Tieteelliset perusteet varhaisvuosien fyysisen aktiivisuuden suosituksille

AbstractThe proposal to update the Recommendations for physical activity in early childhood education (Guides of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health 2005:17) was made in the context of the national Joy in Motion programme, where the focus is on early childhood education. The update was started by compiling the most recent scientific knowledge to be used as the basis for preparing the recommendations for physical activity in early childhood. The aim was to set out recommendations that could be applied as broadly as possible. The update and drafting of the recommendations was done as part of the work of the Physical exercise to promote health and wellbeing steering group (TEHYLI), appointed and coordinated jointly by the Ministry of Education and Culture and Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The steering group commented on and approved the multidisciplinary international group of experts specifically invited to carry out the task. The experts represented different fields of science and some of them were carrying out nationally funded research projects on physical activity and wellbeing among children under eight years of age. The group of experts started its work in January 2016 by compiling the most recent international and national research information on various themes relating to physical activity and exercise and comprehensive development and wellbeing in early childhood. This work produced two publications: Recommendations for physical activity in early childhood 2016 - Joy, play and doing together (Ministry of Education and Culture 2016:21) and Scientific justification for the recommendations for physical activity in early childhood. The recommendations for physical activity in early childhood inform about the amount and type of physical activity for the under eight-year-olds, roles of the physical, psychological and social environments, and planning and implementation of guided physical exercise and education on exercise as part of early childhood education. The scientific justification is intended for early childhood education, physical exercise and healthcare professionals, including teachers and researchers.TiivistelmäVarhaiskasvatukseen keskittyvän valtakunnallisen Ilo kasvaa liikkuen -ohjelman kehittelytyössätehtiin aloite Varhaiskasvatuksen liikunnan suositusten (Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriön oppaita2005:17) päivittämisestä. Päivittämisen lähtökohtana oli erityisesti uusimman tutkimusperustaisentieteellisen tiedon kokoaminen ja niiden pohjalta varhaisvuosien fyysisen aktiivisuudensuositusten laatiminen. Tavoitteena oli kirjata sellaiset suositukset, joita voitaisiin soveltaamahdollisimman laajalle kohdejoukolle. Suositusten päivittäminen ja valmistelu tapahtuivatosana opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriön sekä sosiaali- ja terveysministeriön yhdessä asettamanja koordinoiman Terveyttä ja hyvinvointia edistävän liikunnan (TEHYLI) -ohjausryhmäntyötä. TEHYLI-ohjausryhmä kommentoi ja hyväksyi tehtävään erikseen kutsutun monitieteisenkansallisen asiantuntijaryhmän. Asiantuntijat edustivat eri tieteenaloja ja osalla heistä olikansallista tutkimusrahoitusta saaneita tutkimusprojekteja alle kahdeksan vuotiaiden lastenliikunnasta ja hyvinvoinnista. Asiantuntijaryhmä aloitti työnsä tammikuussa 2016 kokoamallaeri teema-alueilta uusinta kansainvälistä ja kansallista tutkimustietoa varhaiskasvatusikäistenlasten fyysistä aktiivisuutta ja liikuntaa sekä kokonaisvaltaista kehitystä ja hyvinvointia selvittäneistätutkimuksista. Työskentely johti kahteen julkaisuun, joissa toisessa annetaan fyysisenaktiivisuuden suosituksia varhaisvuosille (Varhaisvuosien fyysisen aktiivisuuden suositukset2016. Iloa, leikkiä ja yhdessä tekemistä. Opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriö 2016:21) sekä tähänsuositusten tieteelliset perusteet sisältävään julkaisuun. Varhaisvuosien fyysisen aktiivisuudensuositukset antavat ohjeita alle kahdeksanvuotiaiden lasten fyysisen aktiivisuuden määrästäja laadusta, fyysisen, psyykkisen ja sosiaalisen ympäristön rooleista sekä ohjatun liikunnanja liikuntakasvatuksen suunnittelusta ja toteuttamisesta osana varhaiskasvatusta. Suositustentieteelliset perusteet on tarkoitettu erityisesti varhaiskasvatus-, liikunta- ja terveydenhuollonammattilaisten, kuten opettajien ja tutkijoiden käyttöön.</p

Recess physical activity and school-related social factors in Finnish primary and lower secondary schools : cross-sectional associations

