Do Media Use and Physical Activity Compete in Adolescents? Results of the MoMo Study

Purpose The displacement hypothesis predicts that physical activity and media use compete in adolescents; however, findings are inconsistent. A more differentiated approach at determining the co-occurrence of physical activity and media use behaviors within subjects may be warranted. The aim of this study was to determine the co-occurrence of physical activity and media use by identifying clusters of adolescents with specific behavior patterns including physical activity in various settings (school, sports club, leisure time) and different types of media use (watching TV, playing console games, using PC / Internet). Methods Cross-sectional data of 2,083 adolescents (11–17 years) from all over Germany were collected between 2009 and 2012 in the Motorik-Modul Study. Physical activity and media use were self-reported. Cluster analyses (Ward’s method and K-means analysis) were used to identify behavior patterns of boys and girls separately. Results Eight clusters were identified for boys and seven for girls. The clusters demonstrated that a high proportion of boys (33%) as well as girls (42%) show low engagement in both physical activity and media use, irrespective of setting or type of media. Other adolescents are engaged in both behaviors, but either physical activity (35% of boys, 27% of girls) or media use (31% of boys and girls) predominates. These adolescents belong to different clusters, whereat in most clusters either one specific setting of physical activity or a specific combination of different types of media predominates. Conclusion The results of this study support to some extent the hypothesis that media use and physical activity compete: Very high media use occurred with low physical activity behavior, but very high activity levels co-occurred with considerable amounts of time using any media. There was no evidence that type of used media was related to physical activity levels, neither setting of physical activity was related to amount of media use in any pattern

Determinants of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in German Elementary School Physical Education Lessons

Physical activity (PA) in school physical education (PE) is a signature component of health promotion and health education. The study's aim was to explore PA levels and sedentary time in German elementary school PE lessons and relate them to selected personal and environmental PA determinants. Accelerometer measurements were collected from 328 students (47% male, mean age 8.7 ± 1.2 years) in 11 elementary schools in Baden-Wuerttemberg (Germany). PA levels and sedentary time were analyzed regarding gender, grade, body mass index, selected correlates of active living and health behaviors, as well as the PE teachers' PE education status. In line with previous research, the analyses of PA levels and sedentary time confirm gender and grade differences and highlight older girls as the less active group. Deviant weight status and parents' PA levels were found to be important determinants for PA levels and sedentary time of girls and offer starting points for intervention studies as well as gender-appropriate PE in elementary schools. Specialist PE teacher status proved to be a negative determinant of PA levels and sedentary time for boys and girls and should be investigated in further studies, especially regarding the didactic and methodological background

Tracking physical activity in different settings from late childhood to early adulthood in Germany: the MoMo longitudinal study

BACKGROUND: Regular physical activity is important for remaining healthy. Most studies on the association between active child- and adulthood were based on small non-representative populations. The purpose of the study was to quantify tracking of leisure-time PA (in and outside sports clubs) for 6 years from adolescence into young adulthood in a representative sample in Germany. METHODS: This study was a subsample of the “Motorik-Modul (MoMo) Longitudinal Study” (baseline: 2003–2006, wave 1: 2009–2012). Representative longitudinal physical activity data of N = 947 adolescents were included and collected using the MoMo-physical activity questionnaire (MoMo-PAQ). Stability of different physical activity indices was measured using Spearman’s rank-order correlations and ANOVA with repeated measurement with age, sex and socio-economic status (SES) as determinants. RESULTS: While mean leisure-time physical activity outside sports clubs (LTPA) (F(1,397) = 7.9, df = 1; p < .01), sports club physical activity (SCPA) (F(387) = 4.8, df = 1; p < .05) and overall physical activity (OPA) (F(1,441) = 7.7, df = 1; p < .01) changed significantly over time, no changes in overall sports index (OS index) (F(371) = 3.2, df = 1; p > .05) were observed. Low tracking correlations were found for different physical activity indices (LTPA: r = .094, p < .05; SCPA: r = .248 p = <.05; OPA: r = .211 p < .05; OS index: r = .266 p < .05). Results by sex, age and SES were inconsistent. Analyses of agreement showed different results for determinants and settings. CONCLUSION: The results of this representative study were comparable to previous studies and showed significant but low stability. Possible reasons for low stability coefficients are a relatively long timespan between both measurement points and potential effects of the reliability of subjective assessment methods. The results confirm that physical activity is a fluctuating variable. Future studies should examine the determinants of tracking and change in physical activity

Strengthening social skills: developing a social competence intervention for physical education using intervention mapping—protocol paper

