Exploring temporal patterning of psychological skills usage during the week leading up to competition: Lessons for developing intervention programmes

Hagan Jr. JE, Pollmann D, Schack T. Exploring temporal patterning of psychological skills usage during the week leading up to competition: Lessons for developing intervention programmes. PLOS ONE. 2017;12(8): e0181814.**Background and purpose** Although sport psychology literature focuses on psychological skills use to promote proficiency, it is still puzzling that current research has focused on psychological skills use only during competition. There remains a scarcity of empirical evidence to support the timing, and content of psychological skill application during the time preceding competition. This study examined the extent to which psychological skills usage are dynamic or stable over a 7-day pre-competitive period and whether any natural learning experiences might have accounted for the acquisition of these skills across gender and skill level. **Methods and results** Ninety elite and sub-elite table tennis players completed the Test of Performance Strategies (TOPS) at three different periods (7 days, 2 days, 1 hour) before competition. A MANOVA repeated measures with follow-up analyses revealed significant multivariate main effects for only skill level and time-to-competition with no interactions. Specifically, elite (international) athletes reported more usage than sub-elite (national) counterparts for self-talk, imagery and relaxation respectively. Time-to-competition effects showed imagery use decreased steadily across the three time points while reported usage of relaxation were almost at the same level on two time points (7 days and 1 hour) but decreased 2 days before competition. **Conclusions** Findings suggest an implementation of formalized and periodized psychological skills training programs over continuous training cycles. This may foster a positive long-term athletes’ psychological state prior to the onset of competition

Assessment of Random and Blocked Practice Schedules on Motor Skills’ Acquisition, Retention and Transfer Among Selected Senior High School Students

Medina S-S, Hagan Jr. JE, Baba J-A, Schack T. Assessment of Random and Blocked Practice Schedules on Motor Skills’ Acquisition, Retention and Transfer Among Selected Senior High School Students. American Journal of Sports Science. 2019;7(1):26-33

Examining Pregnancy Related Socio-Cultural Factors Among Adolescent Girls in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana: A Case-Control Study

Ahinkorah BO, Hagan Jr. JE, Seidu A-A, et al. Examining Pregnancy Related Socio-Cultural Factors Among Adolescent Girls in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana: A Case-Control Study. Frontiers in Public Health. 2019;7: 93.Background and Purpose: Given that Ghana continues to record higher rates of adolescent pregnancy among rural dwellers, notably, those living in the Brong Ahafo, Central and Volta regions, it is surprising that scholarly information related to socio-cultural determinants of this sequel in these mentioned areas of the country is limited. This study sought to examine the socio-cultural factors associated with pregnancy among adolescent girls in Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana. Methods and results: Using a matched case-control design with a 1:1 ratio, a facility-based sampling approach was used to select 400 adolescent females aged between 15 and 19 years. Chi-square analyses on the strictness level of rules and regulations in family [χ2(1) = 62.010, p < 0.05], freedom within the family to discuss issues related to sexuality [χ2(1) = 9.600, p < 0.05], religious support of sex before marriage [χ2(1) = 4.312, p < 0.05], peer influence to engage in sexual intercourse [χ2(1) = 7.793, p < 0.05], reaction of parents toward pregnancy [χ2(1) = 70.064, p < 0.05], and reaction of siblings toward pregnancy [χ2(1) = 66.702, p < 0.05] were significantly related to adolescents' pregnancy status. Additionally, binary logistic regression analysis also showed that non-pregnant adolescents were seven times more likely to belong to families with strict rules and regulations compared to pregnant adolescents [OR = 0.14, 95% CI = (0.07–0.25), p ≤ 0.01]. Non-pregnant adolescents were 3 times more likely to have freedom within the family to discuss issues related to sexuality compared to pregnant adolescents [OR = 0.33, 95% CI = (0.18–0.59), p ≤ 0.01]. However, pregnant adolescents were 3 times more likely to be influenced by their peers to engage in sexual intercourse [OR = 2.63, 95% CI = (1.46–4.74), p ≤ 0.001] and 3 times more likely to have parents with positive reaction toward adolescent pregnancy compared to non-pregnant adolescents [OR = 2.97, 95% CI = (1.15–7.70), p ≤ 0.05]. Additionally, these pregnant adolescents were eight times more likely to have siblings with positive reaction toward adolescent pregnancy [OR = 7.74, 95% CI = (2.59–21.4), p ≤ 0.001] compared to their non-pregnant counterparts. Conclusion: Adolescent pregnancy heightens the risk of negating birth outcomes that is independent of recognized confounding variables. Therefore, adolescent girls in the KEEA Municipality are likely to experience continuous exposure to the risk of pregnancy with the existence of negative socio-cultural norms. Specific strategies need to involve multifaceted interventions that include education, competency-based skill training and support for young people, especially pregnant adolescents. Further research ought to determine which other factors would help us better understand circumstances that may lead to adolescent pregnancies in other areas of the region and perhaps among other subgroups

