scholarly journals Effects of a Nine-Month Physical Activity Intervention on Morphological Characteristics and Motor and Cognitive Skills of Preschool Children

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (18) ◽  
pp. 6609
Author(s):  
Damjan Jaksic ◽  
Sandra Mandic ◽  
Nebojsa Maksimovic ◽  
Zoran Milosevic ◽  
Roberto Roklicer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Preschool Children ◽  
Motor Skills ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Physical Activity Intervention ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Control Group

(1) Background: Regular physical activity (PA) plays an important role during early childhood physical and psychological development. This study investigates the effects of a 9-month PA intervention on physiological characteristics and motor and cognitive skills in preschool children. (2) Methods: Preschool children (n = 132; age 4 to 7 years) attending regular preschool programs were nonrandomly assigned to PA intervention (n = 66; 60 min sessions twice per week) or a control group (n = 66; no additional organized PA program) for 9 months. Exercise training for the intervention group included various sports games, outdoor activities, martial arts, yoga, and dance. Anthropometry, motor skills (7 tests), and cognitive skills (Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices and Cognitive Assessment System) were assessed before and after an intervention period in both groups. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. (3) Results: Body weight significantly increased in both groups over time. Compared to the changes observed in the control group, the intervention group significantly increased in chest circumference (p = 0.022). In contrast, the control group demonstrated an increase in waist circumference (p = 0.001), while these measures in the intervention group remained stable. Participants in the intervention group improved running speed (p = 0.016) and standing broad jump (p = 0.000). The flexibility level was maintained in the intervention group, while a significant decrease was observed in the control group (p = 0.010). Children from the intervention group demonstrated progress in the bent-arm hang test (p = 0.001), unlike the control group subjects. Varied improvements in cognitive skills were observed for different variables in both intervention and control groups, with no robust evidence for PA-intervention-related improvements. (4) Conclusions: Preschool children’s participation in a preschool PA intervention improves their motor skills.

scholarly journals Effects of a Fundamental Motor Skill-Based Afterschool Program on Children’s Physical and Cognitive Health Outcomes

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 733 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joonyoung Lee ◽  
Tao Zhang ◽  
Tsz Lun (Alan) Chu ◽  
Xiangli Gu ◽  
Ping Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Motor Skills ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Physical Activity Behavior ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Afterschool Program ◽  
Cognitive Health

Globally, more than half of school-aged children do not engage in the recommended 60 minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Given that developing sufficient fundamental motor skills (FMS) competence during early elementary school years is important for a child’s physical and cognitive development, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an 8-week FMS-based afterschool program on physical and cognitive health outcomes among elementary children. Participants were 31 K–2 students (19 girls, 12 boys; Mage = 6.65 ± 0.98) from three public elementary schools in the southwestern United States who were assigned to the intervention group (FMS-based afterschool program; n = 20) or the control group (traditional afterschool program; n = 11). A 2 × 2 repeated measures MANOVA showed significant changes in FMS competence and MVPA between the intervention and the control group over time. However, no significant changes were found in cognitive functioning. The 8-week FMS-based afterschool program showed significant improvements in FMS competence and MVPA, compared to a traditional afterschool program. This finding suggests that structured FMS-focused strategies (e.g., fun games and goal setting) can be a critical component when implementing a physical activity program to enhance children’s motor skills and physical activity behavior.

scholarly journals The Effect of the Mobile ‘Blood Pressure Management Application’ on Hypertension Self-Management Enhancement: A Randomised Controlled Trial

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Bozorgi ◽  
Hamed Hosseini ◽  
Hassan Eftekhar ◽  
Reza Majdzadeh ◽  
Ali Yoonessi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Patient Adherence ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Management Application

Abstract Background : Self-management of blood pressure is of great significance given the increasing incidence of hypertension and associated disabilities. With the increased use of mobile health in medicine, the present study evaluated the effect of the self-management application on patient adherence to hypertension treatment. Methods : This clinical trial was performed on 120 hypertensive patients who were provided with a mobile intervention for 8 weeks and followed-up to 24 th weeks. Data on the primary outcome (adherence to treatment) and secondary outcomes (adherence to the DASH diet, regular monitoring of blood pressure, and physical activity) were collected using a questionnaire and a mobile application, respectively. The inter-group change difference over time was analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA (General Linear Model). Results : The treatment adherence score increased by an average of 5.9 (95%CI: 5.0-6.7) in the intervention group compared to the control group. Scores of adherence to the low-fat and low-salt diet plans were 1.7 (95%CI: 1.3-2.1) and 1.5 (95%CI: 1.2-1.9), respectively. Moreover, moderate physical activity increased to 100.0 minutes (95%CI: 61.7-138.3) per week in the intervention group. Conclusion: The treatment and control of blood pressure require a multifaceted approach given its complexity and multifactorial nature. Considering the widespread use of smartphones , mhealth interventions can be effective in self-management and better patient adherence to treatments. Our results showed that this application can be used as a successful tool for hypertension self-management in patients attending public hospitals in developing countries. Trial registration: This study was registered in the Iran Randomized Clinical Trial Center under the number IRCT2015111712211N2 on 1 January 2016.

