Examining early adolescents' motivation for physical education : associations with actual and perceived motor competence

Background: The dynamic nature of physical education (PE) requires careful consideration of lesson planning and delivery in order to promote health and wellbeing and to achieve various learning goals. One such goal is promoting personal and social development to support students to value and lead a healthy and active lifestyle, especially during transition into adolescence. In order to design learning environments that support students' engagement in PE, it is important to understand how outcomes such as motor competence (MC) influence motivation for PE. There are two approaches to understand MC, actual and perceived MC, and both have implications for healthy lifestyles in childhood and adolescence. Therefore, this study examined associations of actual and perceived MC with young adolescents' motivation for PE. Method: A sample of 236 students 11–14 years of age (M = 13.01, SD =.72) participated in the study. Assessments included actual MC (Körperkoordinations test for Kinder; KTK), perceived MC (self-administered form of the pictorial scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence; PMSC) and motivation for PE (Perceived Locus of Causality Scale; PLOC). Polynomial regression with Response Surface Analyses were conducted to examine the influence of actual and perceived MC on motivation for PE. Findings: The results showed weak-to-moderate positive associations of actual and perceived MC with students' motivation for PE. Perceived MC explained about 12% of the variance of student's self-determined motivation towards PE. This effect was larger in students with lower levels of perceived MC compared to students with higher levels of perceived MC. Discussion: Taking into account that both actual and perceived MC are synergistically related but only perceived MC explains self-determined motivation, our results suggest that perceived MC is an important factor to consider when attempting to promote an active and healthy lifestyle. Using the developmental model of motor competence [Stodden et al. 2008. "A Developmental Perspective on the Role of Motor Skill Competence in Physical Activity: An Emergent Relationship." Quest 60 (2): 290–306] and self-determination theory [Deci and Ryan 2000. "The "What" and "Why" of Goal Pursuits: Human Needs and the Self-Determination of Behavior." Psychological Inquiry 11 (4): 227–268. doi:10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01], we discuss the findings in relation to the importance of considering perceived MC as an explicit outcome in the PE curriculum. Conclusion: During early adolescence, PE programs should not only focus on teaching movement skills but also fostering perceived MC in order to promote motivation for PE, especially among students with lower levels of self-perception. For this, pedagogical approaches such as need supportive teaching derived from self-determination theory can be used to help students become competent, confident and motivated movers

Validity and reliability of a pictorial scale of physical self-concept in spanish children. [Validez y fiabilidad de la escala pictográfica de autoconcepto físico en niños y niñas españoles].

The pictorial scale of Physical Self-Concept in Children (P-PSC-C) is a relatively new instrument for investigating physical self-concept in childhood. The current study aims to examine the validity and reliability of the Spanish version of the P-PSC-C, and also to analyse the validity according to the children’s age. A sample of 365 primary school age (M = 9.21, SD = 1.92) students participated; divided in two groups, those aged 9 or younger and those 10-11 years old. Surveys were used to assess perceived physical concept individually. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with diagonally weighted least square estimator specifically designed for ordinal data and a scaled test statistic was conducted. Ordinal alpha using a polychoric correlation matrix and Kendall’s τ were used to analyse reliability and correlation between items, respectively. The results of the CFA showed a one-dimensional excellent fit for the whole sample. According to the age groups, the CFA revealed that the item assessing flexibility had a low factor loading for older children ( = .11). Weak invariance was shown for gender. Item statistics and reliability values were otherwise good. This study shows a high potential for the pictorial scale to be suitable for the given age groups in measuring physical self-concept. Resumen La escala pictográfica de Autoconcepto Físico en niños y niñas es un instrumento novedoso para investigar el autoconcepto físico en la niñez. Este estudio pretende analizar la validez y fiabilidad de la versión española de la escala pictográfica de Autoconcepto Físico en niños y niñas, también según su edad. En el estudio participó una muestra de 365 niños y niñas (M = 9.21, D.T. = 1.92) de centros educativos de infantil y primaria que fueron divididos en dos grupos, aquellos de 9 años o menores y los de 10-11 años. Se realizaron entrevistas individuales para medir el autoconcepto físico. Se aplicaron pruebas de análisis factorial confirmatorio (AFC) con estimaciones específicas ponderadas de mínimos cuadrados diseñado específicamente para datos ordinales. Para analizar la fiabilidad y correlación entre ítems, se utilizó una matriz policórica de correlación y la τ de Kendall, respectivamente. Los resultados del AFC para toda la muestra de estudio mostraron un ajuste unidimensional excelente. Respecto a la validez según los grupos de edad, los AFC mostraron que el ítem de flexibilidad tuvo una carga factorial baja e insuficiente en los niños de mayor edad ( = .11). Según el sexo, la invarianza fue débil. Los datos estadísticos de los ítems y la fiabilidad fueron buenos. Este estudio muestra un alto potencial para la utilización de la escala pictográfica para medir el autoconcepto físico en los grupos de edad analizados. La escala pictográfica de autoconcepto físico es relativamente nueva para estudiar el autoconcepto físico en la niñez