Rising Above Misinformation or Fake News in Africa: Another Strategy to Control COVID-19 Spread

Ahinkorah BO, Ameyaw EK, Hagan Jr. JE, Seidu A-A, Schack T. Rising Above Misinformation or Fake News in Africa: Another Strategy to Control COVID-19 Spread. Frontiers in Communication. 2020;5:1-5.Misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic is gradually gaining much popularity and amplifying the threat facing humanity about the continuous spread of the virus regardless of one's location. Although some of the influx of these falsehoods may be harmless, others might pose a serious threat by misleading the general population to depend on unjustified and/unsubstantiated claims for protection and show preference for them against scientifically proven guidelines. This paper provides a clear understanding on some COVID-19 misinformation, the inherent implications this poses to public health in Africa and highlights the potential strategies to curb this trend

Coaches' decision making

Frank C, Wright D, Holmes P. Mental simulation and neurocognition: Advances for motor imagery and action observation training in sport. In: Routledge International Encyclopedia of Sport and Exercise Psychology. London: Routledge; 2020: 411-429

Not just numbers: beyond counting caesarean deliveries to understanding their determinants in Ghana using a population based cross-sectional study

Seidu A-A, Hagan Jr. JE, Agbemavi W, et al. Not just numbers: beyond counting caesarean deliveries to understanding their determinants in Ghana using a population based cross-sectional study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2020;20(1): 114

Joint effect of water and sanitation practices on childhood diarrhoea in sub-Saharan Africa

Background: Diarrhoea remains the major cause of morbidity and mortality of children under five years in Africa. Several studies have shown that inadequate and unsafe water, lack of sanitation, and poor hygiene practices are complex issues for different pathogens and accountable for the occurrence of diarrhoea diseases. We assessed the combined effect of household’s source of drinking water and type of toilet facility and residential wellbeing on the incidence of childhood diarrhoea in 33 Sub-Saharan Africa countries while accounting for relevant compositional and contextual factors. Methods: The 2010–2019 datasets from the Demographic and Health Surveys were drawn for analyses. The outcome variable used in this study was the incidence of childhood diarrhoea. Three negative log-log generalized linear regression models were then sequentially fitted to the data to examine the joint effect of household water and sanitation practices on child diarrhoea. The results were presented using crude odds ratios (CORs) and adjusted odds ratios (AORs) at 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Using ArcGIS software, maps were design to unveil the spatial distribution of key variables. Findings: Approximately 16% of the 307,741 mothers interviewed reported an incidence of diarrhoea disease among children under-five years in their households. The results showed that a household depending on an unimproved source of drinking water and with an unimproved type of toilet facility was not significantly associated with childhood diarrhoea. However, those with improved drinking water but an unimproved type of toilet facility had higher odds of reporting childhood diarrhoea (AOR = 1.020, 95% CI = 1.003-1-036) compared to those in households with both improved source of drinking water and type of toilet facility. Across the geographical regions, Eastern (aOR = 1.102, 95% CI = 1.084–1.120) and Central Africa (aOR = 1.102, 95% CI = 1.083–1.121) were more likely to experience child diarrhoea. Conclusion: Water and sanitation practices such as the source of drinking water and toilet facility, and geographic region had significant effects on childhood diarrhoea in sub-Saharan Africax. The findings suggest the need for multi-sectoral actions that recognise the geo-spatial and temporal characteristics identified in the study through regional to national policies. Water and sanitation community-based interventions that seek to improve equitable access to safe water and sanitation in the sub-region should be intensified

Competitive State Anxiety and Psychological Skills (Research Data)

Hagan Jr. JE. Competitive State Anxiety and Psychological Skills (Research Data). Bielefeld University; 2017

A detailed account of competitive anxiety on a perceptual motor task

Hagan Jr. JE. A detailed account of competitive anxiety on a perceptual motor task. Bielefeld; 2017

The Influence of Indigenous Culture on Sport Psychology Practice: Challenges and Prospects

Hagan Jr. JE, Schack T. The Influence of Indigenous Culture on Sport Psychology Practice: Challenges and Prospects. Psychology and Behavioral Science International Journal. 2017;7(4):1-3.Given that contemporary cultural sport psychology has advocated for more inclusiveness involving intersecting cultural identities for applied work (research and practice), it is still surprising that information on indigenous practices across many societies remain untapped. This opinion paper highlights a range of issues that have been addressed within differing cultural contexts and offer ways in which indigenous practices could be integrated into existing professional frameworks across diverse societies that maintain respect for new set of culture-specific behavioral norms, beliefs and practices