Psychosocial Correlates of Korean Adolescents' Physical Activity Behavior

The purpose of this study was to test the association of psychological and social variables in explaining the physical activity behavior of a random sample of secondary school students in Korea. Participants included 1,347 students enrolled in the 7th to 12th grades (males, 943; females, 404). Four Korean-version questionnaires were used to explore possible associations between psychosocial variables and physical activity among adolescents. Data were analyzed using correlation analysis and structural equation modeling. Results indicated that all of the psychosocial variables showed statistically significant intercorrelations, and were clearly correlated with physical activity behavior. The psychosocial variables accounted for 40.6% of the variance in the adolescents' physical activity behavior, and the proposed model had an excellent fit for exploring relationships among psychological variables, social support, and physical activity behavior. This study offers the first evidence of psychosocial constructs as predictors of Korean adolescents' physical activity behavior

PCSFN Science Board Report on Youth Sports

A healthy nation starts with healthy citizens, and participation in sports is one of the most powerful ways to promote healthy habits for a lifetime—not only for physical fitness but also for emotional wellbeing and social cohesion. The natural enthusiasm that children and adolescents (collectively referred to as “youth”) have for physical activity and play creates an ideal opportunity for encouraging sports as an integral part of their development. In order to increase youth engagement in sports across all communities, particularly those with below-average sports participation and limited access to athletic facilities or recreational areas, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services developed a comprehensive National Youth Sports Strategy (NYSS).1 The NYSS provides a variety of opportunities and action items to unite the nation’s youth sports culture around a shared vision: that one day all youth will have the opportunity, motivation, and access to play sports, regardless of their race, ethnicity, sex, ability, or ZIP code. Building on this charge, the Science Board Subcommittee (Science Board) of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition (Council) has developed a report to equip the Council with a deeper scientific understanding of why youth sports matter and how to promote key features of the NYSS. The report is organized around four pillars, all of which are supported by current, interdisciplinary science: (1) making youth sports accessible; (2) optimizing the youth sports experience; (3) parenting, coaching, and mentoring youth; and (4) fostering lifelong participation and retention in sports

Physical fitness for the few or physical activity and health for all: Coexisting ideologies or Pushmi-Pullyu tensions in the quest for building an active, health nation?

Is it better to have a select few people serve as representatives of a nation’s health and vitality, or to have the whole of a nation be active and healthy? The answer speaks volumes about a society’s values and long-term interests in its citizens and their prosperity. If the emphasis is on a select few, then an illusion of a healthy and active society can be created. The mass public can bask in the reflective glory of the achievements of the representative few, but they themselves may never know or experience true health, happiness, or prosperity. This presentation will consider the value propositions associated with this question from the perspective of: (a) the academic discipline of physical education; (b) 21st century diseases, 19th century wisdom; (c) understanding physical activity behavior: psychosocial and sociocultural perspectives; (d) isotemporal substitution model; (e) sociocultural relevancy model and community-based participatory research; and (f) syndemic nature of hypokinetic diseases and sedentary death syndrome. To positively affect change among the masses, those involved in delivering physical activity interventions and programming must not only address each lifestyle behavior and social affliction that contributes to hypokinetic diseases, but also to the social and environmental forces that link those causes together (e.g., stigma, unequal access to resources). The aim of this presentation is to critically reflect on where the discipline of physical education has been and to offer suggestions about where it is going, with a keen interest in advancing inclusive physical activity practices that benefit the whole of society. The complexities of physical inactivity-related diseases will be discussed, leading to recommendations for assuring the sociocultural relevancy of the work that is being done, work that can be enhanced by employing community-based participatory research methods

Striving to sustain active, healthy lifestyles for all: Wisdom derived from evolution, natural law, and demography.

Physical activity education and sports may uniquely contribute to the sufficiency economy, not just philosophically, but practically. Our chances of achieving this are optimized by understanding and applying wisdom-derived knowledge from evolution, natural law, and demography. In this presentation I hope to increase your understanding as to why regular physical activity engagement is so difficult for people and what might be done about it. I will address a range of topics including the national physical activity guidelines, the mismatch hypothesis between what our bodies were adapted for and modern-day living conditions in developed societies (including just how W.E.I.R.D. and unnatural “exercise” really is), revelations for overcoming this that might be gleaned from Newton’s Three Law’s of Motion, how the behavioral pathways associated with physical activity experiences might be better aligned to match what we know about affect, cognition, and psychomotor skill development, as well as other insights aimed at helping people live healthy, active lifestyles. Before concluding I will also address some demographic trends that showcase specific entrepreneurial opportunities

Physical activity education for human resource development: Expanding roles and increased relevance.

