The forgotten age group: The need for targeted physical activity and healthy lifestyle promotion for older adolescents

Introduction Globally, limited research has examined healthy lifestyle promotion for older adolescents (16–18 years), yet habitual healthy lifestyles can be developed at this time. Most initiatives have been aimed at adults or younger children and research has highlighted England to be up to ten tears behind other countries in prioritising health education (Berkman et al., 2010). This research aims to examine older adolescents’ knowledge and understanding of healthy lifestyle [nutrition and physical activity (PA)] recommendations and compare these to their self-reported PA, active transportation, active leisure and food intake. It will also ask their experiences of how healthy lifestyles are promoted to them. Method Ninety-three participants (39M; 54F) (M age=16.9, SD=.40 years), from 3 low socio-economic English high schools completed an online questionnaire on their self-reported: (1) daily physical activity (PA); (2) active transportation (AT); (3) active leisure time (AL); (4) food intake; (5) experiences of healthy lifestyles promotion; and (6) perceived healthiness. Questions were merged from both the validated Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) (WHO, 2004) and the Short Form Food Frequency Questionnaire (SFFFQ) (Cleghorn & Cade, 2017). To examine perceived healthiness, participants rated their overall health on a 5-point scale over the past 12 months. Daily PA, active transport, active leisure and how participants felt healthy lifestyles were promoted to them, were asked via open-ended questions. The SFFFQ was used to generate a food group score [via the Diet and Nutrition Tool for Evaluation (Cleghorn & Cade, 2017)], which were then added together to create an overall diet quality score (DQS). Data analysis was undertaken within SPSS 24.0 (IBM Corp, Armok, NY, USA). A multi-variance of statistical analysis (MANOVA) assessed group differences across multiple dependent variables of the food group scores and overall DQS. GPAQ questions were analysed individually according to demographics: sex, and perceived healthiness. Univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) was then undertaken for each question to assess the group differences per element of PA. Thematic analysis was used to analyse all open-ended questions. Statistical significance was set at <.05. Results Only 60% reached PA recommended guidelines. Yet, 92% (n=86) used active travel for a least 10 mins continuously; of these, 86% (n=80) undertook this at least 5 days per week. Over half (51%, n=47) undertook MVPA as active leisure. However, 66% (n=61) spent ≥5 hours sedentary and only 17% (n=16) met recommended nutritional guidelines for health. Males who rated themselves as having poor health had eaten the recommended intakes of fat (1.00±.00), compared to females who rated themselves as having poor health but ate more than the recommended intakes of fat (2.60±.89). Nearly all participants (90%, n=80) did not report school as a place that promoted healthy lifestyles. Discussion As a public health measure and an educational policy matter, it is recommended schools implement more targeted PA and healthy eating initiatives for older adolescents. Further research is also needed to examine male older adolescents’ health literacy to get a deeper insight into their understanding and application of information relating to their health. References Berkman, N. D., Davis, T. C., & McCormack, L. (2010). Health literacy: what is it? Journal of Health Communication, 15(S2), 9-19. Cleghorn, C., & Cade, J. (2017). Short Form Food Frequency Questionnaire. Available online: https://www.nutritools.org/tools/ World Health Organization (2004). Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). World Health Organization. Geneva, Switzerland

Modifiability of the psychomotor domain

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A Comparative Test of Creative Thinking in Preschool Children and Dolphins

Creativity is considered one aspect of intelligence. Including creativity allows for more room for expression (e.g., participants can respond with movement instead of written or verbal responses) than in standard intelligence assessments. The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT; Torrance, 1974) are the leading method of assessing creative abilities in school-aged humans and above. To assess creativity in young humans and nonhuman animals, modifications must be made to facilitate nonverbal responses. In the current study, a cross-species comparison was conducted between preschoolers and bottlenose dolphins to examine responses to a modified creativity task in which both species were trained to demonstrate non-repeated behaviors to an “innovate” prompt. The resulting behaviors for the first test session were coded for fluency (number of non-repeated behaviors demonstrated), originality, and flexibility (low, moderate, or high activity level). Children and dolphins produced a similar number of non-repeated behaviors during individual test trials and also had similar originality scores. Related to flexibility, dolphins displayed more low energy activity levels compared to the children. Given the limited understanding of creative abilities in animals and young children, this comparison using a modified version of the TTCT offers exciting possibilities. These results could provide further evidence of similarities in cognitive processes for humans and nonhuman animals