Validating Five Questions of Antiretroviral Nonadherence in a Public-Sector Treatment Program in Rural South Africa

Simple questions are the most commonly used measures of antiretroviral treatment (ART) adherence in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), but rarely validated. We administered five adherence questions in a public-sector primary care clinic in rural South Africa: 7-day recall of missed doses, 7-day recall of late doses, a six-level Likert item, a 30-day visual analogue scale of the proportion of doses missed, and recall of the time when an ART dose was last missed. We estimated question sensitivity and specificity in detecting immunologic (or virologic) failure assessed within 45 days of the adherence question date. Of 165 individuals, 7% had immunologic failure; 137 individuals had viral loads with 9% failure detected. The Likert item performed best for immunologic failure with sensitivity/specificity of 100%/5% (when defining nonadherence as self-reported adherence less than -excellent-), 42%/55% (less than -very good-), and 25%/95% (less than -good-). The remaining questions had sensitivities <=17%, even when the least strict cutoffs defined nonadherence. When we stratified the analysis by gender, age, or education, question performance was not substantially better in any of the subsamples in comparison to the total sample. Five commonly used adherence questions performed poorly in identifying patients with treatment failure in a public-sector ART program in SSA. Valid adherence measurement instruments are urgently required to identify patients needing treatment support and those most at risk of treatment failure. Available estimates of ART adherence in SSA are mostly based on studies using adherence questions. It is thus unlikely that our understanding of ART adherence in the region is correct.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90502/1/apc-2E2010-2E0257.pd

Overview of the MOSAiC expedition: Physical oceanography

Arctic Ocean properties and processes are highly relevant to the regional and global coupled climate system, yet still scarcely observed, especially in winter. Team OCEAN conducted a full year of physical oceanography observations as part of the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of the Arctic Climate (MOSAiC), a drift with the Arctic sea ice from October 2019 to September 2020. An international team designed and implemented the program to characterize the Arctic Ocean system in unprecedented detail, from the seafloor to the air-sea ice-ocean interface, from sub-mesoscales to pan-Arctic. The oceanographic measurements were coordinated with the other teams to explore the ocean physics and linkages to the climate and ecosystem. This paper introduces the major components of the physical oceanography program and complements the other team overviews of the MOSAiC observational program. Team OCEAN’s sampling strategy was designed around hydrographic ship-, ice- and autonomous platform-based measurements to improve the understanding of regional circulation and mixing processes. Measurements were carried out both routinely, with a regular schedule, and in response to storms or opening leads. Here we present along-drift time series of hydrographic properties, allowing insights into the seasonal and regional evolution of the water column from winter in the Laptev Sea to early summer in Fram Strait: freshening of the surface, deepening of the mixed layer, increase in temperature and salinity of the Atlantic Water. We also highlight the presence of Canada Basin deep water intrusions and a surface meltwater layer in leads. MOSAiC most likely was the most comprehensive program ever conducted over the ice-covered Arctic Ocean. While data analysis and interpretation are ongoing, the acquired datasets will support a wide range of physical oceanography and multi-disciplinary research. They will provide a significant foundation for assessing and advancing modeling capabilities in the Arctic Ocean

Sexual Behaviors and HIV Status: A Population-Based Study Among Older Adults in Rural South Africa