scholarly journals The Effects of Video Feedback on Coaches’ Behavior and the Coach-Athlete Relationship

2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 323-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathieu Simon Paul Meeûs ◽  
Sidónio Serpa ◽  
Bert De Cuyper
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Video Feedback ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Frequency Table ◽  
Coaching Behavior ◽  
Intervention Condition ◽  
Over Time

This study examined the effects of video feedback on the nonverbal behavior of handball coaches, and athletes’ and coaches’ anxieties and perceptions. One intervention group (49 participants) and one control group (63 participants) completed the Coaching Behavior Assessment System, Coaching Behavior Questionnaire, and Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 on two separate occasions, with 7 weeks of elapsed time between each administration. Coaches in the intervention condition received video feedback and a frequency table with a comparison of their personal answers and their team’s answers on the CB AS. Repeated-measures ANOVAs showed that over time, athletes in the intervention group reported significantly less anxiety and perceived their coaches significantly more positively compared with athletes in the nonintervention condition. Over time, coaches in the intervention group perceived themselves significantly more positively than coaches in the nonintervention condition. Compared with field athletes, goalkeepers were significantly more anxious and perceived their coaches less positively. It is concluded that an intervention using video feedback might have positive effects on anxiety and coach perception and that field athletes and goalkeepers possess different profiles.

scholarly journals A 10-Month Physical Activity Intervention Improves Body Composition in Young Black Boys

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl A. Howe ◽  
Ryan A. Harris ◽  
Bernard Gutin
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Composition ◽  
Physical Activity Intervention ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Skills Development ◽  
After School ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Black Boys ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Group A

Objective. To determine if a 10-month after-school physical activity (PA) intervention could prevent deleterious changes in body composition and cardiovascular (CV) fitness in young black boys.Methods. Following baseline measures, 106 boys (8–12 yrs) were randomized to either a control group or an intervention group, further divided into attenders (ATT) and nonattenders (NATT), participating in ≥60% or <60% of the intervention, respectively. The daily intervention consisted of skills development (25 min), vigorous PA (VPA, 35 min), and strengthening/stretching (20 min) components. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.Results. Following the intervention, the ATT exhibited an increase in moderate-to-vigorous PA and a significant reduction in BMI, fat mass, and %BF compared to the control group. A significant association among the intervention energy expenditure and changes in body composition and CV fitness was observed only in the ATT group.Conclusion. An after-school PA program of sufficient length and intensity can promote healthy changes in body composition and fitness levels in black boys who attend at least 3 days/week.

A Physical Activity Intervention Program in School is Also Accompanied by Higher Leisure-Time Physical Activity: A Prospective Controlled 3-Year Study in 194 Prepubertal Children

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Cronholm ◽  
Björn E. Rosengren ◽  
Caroline Karlsson ◽  
Magnus K. Karlsson
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Physical Activity Intervention ◽  
Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Environmental Interventions ◽  
Prepubertal Children ◽  
Sedentary Activities

Background:The activity-stat theory infers that total physical activity (PA) in children is constant, independent of environmental interventions.Methods:We conducted a 3-year prospective population-based controlled PA intervention study including, at baseline, 7- to 9-year-old children (66 boys, 40 girls in the intervention and 50 boys, 38 girls in the control group). PA was increased in the intervention group from 60 to 200 minutes/week, while the controls maintained 60 minutes/week. We registered weekly duration of total PA and leisure-time PA and daily duration of sedentary activities, through questionnaires at baseline and 2 and 3 years after baseline.Results:Between intervention and control groups PA was similar before intervention start. After intervention start, total PA in both genders was increased during the entire period (P-values adjusted for age and Tanner stage at follow-up between 0.001 and 0.002). Duration of sedentary activities was unchanged with no group differences. Children in the intervention group changed their behavior so that they also achieved more leisure-time PA.Conclusions:A 3-year school-based PA intervention program in prepubertal children increases the duration of total PA without increasing the duration of sedentary activities, and the program seems to initiate more PA during leisure-time. Our results refute the activity-stat theory.

