Many Irish children are failing to meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity. Research shows that children are failing to develop the necessary physical literacy skills to reverse this ...trend. Early childhood has been identified as a critical period to intervene, with the school environment identified as a key environment to do so. Qualitative research is increasingly included in intervention studies to aid the development of acceptable, attractive, effective and sustainable interventions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the implementation process of the MWBW intervention (Exploratory trial) in the primary school setting, allowing the research team to assess the quality of the intervention's implementation. Objectives included assessing whether the intervention is suitable for the primary school environment, and to inform for future, mainstream implementation through a comprehensive process evaluation.
The intervention is underpinned by both the theory of constraints and self-determination theory, and is designed using the comprehensive framework outlined by the behaviour change wheel. The intervention was delivered in 18 primary schools (22% DEIS) to 925 participants (age range 6-10 years, mean 7.55). The intervention was co-delivered by trained coaches and class teachers who were being upskilled (by trained coaches) whilst the intervention was being delivered. Qualitative data were gathered in the form of child focus groups (N = 32, 62% Male), teacher (N = 31) and principal (N = 5) questionnaires (open-ended questions), coach focus groups (N = 16, 81% Male) and weekly reflections. Data were analysed thematically following Braun and Clarke guidelines on using thematic analysis.
Five key themes, with subsequent sub-themes, were identified: (1) Implementation of the Moving Well-Being Well model, (2) Outcomes from the intervention, (3) Fidelity of implementation, (4) Key components of favourite games and (5) Challenges faced and areas to develop.
Findings would suggest that the MWBW intervention is suited to the Irish primary school environment and its model of implementation can provide benefits to both children participants and teachers. Findings also show that the intervention has largely been delivered as intended showing potentially significant increases in participants overall FMS. Future research should examine the contextual impacts on the overall FMS improvement and how it varies from site to site. Evidence from this study also suggests that in order to produce similar or improved results in the future as part of a wider-scale roll-out of the intervention in schools, researchers should look to further assist teachers (possibly through added resources and/or training) to assist fidelity of implementation as well as looking at other factors that may influence intervention outcomes such as weather, seasonality, access to indoor facilities and environmental factors.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, NUK, PILJ, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
This study aims to assess fundamental movement skill (FMS) proficiency, physical self-confidence levels, and the relationship between these variables and gender differences among adolescents. Three ...hundred and ninety five adolescents aged 13.78 years (SD = ±1.2) from 20 schools were involved in this study. The Test of Gross Motor Development-2nd Edition (TGMD), TGMD-2 and Victorian Skills Manual were used to assess 15 FMS. Participants' physical self-confidence was also assessed using a valid skill-specific scale. A significant correlation was observed between FMS proficiency and physical self-confidence for females only (r = 0.305, P < 0.001). Males rated themselves as having significantly higher physical self-confidence levels than females (P = 0.001). Males scored significantly higher than females in FMS proficiency (P < 0.05), and the lowest physical self-confidence group were significantly less proficient at FMS than the medium (P < 0.001) and high physical self-confidence groups (P < 0.05). This information not only highlights those in need of assistance to develop their FMS but will also facilitate in the development of an intervention which aims to improve physical self-confidence and FMS proficiency.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, FSPLJ, GIS, IJS, KISLJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
Research has shown that physical activity (PA) is important for health throughout the lifespan. Therefore, it is important that children develop the individual prerequisites that enable participation ...in PA throughout life. The theoretical concept physical literacy (PL) and the research field of PL has described such personal competences and traits. However, to promote PL among children and lifelong PA, there is a demand for more high-quality interventions to be developed and tested. When targeting children, schools are an important setting. Despite the possibility of promoting PL during PE lessons, few well-tested interventions have been developed. In this study, we therefore aim to context adapt and feasibility test an already existing and promising PL intervention to a Danish school context. The ADAPT and MRC guidelines were followed to adapt the Promoting Pupils Physical Literacy (3PL) intervention. Through workshops with stakeholders, the intervention was adapted to fit Danish 4.sup.th and 5.sup.th graders. Four Danish schools were recruited in a wait list design. The feasibility and acceptability of both the intervention and the effect study design will be investigated. To investigate the intervention, weekly questionnaires, observations, and interviews will be conducted during the intervention period. The feasibility of the effect study design will be investigated by collecting baseline and endline data on pupils' PL and daily PA as well as parents' socioeconomic status. Expected outcomes include a TIDieR checklist, a revised, feasible, and acceptable intervention, and an effect study design protocol. This will contribute to important steps in the direction of making PL interventions more accessible for practice. Valid testing of intervention effectiveness enables stakeholders to make informed decisions grounded in evidence. This will strengthen the possibilities of a successful outcome and for a PL intervention that is more accessible for practice, which is important for scale up.