A systematic review of game technologies for pediatric patients

[EN] Children in hospital are subjected to multiple negative stimuli that may hinder their development and social interactions. Although game technologies are thought to improve children's experience in hospital, there is a lack of information on how they can be used effectively. This paper presents a systematic review of the literature on the existing approaches in this context to identify gaps for future research. A total of 1305 studies were identified, of which 75 were thoroughly analyzed according to our review protocol. The results show that the most common approach is to design mono-user games with traditional computers or monitor-based video consoles, which serve as a distractor or a motivator for physical rehabilitation for primary school children undergoing fearful procedures such as venipuncture, or those suffering chronic, neurological, or traumatic diseases/injures. We conclude that, on the one hand, game technologies seem to present physical and psychological benefits to pediatric patients, but more research is needed on this. On the other hand, future designers of games for pediatric hospitalization should consider: 1. The development for kindergarten patients and adolescents, 2. Address the psychological impact caused by long-term hospitalization, 3. Use collaboration as an effective game strategy to reduce patient isolation, 4. Have purposes other than distraction, such as socialization, coping with emotions, or fostering physical mobility, 5. Include parents/caregivers and hospital staff in the game activities; and 6. Exploit new technological artifacts such as robots and tangible interactive elements to encourage intrinsic motivation.This work is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the European Development Regional Fund (EDRF-FEDER) with Project TIN2014-60077-R.El Jurdi, S.; Montaner-Marco, J.; García Sanjuan, F.; Jaén Martínez, FJ.; Nácher-Soler, VE. (2018). A systematic review of game technologies for pediatric patients. Computers in Biology and Medicine. 97:89-112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compbiomed.2018.04.019S891129

Motion-based technology to support motor skills screening in developing children: A scoping review

Background. Acquiring motor skills is fundamental for children's development since it is linked to cognitive development. However, access to early detection of motor development delays is limited. Aim. This review explores the use and potential of motion-based technology (MBT) as a complement to support and increase access to motor screening in developing children. Methods. Six databases were searched following the PRISMA guidelines to search, select, and assess relevant works where MBT recognised the execution of children's motor skills. Results. 164 studies were analysed to understand the type of MBT used, the motor skills detected, the purpose of using MBT and the age group targeted. Conclusions. There is a gap in the literature aiming to integrate MBT in motor skills development screening and assessment processes. Depth sensors are the prevailing technology offering the largest detection range for children from age 2. Nonetheless, the motor skills detected by MBT represent about half of the motor skills usually observed to screen and assess motor development. Overall, research in this field is underexplored. The use of multimodal approaches, combining various motion-based sensors, may support professionals in the health domain and increase access to early detection programmes.Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga / CBUA

Gesture Recognition System Application to early childhood education

One of the most socially and culturally advantageous uses of human-computer interaction is enhancing playing and learning for children. In this study, gesture interactive game-based learning (GIGL) is tested to see if these kinds of applications are suitable to stimulate working memory (WM) and basic mathematical skills (BMS) in early childhood (5-6 years old) using a hand gesture recognition system. Hand gesture is being performed by the user and to control a computer system by that incoming information. We can conclude that the children who used GIGL technology showed a significant increase in their learning performance in WM and BMS, surpassing those who did normal school activities

Education and Physical Activity in Childhood: Current Challenges and Perspectives Proceedings of the 4th CIAPSE Congress