IntroductionThe promotion of social competences using multi-method approaches is an understudied area in education and psychology. This study addresses the gap by developing and presenting a program to enhance social competences using theory-derived program and assessment designs.Materials and equipmentBartholomew’s Intervention Mapping (IM) approach, initially used for health promotion, was innovatively applied to a psychological and educational context. The development process and implementation challenges are presented in this article.MethodsThe six-step IM process was adapted to create a comprehensive program design that models social behavior, specifically for Physical Education in schools. The program targets perceptive-cognitive, emotional-motivational, and behavioral components of social competence, along the social competence model by Kanning. Results on effect sizes have yet to be calculated.DiscussionThe IM process was time-consuming and extensive but provided a systematic structure, methodological quality, and traceability of effects. Future adaptations of this program could include extensions to different situational contexts and specific need groups, such as classes with a history of bullying or psychological conditions. This study contributes valuable insights into using the IM approach for promoting behavioral change in a systematic and evidence-based manner

Do active commuters feel more competent and vital? A self-organizing maps analysis in university students

University students represent a population that faces high risks regarding physical inactivity. Research suggests that a regular engagement in physical activity (PA) may be more likely established when it leads to the experience of subjective vitality. Subjective vitality, in turn, is more likely achieved through physical activities that individuals feel competent in, and that take place in natural outdoor environments. An activity that may fulfill these conditions is active commuting to and from university (ACU). To examine whether and in which form ACU can combine this promising pattern of aspects, a person-oriented analysis was conducted. The sample contained 484 university students (59.3% females). Leisure-time PA, ACU by walking, ACU by cycling, subjective vitality, PA-related competence and body mass index were included as input variables in a self-organizing maps analysis. For both female and male university students, the identified clusters indicated that students who intensively engaged in ACU did not exhibit subjective vitality levels above average. Consistently, they did not show elevated levels of PA-related competence, which suggests that ACU does not support the perception of their physical abilities. Considerations regarding urban university environments lacking sufficient natural elements finally add to the conclusion that engaging in ACU does not suffice to establish a vitality-supportive and thus sustainable PA behavior. Additionally, the identified clusters illustrate a large heterogeneity regarding the interaction between leisure-time PA, body mass index and subjective vitality

Precision prevention in occupational health: a conceptual analysis and development of a unified understanding and an integrative framework

IntroductionPrecision prevention implements highly precise, tailored health interventions for individuals by directly addressing personal and environmental determinants of health. However, precision prevention does not yet appear to be fully established in occupational health. There are numerous understandings and conceptual approaches, but these have not yet been systematically presented or synthesized. Therefore, this conceptual analysis aims to propose a unified understanding and develop an integrative conceptual framework for precision prevention in occupational health.MethodsFirstly, to systematically present definitions and frameworks of precision prevention in occupational health, six international databases were searched for studies published between January 2010 and January 2024 that used the term precision prevention or its synonyms in the context of occupational health. Secondly, a qualitative content analysis was conducted to analyze the existing definitions and propose a unified understanding. Thirdly, based on the identified frameworks, a multi-stage exploratory development process was applied to develop and propose an integrative conceptual framework for precision prevention in occupational health.ResultsAfter screening 3,681 articles, 154 publications were reviewed, wherein 29 definitions of precision prevention and 64 different frameworks were found, which can be summarized in eight higher-order categories. The qualitative content analysis revealed seven themes and illustrated many different wordings. The proposed unified understanding of precision prevention in occupational health takes up the identified themes. It includes, among other things, a contrast to a “one-size-fits-all approach” with a risk- and resource-oriented data collection and innovative data analytics with profiling to provide and improve tailored interventions. The developed and proposed integrative conceptual framework comprises three overarching stages: (1) data generation, (2) data management lifecycle and (3) interventions (development, implementation and adaptation).DiscussionAlthough there are already numerous studies on precision prevention in occupational health, this conceptual analysis offers, for the first time, a proposal for a unified understanding and an integrative conceptual framework. However, the proposed unified understanding and the developed integrative conceptual framework should only be seen as an initial proposal that should be critically discussed and further developed to expand and strengthen both research on precision prevention in occupational health and its practical application in the workplace

Impaired Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Muscle Strength in Children with Normal-Weight Obesity

Despite the health-related implications of normal-weight obesity in children, very little research has explored the fundamental associations between this status and important long-term health parameters. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate the physical fitness of children with normal-weight obesity, in comparison to normal-weight non obese and overweight and obese counterparts. A total of 328 middle-school-aged children (9.8 &plusmn; 0.5 y) took part in this study (n = 44 normal-weight obese; n = 237; normal-weight non obese; n = 47 overweight and obese). Height, weight, and body-fatness were measured. Four physical fitness tests were conducted: (1) Multistage fitness test; (2) shuttle run 4 &times; 10 m; (3) sit-ups for 60 s; (4) the broad jump. Welch&rsquo;s analysis of variance (ANOVA), stratified by sex, with post-hoc testing where necessary, was performed. Children with normal-weight obesity had significantly (p &lt; 0.01) lower cardio-respiratory and muscular fitness than normal-weight non obese peers. In addition, normal-weight obese and overweight and obese boys had comparable deficits in strength and explosiveness of lower limbs, speed coordination, and endurance, compared to normal-weight non obese counterparts. Normal-weight obese children appear to have similar deficits in PF as their overweight and obese peers, compared to normal-weight non obese counterparts, whilst boys had larger deficits than girls

