Salsa Dance and Perceived Mental Health Benefits: A Servant Leadership Theory-Driven Study

The purpose of the current study was to assess servant leadership dimensions, perceived mental health benefits, and correlations between the two following an eight-week servant leadership theory-driven salsa dance programme taught to novice learners at a West Midlands, UK university. Upon completion of the salsa dance programme (frequency – once per week, intensity – moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, time – 90 minutes, type – group-based Cuban style salsa dance), a paper questionnaire was administered to the participants to complete in person. The questionnaire contained 18 items related to servant leadership dimensions (authenticity, empowerment, humility, standing back, and stewardship) in terms of the teaching and learning of salsa dance and four items related to perceived mental health benefits (mood enhancement, self-confidence, skill mastery, and social well-being). Authenticity and stewardship were rated higher in females when compared to males. Differences were found between perceived mental health benefits in both females and males with mood enhancement rated highest in both genders. This is the first study we are aware of to have applied principles of servant leadership in the teaching of salsa dance as a leisure-time physical activity. Servant leadership may have facilitated the high perceived mental health benefits observed

The Effectiveness of a Primary School Based Badminton Intervention on Children’s Fundamental Movement Skills

This study examined the effects of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Shuttle Time program on fundamental movement skills (FMS) in English children. A total of 124 children; 66 in key stage 1 (ages 6–7 years) and 58 in key stage 2 (10–11 years) undertook the Shuttle Time program, once weekly for six weeks (n = 63) or acted as controls (n = 61). Pre, post and ten-weeks post, both process and product FMS were determined. Children in the intervention group, aged 6–7 years, had higher total process FMS (via test of gross motor development-2) compared to the control group at post and ten-weeks post intervention (both p = 0.0001, d = 0.6 and 0.7, respectively). There were no significant differences in process FMS scores for children aged 10–11 years. Ten-meter sprint speed decreased pre to post and was maintained at ten-weeks post for the intervention groups aged 6–7 years (p = 0.0001, d = 0.6) and 10–11 years (p = 0.001, d = 0.2) compared to control. Standing long jump distance increased pre to post (p = 0.0001, d = 0.8) and was maintained at ten-weeks post (p = 0.0001, d = 0.5) for the intervention group. Medicine ball throw performance increased pre to post (p = 0.0001, d = 0.3) for the intervention group. The BWF Shuttle Time program is beneficial in developing FMS for key stage 1 children (ages 6–7)

Using accelerometry to classify physical activity intensity in older adults:What is the optimal wear-site?

This study aimed to determine the optimal accelerometer wear-site specific cut-points for discrimination of the sedentary time, light physical activity and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in older adults. Twenty-three adults (14 females) aged 55-77 years wore a GENEActiv accelerometer on their non-dominant wrist, dominant wrist, waist and dominant ankle whilst undertaking eight, five-minute bouts of activity: lay supine, seated reading, slow walking, medium walking, fast walking, folding laundry, sweeping and stationary cycling. VO2 was assessed concurrently using indirect calorimetry. Receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) analyses were used to derive wear-site specific cut-points for classifying intensity. Indirect calorimetry indicated that being lay supine and seated reading were classified as sedentary (3 METs). Areas under ROC curves indicated that the classification of sedentary activity was good for the non-dominant wrist and excellent for all other wear sites. Classification of MVPA was excellent for the waist and ankle, good for the waist and poor for the dominant and non-dominant wrists. Overall, the ankle location performed better than in other locations. Ankle-worn accelerometry appears to provide the most suitable wear-site to discriminate between sedentary time and MVPA in older adults

The Utility of the Supine-to-Stand Test as a Measure of Functional Motor Competence in Children Aged 5–9 Years

This study examined how supine-to-stand (STS) performance is related to process and product assessment of motor competence (MC) in children. Ninety-one children aged 5–9 years were assessed for process and product MC (10 m running speed and standing long jump) as well as process and product measures of STS. Tertiles were created for STS process and STS product scores to create 3 groups reflecting low, medium, and high STS competency. ANCOVA analysis, controlling for age, for process STS, indicated that process MC was significantly higher in children, classified as medium STS (p = 0.048) and high STS (p = 0.011) competence, and that 10 m run speed was slower for low STS compared to medium (p = 0.019) and high STS (p = 0.004). For product STS tertiles, process MC was significantly higher for children in the lowest (fastest) STS tertile compared to those in the medium highest (slowest) tertile (p = 0.01)