Objective: To identify the unmet needs for HIV prevention among older adults in rural South Africa. Methods: We analyzed data from a population-based sample of 5059 men and women aged 40 years and older from the study Health and Aging in Africa: Longitudinal Studies of INDEPTH Communities (HAALSI), which was carried out in the Agincourt health and sociodemographic surveillance system in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. We estimated the prevalence of HIV (laboratory-confirmed and self-reported) and key sexual behaviors by age and sex. We compared sexual behavior profiles across HIV status categories with and without age–sex standardization. Results: HIV prevalence was very high among HAALSI participants (23%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 21 to 24), with no sex differences. Recent sexual activity was common (56%, 95% CI: 55 to 58) across all HIV status categories. Condom use was low among HIV-negative adults (15%, 95% CI: 14 to 17), higher among HIV-positive adults who were unaware of their HIV status (27%, 95% CI: 22 to 33), and dramatically higher among HIV-positive adults who were aware of their status (75%, 95% CI: 70 to 80). Casual sex and multiple partnerships were reported at moderate levels, with slightly higher estimates among HIV-positive compared to HIV-negative adults. Differences by HIV status remained after age–sex standardization. Conclusions: Older HIV-positive adults in an HIV hyperendemic community of rural South Africa report sexual behaviors consistent with high HIV transmission risk. Older HIV-negative adults report sexual behaviors consistent with high HIV acquisition risk. Prevention initiatives tailored to the particular prevention needs of older adults are urgently needed to reduce HIV risk in this and similar communities in sub-Saharan Africa.The HAALSI study was funded by the NIA of the NIH (P01 AG041710). HAALSI is nested within the Agincourt Health and Socio-Demographic Surveillance System, with funding from Wellcome Trust (058893/Z/99/A; 069683/Z/02/Z; 085477/Z/08/Z; 085477/B/08/Z), University of the Witwatersrand, and Medical Research Council, South Africa. T.W.B. received funding from the Wellcome Trust and NICHD of NIH (R01-HD084233) and NIAID of NIH (R01-AI124389 and R01-AI112339)

Performance of self-reported HIV status in determining true HIV status among older adults in rural South Africa: a validation study

Introduction: In South Africa, older adults make up a growing proportion of people living with HIV. HIV programmes are likely to reach older South Africans in home-based interventions where testing is not always feasible. We evaluate the accuracy of self-reported HIV status, which may provide useful information for targeting interventions or offer an alternative to biomarker testing. Methods: Data were taken from the Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa (HAALSI) baseline survey, which was conducted in rural Mpumalanga province, South Africa. A total of 5059 participants aged ≥40 years were interviewed from 2014 to 2015. Self-reported HIV status and dried bloodspots for HIV biomarker testing were obtained during at-home interviews. We calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for self-reported status compared to “gold standard” biomarker results. Log-binomial regression explored associations between demographic characteristics, antiretroviral therapy (ART) status and sensitivity of self-report. Results: Most participants (93%) consented to biomarker testing. Of those with biomarker results, 50.9% reported knowing their HIV status and accurately reported it. PPV of self-report was 94.1% (95% confidence interval (CI): 92.0–96.0), NPV was 87.2% (95% CI: 86.2–88.2), sensitivity was 51.2% (95% CI: 48.2–54.3) and specificity was 99.0% (95% CI: 98.7–99.4). Participants on ART were more likely to report their HIV-positive status, and participants reporting false-negatives were more likely to have older HIV tests. Conclusions: The majority of participants were willing to share their HIV status. False-negative reports were largely explained by lack of testing, suggesting HIV stigma is retreating in this setting, and that expansion of HIV testing and retesting is still needed in this population. In HIV interventions where testing is not possible, self-reported status should be considered as a routine first step to establish HIV status.This study was funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) [P01-AG041710] and is nested within the MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt) and funded by Wellcome Trust [058893/Z/99/A; 069683/Z/02/Z; 085477/Z/08/Z; 085477/B/08/Z] with important contributions from the University of the Witwatersrand and the South African Medical Research Council. Till Bärnighausen was supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation through the Alexander von Humboldt Professor award, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. He is also supported by the Wellcome Trust, the European Commission, the Clinton Health Access Initiative and NICHD of NIH [R01-HD084233], NIAID of NIH [R01-AI124389 and R01-AI112339] and FIC of NIH [D43-TW009775]

Sexual Behaviors and HIV Status: A Population-Based Study Among Older Adults in Rural South Africa