People cannot perform at their best unless they are healthy and well. A key behavior in attaining and maintaining a high state of health and wellness is physical activity. Regular physical activity participation is widely known to provide numerous physical, psychological, and social benefits. In spite of this, very few people achieve the recommended amount of physical activity. Improving upon this situation is an international priority. Fogg’s behavior model along with Cardinal’s progressive principles for physical activity educators will be introduced in attempt to address this need. Four domains will be featured in which concepts from the model and principles will then be applied in an effort to improve human resource development. The presentation concludes by suggesting that physical activity education can and should occur across the lifespan where people live, learn, work, and play, and where the pursuit of a healthy, active lifestyle should not simply be an individual effort, but rather a societal obligation where making the healthy choice is the easy choice

Bringing research to practice, returning to our roots: A case for required physical education in higher education

Because of their new independent status as young adults, undergraduate college students are at a crucial point in the development of significant health behaviors, especially as related to physical activity. Unfortunately, in the United States, there is clear evidence that the lifestyle choices college students make are not always healthy ones (Li et al., 2012). For example, an estimated 20% of college students are completely sedentary, while an additional 40% are insufficiently active (Irwin, 2004). Moreover, physical activity levels decline from high school to college and beyond. For example, Cullen et al. (1999) reported a 62.5% reduction in physical activity levels between high school and college and, unfortunately, the drop is generally greater in the post-college years (Sparling & Snow, 2002). Some scholars have suggested that college level physical education curricula are the last major opportunity to provide information and behavior change skills that can enable healthy lifestyle habits throughout college and life (Sparling, 2003). Purpose In this presentation I will: 1) Briefly review the history of required physical education in American higher education. 2) Provide an update on the status of the physical activity education requirement and its rationale in the context of general education reform, the National Physical Activity Plan, and other related initiatives. 3) Provoke discussion about the need for Physical Education (Kinesiology) and Health Departments to re-prioritize physical activity education as being a central feature of their academic units, especially given the context of an increasingly sedentary society. 4) Articulate the appropriate placement of physical activity education within the General Education curriculum of colleges and universities

Benefits of youth sports

The National Youth Sports Strategy aims to unite U.S. youth sports culture around a shared vision: that one day, all youth will have the opportunity, motivation, and access to play sports—regardless of their race, ethnicity, sex, ability, or ZIP code. Why youth sports? Research shows that participating in youth sports can lead to immediate and long-term benefits for youth, their families, and communities

Developing and sustaining the Health Science and Kinesiology section of the Oregon Academy of Science: Where do we go from here?

Abstract from the 2019 Oregon Academy of Science (OAS) conference held on February 23, 2019 at Linfield College, McMinville, OR. The abstract documents the process by which "Kinesiology" became a visible discipline on the OAS program for the first time in 2019. Preserving this historical moment may be important for posterity, as well as understanding how this all came about. Others interested in advancing Kinesiology as a scientific discipline may find value in this work. It documents a unique form of disciplinary advocacy

Assessing the History of Physical Activity Education’s Future: Innovations, Praxis, and Evidence

Known events occur in life that are associated with steep drop-offs in physical activity behavior. One such event is the transitional period between late adolescence and early adulthood, particularly the completion of high school and start of college or university. The reduction associated with this transition has been reported to be as high as 62.5 percent. In the United States the National Physical Activity Plan recommends strategies and tactics that – if implemented at scale – would improve upon this situation. The strategies and tactics proposed span nine societal sectors, one of which is Education. Within Education, Strategy 5 states, “Colleges and universities should provide students and employees with opportunities and incentives to adopt and maintain physically active lifestyles.” There are six tactics recommended for this strategy, the first of which is: “Provide physical activity opportunities through courses that contribute to graduation requirements for undergraduate students.” Contrary to this tactic, there is evidence that physical activity education graduation requirements have diminished over time on college and university campuses in America. In an effort to curb this situation and to promote sustainable development in this area, the scientific evidence supporting the short- and long-term value of these courses will be reviewed and recommendations for future research and praxis will be advanced. The accumulated evidence presented can serve as the basis for a policy and/or advocacy document on college and university campuses that are undergoing review, thwarting off challenges, or proactively trying to add a requirement. This presentation is built in seven sequential sections

A movement möbius: Intersecting dance and exercise science

Martha Grahm reputedly said, “a dancer is an ‘athlete of God’” (Theys, 2010). Yet dance and exercise and sport science (herein referred to as exercise science) are often viewed as unique entities, sometimes dividedly so. Our contention is that dance and exercise science mutually benefit when the two disciplines are interconnected. In this paper we advance our position, providing theoretical, historical, and contemporary practical examples of how each can benefit by recognizing their similarities versus focusing on their differences. An analogy based on the mathematically derived Möbius strip is used to illustrate the value of our approach