Effects of Dance Interventions on Aspects of the Participants' Self: A Systematic Review

Background: Theoretical and empirical studies indicate that dance can strengthen the participants' self. The aim of the systematic review is to give an overview of studies investigating the effects of dance interventions on aspects of the self (e.g., self-concept/-esteem). Research questions are: (a) What is the evidence of the reported effects on different aspects of the self in children/adolescents and in adults? (b) Which study approaches and designs are used and what characterizes the interventions? (c) What are the qualitative facets of the implemented studies and what are issues for future research?Methods: We searched online databases for English and German journal articles with the following main inclusion criteria: (i) Intervention study (qualitative and quantitative approaches) (ii) Investigation of aspects of the self (iii) Dance as intervention content. Two reviewers independently screened studies for eligibility using the PRISMA guidelines and assessed the methodological quality of the included studies.Results: Out of 24 included studies, 11 investigate a sample of children/adolescents and 13 an adult sample. The review showed that dance interventions can have positive effects on aspects of the participants' self. The review of studies with qualitative methodologies suggests: children/adolescents benefit in body-related perceptions, self-trust, self-esteem, self-expression and perception of dance-abilities; adults benefit in self-expression, self-efficacy, self-/body-awareness, self-development and self-confidence. Studies with quantitative methodologies report improvement especially for body-related perceptions in both populations. Contradictory results exist concerning self-esteem/-efficacy. The evaluated studies show a heterogeneous nature of populations, intervention contents, timeframes, outcomes, research methods and study quality. Evidence for each of the aspects is still poor due to the small number of studies on each construct, inconsistent findings or methodological shortcomings.Conclusions: This review indicates that dance may be a valuable approach to strengthen aspects of the self. However, as evidence for the different aspects of the self is still poor, further studies with high quality are required (e.g., large samples, active control group). Research considering the complexity and specificity of dance interventions in the design and reporting (e.g., choice of outcomes, presentation of intervention details) seem to be particularly suitable to capture the effects of dance considering its holistic nature

Knowing Students' Characteristics: Opportunities to Adapt Physical Education Teaching

Physical Education (PE) aims to convey the joy of exercise and by this educate students to lifelong physical activeness. Student motivation in PE decreases during the school career. This study therefore comprehensively analyzes student characteristics determining motivation in PE: General Personality Traits, Physical Self-Concept, Achievement Motive, Motives to be physically active, and Sports Interest. This contribution aims to describe students' prerequisites in the PE context by using an aggregated assessment of the abovementioned general plus sport specific characteristics and to detect gender, class, and school type differences. In total, 1,740 German secondary school students (58.1% female, M = 14.39 years) participate in a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Descriptive analyses and between subjects MANOVAs followed by univariate ANOVAs with pairwise multiple comparison tests are applied. Gender explains the largest proportion of variance across all characteristics. Regarding individual dimensions, genders differed on 12, grades on two and school types on 11 out of 19 dimensions. PE teachers must adapt teaching to different gender dispositions. In general, group differences ascribe special meaning to student perception and teaching behavior. Findings are discussed in terms of their contribution to the research area and their implementation in teaching practice as well as in PE teacher education or professional training, e.g., aligned teaching methods, arranged learning atmospheres, or adjusted content design of PE lessons

Ein Modell der Entwicklungsförderung durch Sportunterricht : Förderung der Entwicklungsaufgabe Sozialkompetenz bei schwierigen Schülern

Obwohl dem Sport(-unterricht) hinsichtlich der Entwicklungsförderung von Schülern ein gewisses Potenzial zugesprochen wird, liegen kaum theoretische oder empirische Arbeiten vor, die sich explizit mit der Förderung der Sozialkompetenz bei jugendlichen, schwierigen Schüler befassen. Der vorliegende Artikel greift dieses sozialwissenschaftliche Themenfeld im Rahmen einer Analyse zur Entwicklungsförderung sowie der Konzeption eines schülernahen, theoretischen Modells zur Entwicklungsförderung auf. Zunächst werden Charakteristika sowie pädagogische Anknüpfungsmöglichkeiten des Ansatzes aus verschiedenen sozialwissenschaftlichen Disziplinen diskutiert, um daran anschließend mögliche Vorgehensweisen im Umgang mit schwierigen Schülern im Sportunterricht hinsichtlich der Förderung des gesellschaftlich relevanten Ziels der Sozialkompetenz aufzuzeigen. Schließlich werden die Erkenntnisse auf die Praxisanwendung transferiert