Full text
Available for:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Abstract
The period after school represents an opportunity to engage children in physical activity (PA) programmes in schools. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of an afterschool ...programme, delivered in schools, on children’s participation in and attitudes to PA. Ten schools took part in this non-randomized controlled trial (five experimental and five control schools). Experimental schools participated in an after-school programme delivered by teachers and parents for 50 min per week. Outcome measures included device-measured PA, self-report youth PA behaviour and parental perceptions of the school environment. Measurements took place at baseline, and mean follow-up was at 10 weeks. Data were collected from 196 participants, with a mean age of 8.1 ± 0.8 years. Mean daily minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for the entire sample at baseline was 69.9 ± 23.3. While both groups presented a decline in MVPA levels, there was a significant difference in the change from baseline to follow-up (P = 0.043) of min/day MVPA between the control group (−13.2 ± 23.9) and the experimental group (−0.9 ± 25.2). This programme may help maintain MVPA levels, with children exposed to the intervention experiencing a significantly lower decline in MVPA than their control counterparts.
S06-2 GAP: The Girls Active Project McQuinn, Sara; Belton, Sarahjane; Staines, Anthony ...
European journal of public health,
09/2022, Volume:
32, Issue:
Supplement_2
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Abstract
Background
Adolescent females Physical Activity (PA) participation rates are low globally, particularly among females of lower Socio-Economic Status (SES). Evidence suggests theory‐based, ...multi-component interventions are most effective at improving PA levels. This research aimed to co-design, with adolescent females, a theory-driven, multi-component, extracurricular school-based PA intervention, the Girls Active Project (GAP) and assess its feasibility.
Setting
One single-sex, females-only, designated disadvantaged post-primary school in Dublin, Ireland.
Methods
The Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) and Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) were used to develop the GAP. Mixed-methods with students (n = 287, aged 12-18) and teachers (n = 7) captured students’ self-reported PA levels and identified factors influencing PA behaviour at school. These data were subsequently used in discussion groups with PPI contributors (n = 8, students aged 15-17) to co-design the intervention. Mixed-methods were applied with multiple stakeholders to assess the feasibility of implementing and evaluating the GAP programme over a 12-week single-arm feasibility trial.
Results
Just 1.4% of the students in this sample (n = 287) reported meeting the recommended PA guidelines. Time, social influences, beliefs about capabilities, environmental context and resources, goals, reinforcement, and behavioural regulation emerged from the data as factors influencing PA behaviour. A peer-led, after-school PA programme was co-designed. The feasibility study encountered significant contextual barriers and challenges with recruitment. Recruitment (n = 8, 10%) was low, yet retention (88%) was high. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic hindering implementation, results suggested the GAP programme was implemented with high fidelity (87%), well-received by stakeholders and perceived as compatible with the after school-setting.
Conclusions
PA levels of females in this sample were far below recommended guidelines for optimum health. The novel approach applied to systematically co-design the intervention could facilitate future replication. Whilst further thought must be given on how to increase enrolment, the in-person delivered PA programme showed promise as an intervention that can be feasibly implemented and evaluated. Future research should examine the GAP’s preliminary-effectiveness at increasing PA levels in a pilot-cluster randomised controlled trial.
Full text
Available for:
NUK, OILJ, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
This study examined the relationship between fundamental movement skills (FMS) and health related fitness (HRF) components in children. A cross section of Irish primary school children across all age ...groups participated in this study (n=2098, 47% girls, age 5-12 years of age, mean age 9.2 ± 2.04). FMS were measured using the Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-3), along with two additional assessments of vertical jump and balance. All HRF components were also assessed: body composition through BMI and waist circumference, muscular strength (MS) using a hand dynamometer, muscular endurance (ME) through the plank test, flexibility with back-saver sit-and-reach, and cardiovascular endurance (CVE) using the 20 m PACER test. Hierarchal multiple regressions were used to measure associations between the HRF components and overall FMS and the FMS subtests: locomotor, object control and balance skills. Results show significant positive relationships between FMS and MS (R
2
= 0.25, β= −0.19), ME (R
2
= 0.11, β = 0.34), flexibility (R
2
= 0.13, β = 0.14) and CVE (R
2
= 0.17, β = 0.39), and an inverse relationship between FMS and body composition (R
2
= 0.25, β= −0.19). The data presented reinforces the position that the relationship between FMS and HRF is dynamic, and predominantly strengthens with age through the course of childhood. Findings suggest that developing FMS as a child may be important to developing HRF across childhood and into adolescence.
Full text
Available for:
FSPLJ, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The world experienced challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in school closures across the globe in early 2020. Schools pivoted to remote delivery of learning using a variety of ...online and offline resources. PE is vital in providing motor development opportunities for children and it is essential to ensure that the provision of quality PE experiences is continued, even in the context of a pandemic. It was in this context that the PE at Home lessons were developed.
This study examined teachers' and parents' experiences of using the PE at Home resource and contributes to documenting the PE home-learning experience and can inform how the education system might respond and incorporate remote teaching into the future.
A mixed-methods study utilising online surveys with 29 teachers and 173 parents/guardians and online interviews with five teachers, five parents and seven resource developers was undertaken. Quantitative data were descriptively analysed while qualitative data were analysed using a thematic approach (Braun, V., and V. Clarke. 2006. "Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology." Qualitative Research in Psychology 3 (2): 77-101).