Abstract Background Participation in physical activities provides students with opportunities for social interaction and social skills development. The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations of students&#8217; recess physical activity with school-related social factors. Methods Data were collected in 19 schools countrywide in autumn 2010, and 1463 students from grades 4 and 5 (primary school) and from grades 7 and 8 (lower secondary school) completed an anonymous questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to investigate whether self-reported physical activity at recess was associated with peer relationships at school, relatedness to school and school climate. Analyses were adjusted for self-reported overall physical activity and conducted for primary and lower secondary schools. Multi-group analysis was used to test sex differences among the associations. Results In primary school, physical activity at recess was positively associated with peer relationships at school (boys: b = 0.17, p = 0.007 and girls: b = 0.21, p &lt;0.001), relatedness to school (boys: b = 0.18, p = 0.002 and girls: b = 0.24, p &lt;0.001) and school climate (girls: b = 0.17, p = 0.001), after adjusting for overall physical activity. In lower secondary school, physical activity at recess was positively associated with peer relationships at school (boys: b = 0.09, p = 0.006 and girls: b = 0.12, p = 0.010) but not with other school-related social factors. No sex differences were observed in these associations. Conclusions Our results suggest that students&#8217; participation in physical activities during school recess is positively associated with students&#8217; school-related social factors. In the future, it would be worthwhile to study how physical activity at recess should be organised in order to support the development of school-related social factors.Background: Participation in physical activities provides students with opportunities for social interaction and social skills development. The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations of students’ recess physical activity with school-related social factors. Methods: Data were collected in 19 schools countrywide in autumn 2010, and 1463 students from grades 4 and 5 (primary school) and from grades 7 and 8 (lower secondary school) completed an anonymous questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to investigate whether self-reported physical activity at recess was associated with peer relationships at school, relatedness to school and school climate. Analyses were adjusted for self-reported overall physical activity and conducted for primary and lower secondary schools. Multi-group analysis was used to test sex differences among the associations. Results: In primary school, physical activity at recess was positively associated with peer relationships at school (boys: b = 0.17, p = 0.007 and girls: b = 0.21, p <0.001), relatedness to school (boys: b = 0.18, p = 0.002 and girls: b = 0.24, p <0.001) and school climate (girls: b = 0.17, p = 0.001), after adjusting for overall physical activity. In lower secondary school, physical activity at recess was positively associated with peer relationships at school (boys: b = 0.09, p = 0.006 and girls: b = 0.12, p = 0.010) but not with other school-related social factors. No sex differences were observed in these associations. Conclusions: Our results suggest that students’ participation in physical activities during school recess is positively associated with students’ school-related social factors. In the future, it would be worthwhile to study how physical activity at recess should be organised in order to support the development of school-related social factors.peerReviewe

Associations of cardiorespiratory fitness, adiposity, and arterial stiffness with cognition in youth

Purpose: To investigate the associations of cardiorespiratory fitness, adiposity, and arterial stiffness with cognition in 16- to 19-year-old adolescents. Methods: Fifty four adolescents (35 girls; 19 boys) participated in the study. Peak oxygen uptake (V̇O2peak ) and peak power output (Wmax ) were measured by the maximal ramp test on a cycle ergometer and ventilatory threshold (VT) was determined with ventilation equivalents. Lean mass (LM) and body fat percentage (BF%) were measured using a bioelectrical impedance analysis. Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWVao) and augmentation index (AIx%) were measured by a non-invasive oscillometric device. Working memory, short term memory, visual learning and memory, paired-associate learning, attention, reaction time, and executive function were assessed by CogState tests. Results: V̇O2peak /LM (β = 0.36 p = .011) and Wmax /LM (β = 0.30 p = .020) were positively associated with working memory. Wmax /LM was also positively associated with visual learning (β = 0.37, p = .009). V̇O2 at VT/LM was positively associated with working memory (β = 0.30 p = .016), visual learning (β = 0.31 p = .026), and associated learning (β = -0.27 p = .040). V̇O2 at VT as % of V̇O2peak , BF%, PWVao, and AIx% were not associated with cognition. Conclusion: Cardiorespiratory fitness was related to better cognitive function, while BF% and arterial stiffness were not associated with cognition in adolescents.peerReviewe

Longitudinal associations of physical activity and pubertal development with academic achievement in adolescents

Objective. To investigate the longitudinal associations of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and pubertal development with academic achievement in adolescents. Methods. A total of 635 adolescents (283 boys, 352 girls) aged 11–13 years participated in the study. MVPA was assessed by the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study questionnaire, and pubertal development was assessed by the pubertal development scale (PDS) at beginning of 6th grade (baseline) and end of 7th grade (follow-up). Grade point average (GPA) at the end of Grades 5 and 7 was computed from data acquired from the school registers. The data were analysed using linear regression and analyses of covariance. Results. In boys, MVPA was positively associated with GPA at baseline after adjustment for age (β = 0.144, 95%CI: 0.028−0.260, p = 0.028). In girls, PDS was positively associated with GPA at baseline (β = 0.104, 95%CI: -0.004−0.211, p = 0.058) and follow-up (β = 0.104, 95%CI: -0.002−0.211, p = 0.055) after adjustment for age, and these associations strengthened after further adjustment for MVPA (p < 0.05). Adolescents who were inactive at baseline or at baseline and follow-up had lower GPA during follow-up than their continuously highly active peers (mean difference = -0.301, 95%CI: -0.543 to -0.058, p = 0.009) and all other adolescents (mean difference = -0.247, 95%CI: -0.475 to -0.019, p = 0.029). These differences were greater in girls than in boys. Conclusion. Lower levels of MVPA were associated with lower GPA in boys at baseline. Girls who were continuously inactive had lower GPA over the follow-up period than those who were continuously active. Finally, earlier pubertal development was associated with better academic achievement in girls.peerReviewe