The impact of teacher education, administrative support, and teacher self-efficacy on using movement in the elementary classroom

Elementary students spend 7 to 8 hours in school for approximately 175 days of the year. Despite knowing that physical activity can aid in academic success and benefit the overall health of children, it is not widely used in schools outside of physical education and recess. The lack of physical activity (PA) in schools makes it more difficult for kids to achieve 60 minutes of PA. Teachers have to overcome several intrapersonal and environmental barriers to implement classroom-based physical activity (CBPA) successfully. It is not widely known how the influences of education, administrative support, and self-efficacy together play a role in the amount of CBPA a teacher uses. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of educational background, administrator support, and teacher self-efficacy to a teacher’s use of classroom-based physical activity. Elementary education teachers (N=44), grades K-5, were surveyed to gather data surrounding their use of CBPA. Results indicate that most teachers are using CBPA at least once per day, and some teachers are using it up to 8 times per day. Results also show an increase in education is related to an increase in the frequency in which a teacher uses CBPA. This group of teachers was confident in their ability to use CBPA. The more a teacher uses CBPA, the higher that teacher’s confidence is in implementing the activities. This group also reported high levels of administrative support, with a majority of that support coming in the form of moral support and encouraging teachers to use different teaching strategies. This study may help to provide information to school administrators who can support teacher education efforts within schools and school districts. These findings provide data to support the creation of a school environment conducive to increasing the amount of movement used in elementary schools today

Study protocol for The Emory 3q29 Project: evaluation of neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, and medical symptoms in 3q29 deletion syndrome

Abstract Background 3q29 deletion syndrome is caused by a recurrent hemizygous 1.6 Mb deletion on the long arm of chromosome 3. The syndrome is rare (1 in 30,000 individuals) and is associated with mild to moderate intellectual disability, increased risk for autism and anxiety, and a 40-fold increased risk for schizophrenia, along with a host of physical manifestations. However, the disorder is poorly characterized, the range of manifestations is not well described, and the underlying molecular mechanism is not understood. We designed the Emory 3q29 Project to document the range of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric manifestations associated with 3q29 deletion syndrome. We will also create a biobank of samples from our 3q29 deletion carriers for mechanistic studies, which will be a publicly-available resource for qualified investigators. The ultimate goals of our study are three-fold: first, to improve management and treatment of 3q29 deletion syndrome. Second, to uncover the molecular mechanism of the disorder. Third, to enable cross-disorder comparison with other rare genetic syndromes associated with neuropsychiatric phenotypes. Methods We will ascertain study subjects, age 6 and older, from our existing registry (3q29deletion.org). Participants and their families will travel to Atlanta, GA for phenotypic assessments, with particular emphasis on evaluation of anxiety, cognitive ability, autism symptomatology, and risk for psychosis via prodromal symptoms and syndromes. Evaluations will be performed using standardized instruments. Structural, diffusion, and resting-state functional MRI data will be collected from eligible study participants. We will also collect blood from the 3q29 deletion carrier and participating family members, to be banked at the NIMH Repository and Genomics Resource (NRGR). Discussion The study of 3q29 deletion has the potential to transform our understanding of complex disease. Study of individuals with the deletion may provide insights into long term care and management of the disorder. Our project describes the protocol for a prospective study of the behavioral and clinical phenotype associated with 3q29 deletion syndrome. The paradigm described here could easily be adapted to study additional CNV or single gene disorders with high risk for neuropsychiatric phenotypes, and/or transferred to other study sites, providing a means for data harmonization and cross-disorder analysis

Deep phenotyping in 3q29 deletion syndrome: recommendations for clinical care

PurposeTo understand the consequences of the 3q29 deletion on medical, neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, brain structural, and neurological sequalae by systematic evaluation of affected individuals. To develop evidence-based recommendations using these data for effective clinical care.MethodsThirty-two individuals with the 3q29 deletion were evaluated using a defined phenotyping protocol and standardized data collection instruments.ResultsMedical manifestations were varied and reported across nearly every organ system. The most severe manifestations were congenital heart defects (25%) and the most common were gastrointestinal symptoms (81%). Physical examination revealed a high proportion of musculoskeletal findings (81%). Neurodevelopmental phenotypes represent a significant burden and include intellectual disability (34%), autism spectrum disorder (38%), executive function deficits (46%), and graphomotor weakness (78%). Psychiatric illness manifests across the lifespan with psychosis prodrome (15%), psychosis (20%), anxiety disorders (40%), and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (63%). Neuroimaging revealed structural anomalies of the posterior fossa, but on neurological exam study subjects displayed only mild or moderate motor vulnerabilities.ConclusionBy direct evaluation of 3q29 deletion study subjects, we document common features of the syndrome, including a high burden of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric phenotypes. Evidence-based recommendations for evaluation, referral, and management are provided to help guide clinicians in the care of 3q29 deletion patients