Michael W. Mehaffy
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Framework Agreement ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Life Aspirations ◽  
New Urban Agenda

The New Urban Agenda—the global urbanization framework agreement adopted by acclamation by all 193 countries of the United Nations—contains no fewer than eight paragraphs on the importance of public space, three of which outline its role in achieving “human health and well-being”, “attractive and liveable cities”, and “physical and mental health”. However, there is an urgent need to translate these and other quality of life aspirations contained in this landmark document into measurable targets, tools, and strategies to achieve outcomes. This paper examines the core theories that connect health and well-being to public space as reflected in the document, surveying some of the most relevant research in the field. It then analyzes the document text to identify a number of potentially useful indicators. Finally, it proposes a framework for data gathering, assessment, and iterative progress in achieving the stated goals, concluding with an overview of emerging research and practice, and proposed next steps.

scholarly journals Testing Predictive Factors of Depressive Symptoms among Grandparents under the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 804-804
Author(s):  
Yuqin Jiao ◽  
Christine Fruhauf
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract An estimated 69.5 million Americans are reported to be grandparents. Among them, about 10% are raising grandchildren and the number of grandparents who are raising grandchildren (GRG) is increasing. Previous research on GRG suggests that the unexpected caregiving duties may lead to negative physical and mental health including more depressive symptoms when compared to non-caregiving grandparents (NGRG). Additionally, grandparent-grandchild relationships determined by emotional availability (EA) of the grandparent may be impacted. These factors might further be complicated, especially as it relates to the health and well-being of GRG, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the overarching goal of this presentation is to use the biopsychosocial model to present a conceptual framework to test the mental well-being of GRG during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this presentation, we will 1) summarize appropriate literature on GRG; 2) share a COVID-19 health and well-being assessment survey designated for GRG in order to assess their health before and since the COVID pandemic; and 3) propose a conceptual model to investigate and test the protective role of physical activity and GRG’s EA in the grandparent-grandchild relationship for the mental health of GRG. In our model, we argue that GRG experience more COVID-19 pandemic-related stress and more depressive symptoms when compared to NGRG. This proposed conceptual model offers one way to test the predictors of depressive symptoms on GRG. Future testing has the potential to shed new light on the development of appropriate intervention programs tailored to maintain the mental health of GRG.

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