Like most school subjects and their respective mother sciences and research areas, physical education faces severe challenges caused by recent political and social developments. Due to the implementation of international guidelines and increased immigration, inclusion and intercultural learning, as well as corresponding teacher training, will be critical issues for the educational sciences in general and for physical education in particular. This applies also to the use of new information and communication technology. How, how often, under what conditions and for what purpose should tools such as tablets, software apps and activity trackers be used by physical education teachers and other physical activity educators and practitioners? What are the benefits and the risks? However, the most relevant problem the field of physical education and physical activity is currently confronted with is the changing physical activity behaviour of children and youth, particularly in developed countries. A joint effort of researchers, educationalists, politicians, and teachers is needed to determine the causes of young people’s physical inactivity and develop effective strategies and programmes that can be implemented in school as well as community settings in general. At the 4th CIAPSE Congress in Luxembourg, leading researchers and educationalists from all over Europe addressed these challenges and developments and presented innovative concepts. The main topics and sub-themes were: - The Promotion of Physical Activity and Play in Children - Physical Literacy in Children - Physical Education in Early Childhood and Primary Education - Physical Education Teacher Education in Early Childhood and Primary Education - Physical Activity in Active School Settings - Physical Activity for Health Promotion and Active Community in a Sustainable and Healthy World - Intercultural Learning, Diversity and Inclusion in Physical Education and Physical Activity - Physical Education, Physical Activity and New Technologie

The social brain: allowing humans to boldly go where no other species has been

The biological basis of complex human social interaction and communication has been illuminated through a coming together of various methods and disciplines. Among these are comparative studies of other species, studies of disorders of social cognition and developmental psychology. The use of neuroimaging and computational models has given weight to speculations about the evolution of social behaviour and culture in human societies. We highlight some networks of the social brain relevant to two-person interactions and consider the social signals between interacting partners that activate these networks.Wemake a case for distinguishing between signals that automatically trigger interaction and cooperation and ostensive signals that are used deliberately.We suggest that this ostensive signalling is needed for ‘closing the loop’ in two-person interactions, where the partners each know that they have the intention to communicate. The use of deliberate social signals can serve to increase reputation and trust and facilitates teaching. This is likely to be a critical factor in the steep cultural ascent ofmankind

Developing number sense with Fingu: a preschooler’s embodied mathematics during interactions with a multi-touch digital game

Early number sense, including subitizing and composition, is a foundation for mathematics, and bodies, especially fingers, are integral to number sense. Multi-touch technology offers innovative opportunities for developing and studying number sense, especially using conceptually congruent gestures that match the mathematics. However, there have been few investigations of the development of early number sense, particularly in embodied forms. Therefore, this mixed-methods study explores a preschooler’s development of early number sense during a month of interactions with the multi-touch digital mathematics game Fingu. Key findings related to the development of early number sense include relevance of configuration and quantity, relationships among gestures and quantities, and development of estimation and precision. This research adds new perspectives to our understandings of early number sense research and practice, calling for consideration of embodiment and conceptually congruent gestures

Gesture Production, Motor Skills, and Disfluencies Observed in Typically Developing Preschoolers

Interest in gesture production has considerably increased in recent decades, yet few studies have examined the preschool population. Even fewer studies have examined the intriguing interaction between motor skills and gesture. The original intent of this study was to investigate the relationship of gesture and motor skills in individuals who stutter. However due to recruitment limitations the enrolled sample consists solely of typically developing preschoolers, 3:8 to 6:6 years. Data are presented on gestures and disfluencies during spontaneous speech, a cartoon narration, and a video narration. Additionally, disfluencies were observed during a procedural description task with restricted hand use and hand tapping. Data indicated that higher frequencies of gestures and disfluencies were seen during the cartoon narration. A greater frequency of disfluencies was also experienced with restricted hand use. Relationships between the variables were also explored. Limitations and implications of these results are discussed from both theoretical and clinical perspectives