scholarly journals Enhancing Adolescents’ Environmental Responsibility Through Outdoor Recreation Activities

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Aglaia Zafeiroudi

Spending time outdoors fosters a sense of connectedness and empathy with nature and has a clear effect on attitudes and behaviour towards the environment. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an outdoor activities intervention program on adolescents’ sense of responsibility towards the environment. Participants included 262 adolescents (135 girls and 127 boys) aged 13-17 years who were divided into experimental (n = 141) and control groups (n = 121). The 15-day outdoor intervention program included trekking, mountain biking, orienteering, archery, ropes courses, canoeing on a lake, via ferrata rock climbing, night hiking, and overnight camping. Participants completed an Environmental Responsibility questionnaire (Zafeiroudi & Hatzigeorgiadis, 2013) before and after participation in the activities program. The questionnaire included five scales that focused on perceptions of information on environmental issues, environmental cognitive and affective beliefs, predisposition for environmental action, and environmentally responsible behaviour. Analysis of variance with repeated measures revealed improved scores amongst adolescents who participated in the intervention program, notably within the specific scales used to evaluate perceived information, affective beliefs, predisposition for individual action, and predisposition for encouraging others. A follow-up analysis of covariance revealed that participants in the experimental group scored higher overall than did those in the control group. Taken together, these findings add to the current literature focused on psychosocial and behavioural mechanisms associated with environmental awareness. Our findings also suggest that outdoor recreational activities may be an effective supplement and a more challenging alternative to programs currently provided by environmental and active leisure associations.

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. SART.S22464
Author(s):  
Catherine Arseneault ◽  
Marc Alain ◽  
Chantal Plourde ◽  
Francine Ferland ◽  
Nadine Blanchette-Martin ◽  
...  

Objectives This study evaluates the effects of a prison-based addiction intervention program. The evaluation is based on a multidimensional data collection that draws a portrait of the respondents’ substance use, and of their psychological/emotional, social, and judicial spheres. It measures the changes, or lack thereof, in substance use; the psychological/emotional, social, and judicial spheres; as well as the post-treatment services used. Method A quasi-experimental repeated measures design (0, 6 weeks, and 6 months) was used. Effects of the program were identified by comparing the results obtained by a group of inmates who had participated in the program ( n = 80; experimental group) with those of another group who had received no intervention ( n = 70; control group). Results The preliminary results suggested a certain treatment effect related to impulsivity and psychological distress. Conclusion Although the preliminary results were promising, the experimental and control groups did not differ significantly when more robust analyses were used.


2021 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 175-186
Author(s):  
Eduardo Sáez de Villarreal ◽  
Jose Galán Molina ◽  
Guillermo de Castro-Maqueda ◽  
José V. Gutiérrez-Manzanedo

Abstract The study aim was to compare the effects of a 7-week plyometric, strength and change of direction (COD) training program on basketball-specific performance measures in high-school players. Forty male players were randomly assigned to one of the four groups: plyometric (PG, n = 10), strength (SG, n = 10), COD (CODG, n = 10), and control group training (CG, n = 10). Two training sessions were performed at weekly intervals before basketball training. Performance of the counter movement jump (CMJ), Abalakov jump (ABKJ), 10 m zig-zag sprint, 20 m in line sprint (measurements at 10 and 20 m), and sit and reach flexibility test (SRFT) was assessed before and after the intervention. A 4 (group) × 2 (time) repeated measures analysis of variances (ANOVA) was conducted for each variable. Bonferroni post-hoc tests were used when the interaction was significant. Significant (all p < 0.05) time x group interaction was noted for SRFT, CMJ, ABK, sprint, and zig-zag 10 m, in favor of the experimental groups compared to the control group. However, improvements in physical fitness were similar between the three experimental groups. In conclusion, 7 weeks of specific plyometric, strength and COD training produced similar medium to large improvements in physical fitness of high-school basketball players.


Author(s):  
Leonardo De Sousa Fortes ◽  
Jeferson Macedo Vianna ◽  
Delton Manoel dos Santos Silva ◽  
Marcio André Gouvea ◽  
Edilson Serpeloni Cyrino

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1980-0037.2016v18n3p341 The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of tapering on maximum aerobic power (VO2max) in young male indoor soccer athletes. Participants were 78 athletes aged 12-17 years randomly divided into experimental (EG) and control group (CG). Both groups did the same training planning until the last three weeks (tapering phase). Only EG performed tapering. Tapering lasted three weeks adopting the linear tapering method. VO2max was estimated by Yo-Yo intermittent Recovery Level 1 early in the season and in the last week of each. Univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted for repeated measures to compare VO2max among groups according to mesocycle. The results presented effect of time (F (4.74)= 42.02, p = 0.01) and group (F (2.76) = 35.87, p = 0.01). Overall, the findings of this study suggest that the implementation of the tapering strategy in the last weeks of training is more efficient to improve VO2max than the constant maintenance of loads.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serhat Gurocak ◽  
Ece Konac ◽  
Iyimser Ure ◽  
Cem Senol ◽  
Ilke Hacer Onen ◽  
...  

Aim. To determine the impact of gene polymorphisms on detrusor contraction-relaxation harmony in children with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).Materials and Methods. Toilet trained children older than 5 years of age with LUTS and normal neurological examination underwent videourodynamic study. The control group was composed of age matched children with no voiding complaints. The study group who filled out the voiding dysfunction symptom score before and after the treatment received standard oxybutynin treatment and was reevaluated 1 year after treatment. Genomic DNA was isolated from all patients and subjected to PCR for amplification. Genotyping of ARGHEF10, ROCK2, ADRB3, and CYP3A4 was carried out with Polymerase Chain Reaction- Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method.Results. 34 (45%) and 42 (55%) patients were enrolled in the study and control group, respectively. ARGEF10 GG, ADRB3 TC, and CYP3A4 AG genotype patients displayed insignificant difference between pre- and posttreatment voiding dysfunction symptom score and bladder volumes.Conclusions. The polymorphism of genes in the cholinergic pathway did not significantly differ clinical parameters. On the other hand, polymorphic patients in the adrenergic pathway seemed to suffer from clinical disappointment. For this reason, we think that the neglected adrenergic pathway could be a new therapeutic target for the treatment of anticholinergic resistant LUTS in children.


