Exercising or gaming? Exergaming!!

L’utilità dei videogiochi come strumenti per la didattica è un argomento controverso, in particolare per quando riguarda l’insegnamento dell’educazione fisica. L’obiettivo di questo intervento è proporre una revisione della letteratura che consenta di approfondire il dibattito sull’argomento, tramite l’analisi delle potenzialità e delle problematiche legate all’utilizzo dei videogiochi appartenenti alla categoria degli exergames. Gli aspetti considerati riguardano l’influenza degli exergames sui domini dell’apprendimento, con particolare attenzione agli aspetti legati al movimento e alla motivazione. Infine verranno presentati alcuni esempi di come è possibile integrare gli exergames all’interno delle lezioni di educazione fisica

Exercising or gaming? Exergaming!!

L’utilità dei videogiochi come strumenti per la didattica è un argomento controverso, in particolare per quando riguarda l’insegnamento dell’educazione fisica. L’obiettivo di questo intervento è proporre una revisione della letteratura che consenta di approfondire il dibattito sull’argomento, tramite l’analisi delle potenzialità e delle problematiche legate all’utilizzo dei videogiochi appartenenti alla categoria degli exergames. Gli aspetti considerati riguardano l’influenza degli exergames sui domini dell’apprendimento, con particolare attenzione agli aspetti legati al movimento e alla motivazione. Infine verranno presentati alcuni esempi di come è possibile integrare gli exergames all’interno delle lezioni di educazione fisica

Subjective versus objective measure of physical activity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the convergent validity of the physical activity questionnaire for children (PAQ-C)

This study aimed to highlight the relationship between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) as assessed by accelerometer devices and the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C) to estimate the convergent validity of the questionnaire. A systematic review and a meta-analysis were applied by collecting pertinent studies (PubMed,Web of Science, PsycINFO, and SCOPUS) from 1997 until November 2020. The relationship between PAQ-C and MVPA scores was estimated considering correlation coefficients such as the effect size. Fisher\u2019s transformation was used to convert each correlation coefficient into an approximately normal distribution. The pooled correlations between PAQ-C and MVPA scores were measured by r values after converting the Fisher\u2019s z values back into correlation coefficients for presentation. A total of 13 studies were included in the meta-analysis, and a random effects model was adopted. The pooled correlation between PAQ-C and MVPA scores was significant but with a moderate effect size (r = 0.34 [0.29, 0.39], Z = 15.00, p < 0.001). No heterogeneity among the studies was observed (I2 < 25%). In conclusion, the results highlighted a moderate relationship (around 0.30\u20130.40) between PAQ-C and accelerometer measurements. These results suggested to concurrently administer both tools to reach a more comprehensive description of children\u2019s PA, in terms of quality and quantity

Participation in a school-based walking intervention changes the motivation to undertake physical activity in middle-school students

<div><p>The motivation to perform physical activity is a crucial factor in achieving a persistent active lifestyle. However, motivation decreases with increasing age from childhood to adolescence. The promotion of physical activity in educational settings might be an important tool to increase motivation and, consequently, to decrease sedentary behavior. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of a 4-month school-based walking intervention on motivation to participate in physical activity among Italian middle-school students. This study included 276 students (mean age 13 ± 1 years, 41.3% female). A total of 138 students (intervention group) participated in a brief walking intervention that was added to their routine daily school activity, while a convenience sample of 138 students performed the routine daily school activity. The activity consisted of walking one kilometer outside of school buildings during the morning break. Motivation data were collected before and after the walking breaks using the Participation Motivation Questionnaire (PMQ). Controlling for age, significant interactions between group and time were observed in the “Social Status” [F(1,273) = 4.851; <i>p</i> = 0.028], “Team” [F(1,273) = 6.015; <i>p</i> = 0.015] and “Energy Release” components [F(1,273) = 8.527; <i>p</i> = 0.038]. Specifically, a significant decrease in the “Social Status” components of the PMQ and an increase in the “Team” and “Energy Release” components were observed in the intervention group. On the contrary. control group showed an increase in “Social Status” and a decrease in the “Team” and “Energy Release” components. Within this developmental context, incorporation of the walking activity helped to modify the motivational orientation towards physical activity to include more intrinsic factors, which were related to the possibility of remaining with classmates and peer groups and releasing a surplus of energy.</p></div

The Daily Mile:15 minutes running improves the physical fitness of italian primary school children

The Daily Mile™ is an innovative school-based intervention that requires children to run or jog outside for 15 min at a self-selected pace during class time. Today, only one study has investigated the efficacy of The Daily Mile on physical fitness, which was conducted with Scottish children. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of The Daily Mile in Italian primary schools. A total of 486 children participated in The Daily Mile for 3 months (experimental group), whereas 309 children continued their daily school routine (control group). The 6-min run test, standing long jump, body mass index, and waist-to-height ratio were assessed. Their teachers completed surveys for assessing the intervention acceptability. After correction for age and gender, significant group × time interactions were observed in the 6-min run test and standing long jump results. In the post-test period, the experimental group showed improvement in the 6-min run test and standing long jump results. Overall, the teachers were satisfied with the program and found it suitable for their school context and easy to implement. The Daily Mile was successfully implemented and smoothly accepted in the day routine of Italian primary schools