Objective: To identify the unmet needs for HIV prevention among older adults in rural South Africa. Methods: We analyzed data from a population-based sample of 5059 men and women aged 40 years and older from the study Health and Aging in Africa: Longitudinal Studies of INDEPTH Communities (HAALSI), which was carried out in the Agincourt health and sociodemographic surveillance system in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. We estimated the prevalence of HIV (laboratory-confirmed and self-reported) and key sexual behaviors by age and sex. We compared sexual behavior profiles across HIV status categories with and without age–sex standardization. Results: HIV prevalence was very high among HAALSI participants (23%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 21 to 24), with no sex differences. Recent sexual activity was common (56%, 95% CI: 55 to 58) across all HIV status categories. Condom use was low among HIV-negative adults (15%, 95% CI: 14 to 17), higher among HIV-positive adults who were unaware of their HIV status (27%, 95% CI: 22 to 33), and dramatically higher among HIV-positive adults who were aware of their status (75%, 95% CI: 70 to 80). Casual sex and multiple partnerships were reported at moderate levels, with slightly higher estimates among HIV-positive compared to HIV-negative adults. Differences by HIV status remained after age–sex standardization. Conclusions: Older HIV-positive adults in an HIV hyperendemic community of rural South Africa report sexual behaviors consistent with high HIV transmission risk. Older HIV-negative adults report sexual behaviors consistent with high HIV acquisition risk. Prevention initiatives tailored to the particular prevention needs of older adults are urgently needed to reduce HIV risk in this and similar communities in sub-Saharan Africa

Association between country preparedness indicators and quality clinical care for cardiovascular disease risk factors in 44 lower- and middle-income countries:A multicountry analysis of survey data

BackgroundCardiovascular diseases are leading causes of death, globally, and health systems that deliver quality clinical care are needed to manage an increasing number of people with risk factors for these diseases. Indicators of preparedness of countries to manage cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVDRFs) are regularly collected by ministries of health and global health agencies. We aimed to assess whether these indicators are associated with patient receipt of quality clinical care.Methods and findingsWe did a secondary analysis of cross-sectional, nationally representative, individual-patient data from 187,552 people with hypertension (mean age 48.1 years, 53.5% female) living in 43 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and 40,795 people with diabetes (mean age 52.2 years, 57.7% female) living in 28 LMICs on progress through cascades of care (condition diagnosed, treated, or controlled) for diabetes or hypertension, to indicate outcomes of provision of quality clinical care. Data were extracted from national-level World Health Organization (WHO) Stepwise Approach to Surveillance (STEPS), or other similar household surveys, conducted between July 2005 and November 2016. We used mixed-effects logistic regression to estimate associations between each quality clinical care outcome and indicators of country development (gross domestic product [GDP] per capita or Human Development Index [HDI]); national capacity for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases ('NCD readiness indicators' from surveys done by WHO); health system finance (domestic government expenditure on health [as percentage of GDP], private, and out-of-pocket expenditure on health [both as percentage of current]); and health service readiness (number of physicians, nurses, or hospital beds per 1,000 people) and performance (neonatal mortality rate). All models were adjusted for individual-level predictors including age, sex, and education. In an exploratory analysis, we tested whether national-level data on facility preparedness for diabetes were positively associated with outcomes. Associations were inconsistent between indicators and quality clinical care outcomes. For hypertension, GDP and HDI were both positively associated with each outcome. Of the 33 relationships tested between NCD readiness indicators and outcomes, only two showed a significant positive association: presence of guidelines with being diagnosed (odds ratio [OR], 1.86 [95% CI 1.08-3.21], p = 0.03) and availability of funding with being controlled (OR, 2.26 [95% CI 1.09-4.69], p = 0.03). Hospital beds (OR, 1.14 [95% CI 1.02-1.27], p = 0.02), nurses/midwives (OR, 1.24 [95% CI 1.06-1.44], p = 0.006), and physicians (OR, 1.21 [95% CI 1.11-1.32], p ConclusionIn this study, we observed that indicators of country preparedness to deal with CVDRFs are poor proxies for quality clinical care received by patients for hypertension and diabetes. The major implication is that assessments of countries' preparedness to manage CVDRFs should not rely on proxies; rather, it should involve direct assessment of quality clinical care

Rapid radiation of Southern Ocean shags in response to receding sea ice

Understanding how natural populations respond to climatic shifts is a fundamental goal of biological research in a fast-changing world. The Southern Ocean represents a fascinating system for assessing large-scale climate-driven biological change, as it contains extremely isolated island groups within a predominantly westerly, circumpolar wind and current system. Blue-eyed shags represent a paradoxical seabird radiation—a circumpolar distribution implies strong dispersal capacity yet their species-rich nature suggests local adaptation and isolation. Here we attempt to resolve this paradox in light of the history of repeated cycles of climate change in the Southern Ocean