scholarly journals Gender-Specific Risk Factors of Physical Activity-Related Injuries among Middle School Students in Southern China

Author(s):  
Dongchun Tang ◽  
Weicong Cai ◽  
Wenda Yang ◽  
Yang Gao ◽  
Liping Li

This cross-sectional study was carried out to explore the potential risk factors of physical activity-related injuries (PARI) among middle-school students of different genders. Selected by the random cluster sampling method, students aged from 12 to 16 years old in grades 7–8 from six middle schools in Shantou, southern China, were recruited for this investigation in November 2017. Information about socio-demographics, physical activity (PA) exposure time, individual exercise behaviors, risk-taking behaviors, and PARI experiences in the past 12 months was collected. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to explore the risk factors of PARI. A total of 1270 students completed valid questionnaires, with an overall injury incidence of 33.6% (boys: 42.0%; girls: 25.0%), an injury risk of 0.68 injuries/student/year, and an injury rate of 1.43 injuries per 1000 PA exposure hours. For boys, living in a school dormitory, participating in sports teams, exercising on a wet floor, rebellious behavior, and having longer PA exposure time were the risk factors of PARI. For girls, those who were sports team members, whose parents were divorced or separated, and those with longer PA exposure time were more vulnerable to suffer from PARI. In conclusion, PARI was a health problem among middle school students in southern China. Boys and girls differed in PARI occurrence and were affected by different risk factors, which provides a basis for targeted gender-specific intervention programs to reduce the occurrence of PARI among middle-school students.

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 287-295
Author(s):  
Hyeonho Yu ◽  
Pamela H. Kulinna ◽  
Shannon C. Mulhearn

Background: Environmental provisions can boost students’ discretionary participation in physical activity (PA) during lunchtime at school. This study investigated the effectiveness of providing PA equipment as an environmental intervention on middle school students’ PA levels and stakeholders’ perceptions of the effectiveness of equipment provisions during school lunch recess. Methods: A baseline–intervention research design was used in this study with a first baseline phase followed by an intervention phase (ie, equipment provision phase). A total of 514 students at 2 middle schools (school 1 and school 2) in a rural area of the western United States were observed directly using the System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth instrument. Interviews were conducted with stakeholders. Paired-sample t tests and visual analysis were conducted to explore differences in PA levels by gender, and common comparison (with trustworthiness measures) was used with the interview data. Results: The overall percentage of moderate to vigorous PA levels was increased in both schools (ranging from 8.0% to 24.0%). In school 2, there was a significant difference in seventh- and eighth-grade students’ moderate to vigorous PA levels from the baseline. Three major themes were identified: (1) unmotivated, (2) unequipped, and (3) unquestionable changes (with students becoming more active). Conclusions: Environmental supports (access, equipment, and supervision) significantly and positively influenced middle school students’ lunchtime PA levels.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (04) ◽  
pp. 448-459
Author(s):  
Carla Greier ◽  
Clemens Drenowatz ◽  
Herbert Riechelmann ◽  
Klaus Greier

2006 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsu-Yin Wu ◽  
Sherry E. Rose ◽  
Joanna M. Bancroft

Adolescence is a period of accelerated growth and change, bridging the complex transition from childhood to adulthood. This period offers adolescents an opportunity to begin planning for their futures and to adopt healthy attitudes about risk behaviors that can continue into adulthood, thus setting the stage for a lifetime of desirable health behaviors. This study used the Youth Risk Behavior Survey on middle school students and examined the gender differences of health risk behaviors among 674 8th-graders from an urban setting. The results showed that males were more likely to be involved in fights, to initiate alcohol use, and to participate in physical activity; whereas females were more likely to try to lose weight with unhealthy practices, such as fasting and laxatives. School nurses are in a prime position to promote adolescent health in the school setting by providing health-related services and teaching to help students initiate and maintain healthy lifestyles.


2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (9) ◽  
pp. 1913-1921 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROD K. DISHMAN ◽  
KERRY L. MCIVER ◽  
MARSHA DOWDA ◽  
RUTH P. SAUNDERS ◽  
RUSSELL R. PATE

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