scholarly journals The Effect of the Mobile ‘Blood Pressure Management Application’ on Hypertension Self-Management Enhancement: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Bozorgi ◽  
Hamed Hosseini ◽  
Hassan Eftekhar ◽  
Reza Majdzadeh ◽  
Ali Yoonessi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Patient Adherence ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Management Application

Abstract Background: Self-management of hypertension is of great significance given its increasing incidence and its associated disabilities. In view of the increased use of mobile health in medicine, the present study evaluated the effect of a self-management application on patient adherence to hypertension treatment.Methods: This clinical trial was performed on 120 hypertensive patients who were provided with a mobile intervention for 8 weeks and followed-up until the 24th week. Data on the primary outcome (adherence to treatment) and secondary outcomes (adherence to the DASH diet, regular monitoring of blood pressure, and physical activity) were collected using a questionnaire and a mobile application, respectively. The inter-group change difference over time was analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA (General Linear Model).Results: The treatment adherence score increased by an average of 5.9 (95% CI: 5.0-6.7) in the intervention group compared to the control group. Scores of 'adherence to the low-fat and low-salt diet plans' were 1.7 (95% CI: 1.3-2.1) and 1.5 (95% CI: 1.2-1.9), respectively. Moreover, moderate physical activity increased to 100.0 minutes (95% CI: 61.7-138.3) per week in the intervention group.Conclusion: The treatment and control of blood pressure require a multifaceted approach given its complexity and multifactorial nature. Considering the widespread use of smartphones, mHealth interventions can be effective in self-management and better patient adherence to treatments. Our results showed that this application can be used as a successful tool for hypertension self-management in patients attending public hospitals in developing countries.Trial registration: This study was registered in the Iran Randomized Clinical Trial Center under the number IRCT2015111712211N2 on January 1st 2016.

scholarly journals The Effect of the Mobile ‘Blood Pressure Management Application’ on Hypertension Self-Management Enhancement: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Bozorgi ◽  
Hamed Hosseini ◽  
Hassan Eftekhar ◽  
Reza Majdzadeh ◽  
Ali Yoonessi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Patient Adherence ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Management Application

Abstract Background: Self-management of hypertension is of great significance given its increasing incidence and its associated disabilities. In view of the increased use of mobile health in medicine, the present study evaluated the effect of a self-management application on patient adherence to hypertension treatment. Methods: This clinical trial was performed on 120 hypertensive patients who were provided with a mobile intervention for 8 weeks and followed-up until the 24th week. Data on the primary outcome (adherence to treatment) and secondary outcomes (adherence to the DASH diet, regular monitoring of blood pressure, and physical activity) were collected using a questionnaire and a mobile application, respectively. The inter-group change difference over time was analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA (General Linear Model). Results: The treatment adherence score increased by an average of 5.9 (95% CI: 5.0-6.7) in the intervention group compared to the control group. Scores of 'adherence to the low-fat and low-salt diet plans' were 1.7 (95% CI: 1.3-2.1) and 1.5 (95% CI: 1.2-1.9), respectively. Moreover, moderate physical activity increased to 100.0 minutes (95% CI: 61.7-138.3) per week in the intervention group. Conclusion: The treatment and control of blood pressure require a multifaceted approach given its complexity and multifactorial nature. Considering the widespread use of smartphones, mHealth interventions can be effective in self-management and better patient adherence to treatments. Our results showed that this application can be used as a successful tool for hypertension self-management in patients attending public hospitals in developing countries. Trial registration: This study was registered in the Iran Randomized Clinical Trial Center under the number IRCT2015111712211N2 on January 1st 2016.

scholarly journals The Effect of the Mobile ‘Blood Pressure Management Application’ on Hypertension Self-Management Enhancement: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Bozorgi ◽  
Hamed Hosseini ◽  
Hassan Eftekhar ◽  
Reza Majdzadeh ◽  
Ali Yoonessi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Patient Adherence ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Management Application