The PE at Home lessons had excellent viewership with over 27,000 Facebook and 937 website views. Three themes (i) ensuring the 'E' remained in PE; (ii) home-schooling and physical education; (ii) and context and relatability were developed from the data. While some parents demonstrated that their knowledge of PE was that it consisted of physical activity, other parents along with teachers and developers reflected on the educative component of the lessons. The PE at Home lessons provided teachers with a resource to share with parents to support parents home-school during Covid-19 school closures. An Irish resource featuring Irish children and aligned with the Irish curriculum was seen as a strength by both parents and teachers.
The PE at Home lessons address the teaching and learning of PE in multiple contexts, particularly in an online environment, and they can be used in multiple ways to promote learning.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, NUK, PILJ, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
School's out... now what? Wickel, Eric E; Belton, Sarahjane
Journal of science and medicine in sport,
08/2016, Volume:
19, Issue:
8
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Objectives: To describe the change in afterschool levels of sedentary time and physical activity from childhood to adolescence. Design: Longitudinal. Methods: 375 youth (50% boys) from the Study of ...Early Child Care and Youth Development (United States) provided accelerometer data at 9 (2000/01) and 15 yrs (2006/07). Average time spent in sedentary, light, moderate, vigorous, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA; min h-1) was reported across the afterschool period (15:00-22:00) and separately across whole days. Mean comparisons were conducted to report between- and within-group differences in afterschool data. Analysis of covariance was used to determine the effect of sex, ethnicity, and baseline body mass index (BMI) on the 6-yr change in afterschool sedentary time and MVPA before and after adjusting for covariates (baseline afterschool sedentary/MVPA time, change in non-afterschool sedentary/MVPA time, difference in afterschool wear time, and socioeconomic status). Results: From 9 to 15 yrs, sedentary time increased and activity decreased during the afterschool period. After covariate adjustment, the decline in afterschool MVPA was significantly greater among girls, compared to boys (B coefficient (95%CI)=-0.94 (-1.47, -0.40)), and among overweight/obese youth, compared to youth with normal BMI values (B coefficient (95%CI)=-0.65 (-1.22, -0.08)). Conclusions: During the transition from childhood to adolescence, afterschool activity (min h-1) decreases while sedentary time increases. Programs are needed throughout this period that promote the maintenance of activity or encourage additional activity with age. (Autor).
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Physical literacy (PL) is highlighted as a construct that can positively impact physical activity (PA). Measurement methods and definitions for PL exist, but vary between research groups. This ...variation affects the ability to compare research findings. The purpose of this study was to assess the construct validity of PL in children. PL was operationalised according to
Whitehead’s (2001) definition, comprising confidence, motivation, physical competence, and knowledge and understanding. Participants (n = 1073; mean age 10.86 ± 1.20 years: 53% male) were measured on: (i) confidence (Physical Activity Self-Efficacy Scale;
Bartholomew et al., 2006), (ii) motivation (Behavioural Regulation in Exercise-Adapted;
Sebire et al., 2013), (iii) physical competence (health-related fitness: 20 m shuttle run, back-saver sit-and-reach, handgrip strength, plank); balance (Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency 2;
Bruininks, 2005); object-control and locomotor skills (Test of Gross Motor Development-3rd edition (TGMD-3);
Ulrich, 2016); and (iv) knowledge and understanding (PA and sedentary guidelines). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to analyse the factor structure of PL. The best-fitting model (χ2 = 209.8, df = 99, p < 0.001; comparative fit index = 0.95, normed fit index = 0.91, Tucker–Lewis index = 0.93, root mean square error of approximation = 0.032, 95% confidence interval: 0.026–0.038) was a three-component model containing the domains of motivation, confidence, and physical competence. The knowledge and understanding domain did not fit the model well. Factor loadings were highest for confidence and motivation. Findings support the adoption of a pragmatic approach to PL measurement. CFA results indicated a similar factor structure as has been identified in other studies which have used different tools to measure PL domains.
Full text
Available for:
FSPLJ, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
It is well established that meeting physical activity (PA) guidelines has a range of physical and mental health benefits. For people who are blind and vision impaired (BVI) there may be additional ...benefits in terms of social inclusion and the prevention of sight deterioration.
This study aimed to quantify PA levels, barriers to and motivators for PA in adults who are BVI.
PA levels, perceived barriers to, and motivators for PA were measured via questionnaire of 310 self-identifying BVI adults (n = 310 mean age = 29.77 ± 11.37, 55.8% male).
PA levels were low, with 21.7% meeting PA guidelines. Median PA levels were not statistically significantly different between different age groups. There was no significant difference between genders, though mean days of PA for males was 0.382 days lower than for females.
There was a significant difference between PA levels between the “no vision” (B1) and “useful vision” (B3) groups (p = 0.027), and the “no vision” (B1) and the “low vision” (B2) groups (p = 0.003). Transport (54.8%) and lack of access to enjoyable activities (47.0%) were the most commonly cited barriers, while “to relax” (36.4%) and “to have fun” (35.6%) were most commonly cited as very important motivators.
This study provides a valuable insight into the low levels of PA that persist amongst adults with BVI. Future research should seek to gain a deeper understanding of the PA barriers, motivators and facilitators in this cohort.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
PDF