Author(s):  
Van Han Pham ◽  
Sara Wawrzyniak ◽  
Ireneusz Cichy ◽  
Michał Bronikowski ◽  
Andrzej Rokita

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the BRAINballs program on second graders’ gross motor skills in a primary school in Vietnam. A total of 55 students (23 boys and 32 girls) aged seven years participated in the study. The research used the method of a pedagogical experiment and parallel group technique (experimental and control group) with pre- and post-testing. The study was conducted in the school year 2019/2020. The gross motor skills performance was assessed by the Test of Gross Motor Development—2nd Edition. The BRAINballs program was conducted twice a week and combined physical activity with subject-related contents by means of a set of 100 balls with painted letters, numbers, and signs. The results showed that the experimental and control groups improved their motor skills after one school year (p < 0.001). However, the analysis of covariance demonstrated that students from the experimental group, compared to students from the control group, showed significantly better scores in both subtests: locomotor (p = 0.0000) and object control skills (p = 0.0000). The findings of this study show that the BRAINballs program had a positive effect on children’s motor performances and may help to better understand the development of basic motor skills of seven-year-old students in Vietnam.


Author(s):  
Yu-ke Qin ◽  
Jie Zeng ◽  
Li Peng

ABSTRACT To explore the impact of functional training on completion quality of body difficulty, 24 rhythmic gymnasts aged 10-11 years old were randomly and averagely divided into functional training and control group and trained 2h/day for 1 month. Body difficulty – including balance, rotation, and leap difficulties – was measured before and after training. The results showed that the total score, the score of 360° passé pivot and the score of split leap for the functional training group was respectively 1.87, 0.77, and 0.42 points higher than those for the control group (P<0.05) after 1 month of training. Therefore, it can be concluded that functional training based on Functional Movement Screen (FMS) can clearly improve completion quality of body difficulty in juvenile rhythmic gymnastics within a short period of time.


2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damian Scarf ◽  
Sahlia Kumst

Children’s ability to delay gratification is correlated with a range of positive outcomes in adulthood, showing the potential impact of helping young children increase their competence in this area. This study investigated the influence of symbolic models on 3-year-old children’s self-control. Eighty-three children were randomly assigned to one of three modelling conditions: personal story-telling, impersonal story-telling, and control. Children were tested on the delay-of-gratification maintenance paradigm both before and after being exposed to a symbolic model or control condition. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed no significant differences between the two story-telling groups and the control group, indicating that the symbolic models did not influence children’s ability to delay gratification. A serendipitous finding showed a positive relationship between children’s ability to wait and their production and accurate use of temporal terms, which was more pronounced in girls than boys. This finding may be an indication that a higher temporal vocabulary is linked to a continuous representation of the self in time, facilitating children’s representation of the future-self receiving a larger reward than what the present-self could receive.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie T. West ◽  
Kindal A. Shores

Background:Previous research has observed a positive correlation between having greenways or trails proximate to homes and the physical activity behaviors among residents. Few studies using a pre–post research design have been conducted, and each has pointed to the need for more rigorous studies which incorporate an appropriate control group.Methods:Residents from households living within 1 mile of a proposed greenway and those from a control neighborhood located between 2 and 3 miles of the proposed greenway were randomly selected to participate in the study. Participants were mailed a survey before the onset of construction and again 1 year after the trail was opened. Outcomes were the number of days during the previous week that respondents reported participating in walking, moderate activity, and vigorous activity.Results:Repeated measures analyses of variance indicated no significant differences between the experimental and control groups in days of walking, moderate activity, or vigorous activity before and after the greenway was constructed.Conclusions:Findings suggest that building a greenway did not affect the physical activity behaviors of proximate residents. Other studies should consider different trail types from a variety of settings to determine whether physical activity behavior changes may be context specific.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (09) ◽  
pp. 328-332
Author(s):  
D. Rukmani ◽  
◽  
D. Uma Maheswari ◽  

The purpose of the study was to find out effectiveness of naturopathy and yoga practices on selected psychological variable self confidence among psoriasis patients. The study was conducted on 20 psoriasis patients. Totally two groups-experimental (Naturopathy and yoga treatment) and control group no treatment given each 10 subjects. The self confidence was measured before and after the experimentation using the standardized test to measure the self confidence analyzed by Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and it was concluded that the naturopathy, yogasanas treatments had significant (P < 0.05) effect on the self confidence.


2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Yassir M Mahgoub

<p>This paper primarily aims at exploring the impact of innovation teaching on future challenges for basic level pupils.<br />The descriptive analytical and experimental methods are used in this research. The researcher can put specific proposals for innovation teaching for basic level pupils.<br />The study sample consists of pupils totaling (20) pupils of the basic schools of the University of Khartoum - Republic of the Sudan.<br />Innovation and creativity are part of the essential skills that enable students to meet with future challenges, can implement a number of tips and techniques that can help students to think creatively and find solutions for future problems.<br />The results showed there are significant differences between the experimental group and control group before and after the test, which confirms that students of the basic schools will be more interested in the future challenges as measured by a survey given before and after the program.<br />The researcher recommended the Ministry of Education should develop a plan focusing on the development of the children creative abilities of the basic level pupils, because student at this level tends to invent things or find solutions.</p>


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