Abstract Background: Self-management of hypertension is of great significance given its increasing incidence and its associated disabilities. With the increased use of mobile health in medicine, the present study evaluated the effect of a self-management application on patient adherence to hypertension treatment. Methods: This clinical trial was performed on 120 hypertensive patients who were provided with a mobile intervention for 8 weeks and followed-up until the24th week. Data on the primary outcome (adherence to treatment) and secondary outcomes(adherence to the DASH diet, regular monitoring of blood pressure, and physical activity) were collected using a questionnaire and a mobile application, respectively. The inter-group change difference over time was analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA (General Linear Model). Results: The treatment adherence score increased by an average of 5.9 (95% CI: 5.0-6.7) in the intervention group compared to the control group. Scores of 'adherence to the low-fat and low-salt diet plans' were 1.7 (95% CI: 1.3-2.1) and 1.5 (95% CI: 1.2-1.9), respectively. Moreover, moderate physical activity increased to 100.0 minutes (95% CI: 61.7-138.3) per week in the intervention group. Conclusion: The treatment and control of blood pressure require a multifaceted approach given its complexity and multifactorial nature. Considering the widespread use of smartphones, mHealth interventions can be effective in self-management and better patient adherence to treatments. Our results showed that this application can be used as a successful tool for hypertension self-management in patients attending public hospitals in developing countries. Trial registration: This study was registered in the Iran Randomized Clinical Trial Center under the number IRCT2015111712211N2 on January 1st2016.

scholarly journals Effects of School-Based Exergaming on Urban Children’s Physical Activity and Cardiorespiratory Fitness: A Quasi-Experimental Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (21) ◽  
pp. 4080 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye ◽  
Pope ◽  
Lee ◽  
Gao
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cardiorespiratory Fitness ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control School ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
School Based ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Over Time

Background: Modern-day technology is appealing to children. Few studies, however, have conducted longitudinal analyses of a school-based exergaming program’s effect on physical activity (PA) behaviors and fitness in children. Therefore, this study examined the longitudinal effect of an 8-month school-based exergaming intervention on children’s objectively-measured PA and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). Materials and Methods: Eighty-one fourth grade students (X̅age = 9.23 ± 0.62; 39 girls; 54.3% African American, 30.9% Non-Hispanic White, 14.8% other) participated in this study from 2014–2015. The intervention school’s children participated in a once-weekly 50-minute exergaming intervention during recess throughout the school year, while the control school continued regular recess. Children’s in-school PA and sedentary behavior (SB) were measured with ActiGraphGT3X+ accelerometers, with CRF assessed via the half-mile run. All measurements were taken at baseline, mid-intervention (four months) and post-intervention (eight months). Repeated-measures two-way ANCOVAs using age and race as covariates were conducted to examine between-school differences over time for SB, light PA (LPA), moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), and CRF. Results: Significant time by group interactions were observed for LPA, F(1, 79) = 7.82, η2 = 0.09, p < 0.01, and MVPA, F(1, 79) = 4.58, η2 = 0.06, p < 0.05, as LPA increased among the control group, while MVPA increased among intervention group. Children in both groups experienced decreased SB during the intervention (intervention: −7.63 minutes; control: −17.59 minutes), but demonstrated lower CRF over time (intervention: +46.73 seconds; control: +61.60 seconds). Conclusions: Observations suggested that school-based exergaming implementation may be effective in increasing children’s MVPA and decreasing their SB over the course an academic year (i.e., ~eight months). More research is needed, however, to discern how modifications to school-based exergaming might also promote improved CRF in children.

scholarly journals Feasibility and Effectiveness of a Wearable Technology-Based Physical Activity Intervention in Preschoolers: A Pilot Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 1821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wonwoo Byun ◽  
Erica Lau ◽  
Timothy Brusseau
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Parent Education ◽  
Physical Activity Intervention ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Intervention Strategies ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Classroom Teachers ◽  
Parent Perception ◽  
Childcare Centers

The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility and the effectiveness of an intervention that employed a technology-based physical activity (PA) monitoring system and teacher-regulated strategies to promote PA in preschoolers. A total of 93 preschoolers (53% girls, 4.7 years) from 5 child care centers were recruited for a one-week intervention and randomly assigned into control (2 centers, n = 45) or intervention (3 centers, n = 48) group. Key intervention components included: (1) wearable device-based, real-time monitoring of children’s PA by classroom teachers and (2) teacher-regulated strategies for providing more opportunities for PA. Sedentary behavior (SED) and PA were measured using accelerometers. Overall, children in the intervention group showed significantly lower level of SED (31.6 vs. 33.6 min/h) and higher level of total PA (28.4 vs. 26.4 min/h) than children in the control group, after adjusting for age, sex, race, parent education level, parent perception of their child’s PA, BMI, and childcare centers. Teachers in the intervention group reported that the intervention was highly feasible to be implemented in their current classroom settings. In conclusion, we observed high acceptability and initial effectiveness of the current intervention. Subsequent research at larger-scale is warranted to fully evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention strategies tested in this study.

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