Change the Game: Can a Non-Traditional Club Increase Participation in Extracurricular Physical Activity?

The aims of this study are to investigate the impact of a ‘non-traditional’ extracurricular club on pupils’ participation in physical activity, and what motivated pupils to attend. This action research intervention was carried out within a Greater London secondary school for girls, for four weeks during lunchtimes. To conduct the intervention, a dodgeball club was introduced as an extracurricular club, which was open to pupils in Key Stage 3. Pupils’ attendance was monitored and some were asked to complete the Motives for Physical Activity Measure (MPAM-R), at the end of the intervention. The findings indicate that the intervention had a positive impact within its environment, as an increase in pupils’ participation was observed over the course of the study. Additionally, the interest/enjoyment of the club was recorded as the highest motivation for participation

Effects of a Postpartum Sleep Schedule on Childless Women\u27s Sleep, Circadian Amplitude, Daytime Sleepiness, Performance, and Mood

OBJECTIVES: A complex process of physiological and environmental changes during the postpartum period confounds our understanding of the discrete impacts of postpartum sleep fragmentation. The aim of this dissertation was to isolate the effects of postpartum sleep fragmentation by manipulating the sleep of childless women in the laboratory to model a postpartum sleep fragmentation schedule. Actigraphically and polysomnographically-recorded sleep, daytime functioning, mood, and melatonin amplitude were quantified.;METHODS: Eleven healthy, childless women (25.4 [SD+/-2.3] years, 72.7% white, {dollar}23,000 [SD+/-{dollar}11,000] household income) contributed continuous wrist actigraphy and daily psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) for one baseline week followed by 3 consecutive nights of overnight polysomnography: an adjustment/sleep disorder screening night, a baseline night, and a night of experimental sleep fragmentation during which they were awakened 3 times for 30-35mins each. During nocturnal awakenings, women engaged in a standardized protocol that included feeding, changing, and rocking a doll in dim light (\u3c3 lux) to model postpartum motor activity and postures. First-morning baseline and fragmentation night voids were collected for 6-sulphatoxymelatonin assays to estimate circadian rhythm amplitude. Baseline and post-fragmentation Multiple Sleep Latency Tests (MSLT) and Profile of Mood States Surveys (POMS) were administered. A final week of at-home actigraphy monitoring, daily PVTs, and POMS captured recovery.;RESULTS: Sleep time did not change between baseline (M=461+/-28min) and sleep fragmentation nights (M=448+/-34min; p=.17), while sleep efficiency decreased (M=90.9%+/-6.1%; M=74.4%+/-3.9%, respectively; p\u3c.001). Frequency of PVT lapses increased significantly from baseline (M=1.62+/-1.83) to the week after fragmentation (M=2.72+/-1.76; p=.01). Mood disturbance increased from baseline (M=-1.00+/-7.10) to after sleep fragmentation (M=8.55+/-12.9; p=.037). MSLT scores increased from baseline (M=13.1+/-3.54) to after sleep fragmentation (M=16.3+/-3.51; p=.02), indicating decreased daytime sleepiness. No changes in time spent in nocturnal sleep stages, 6-sulphatoxymelatonin concentration and actigraphy-defined total sleep time were found after sleep fragmentation compared to baseline.;CONCLUSIONS: The current study is the first to experimentally examine the effects of a simulated postpartum sleep disturbance schedule on aspects of physiology and behavior. Results suggest no changes in measured physiological components of a single night of simulated postpartum sleep fragmentation, but significant deficits in mood and neurobehavioral performance. Disruption of sleep continuity in the absence of measured physiological changes may be sufficient to cause poorer mood and performance. SUPPORT: WVU Office of Academic Affairs Doctoral Student Research Support (AM); WVU Alumni Fund (AM); WVU Behavioral and Biomedical Sciences Training Scholarship Research Award (AM)

Variances in Diurnal Fatigue Patterns and Mood among Postpartum Women

Postpartum women have highly disrupted sleep and many experience a disruption in their circadian rhythm during this time. They are also susceptible to mood disruptions during the postpartum period. While mood disruption may be a result of sleep disruption, there are not many data to support a link between circadian rhythm disruption and mood among healthy postpartum women. This study sought to fill that gap. Participants were a convenience sample of 71 women from a larger study. The total sample was 26.4 (SD = 4.0) years old, had a mean annual income of {dollar}51,000 (SD = {dollar}35,000), and had 15.7 (SD = 2.9) years of education. All women were primiparous (first time mothers), 83.1% were married or cohabitating, 90.1% were white. Data used for these analyses were from postpartum weeks 2 and 12. At each of these weeks, the women were categorized, based on variance across the day on fatigue reports, as having a significant diurnal rhythm or not. Overall, there were no differences in reported mood, stress, or anxiety levels between women with and without a diurnal rhythm at postpartum week 2. However, women with a rhythm at postpartum week 12 reported better mood (p = 0.02, d = 0.62), lower levels of stress (p = 0.03, d = 0.70), and less anxiety (p = 0.02, d = 0.72) than women without a rhythm. In addition, women who were more morning-type were significantly more likely to have a circadian rhythm at both weeks 2 (p = 0.02) and 12 (p = 0.03) postpartum. Women who were older were also more likely to have a significant rhythm, but this difference was only found at week 12 (p = 0.05). The current study furthers knowledge of the benefits of maintaining a circadian rhythm during the postpartum period. It also establishes a novel way of evaluating and perhaps even intervening with women who might be at risk for postpartum mood, stress, or anxiety disorders

Ranger : the evolution of the role of a protected natural resource manager

This thesis traces the evolution of the ranger in New Zealand's protected natural resource management from 1874-1987. Rangers were employed by three government departments - the Department of Lands and Survey, the New Zealand Forest Service, and the Wildlife Service, Department of Internal Affairs - at the operational level of protected natural resource management for over a century. Six types of rangers, from the three departments, were identified; forest ranger, environmental forest ranger, crown land ranger, national park ranger, reserves ranger, and wildlife ranger. Archival data provided official information over the last 113 years. Interviews were conducted with former rangers from the three departments, (from a spectrum of positions of responsibility), and provided data on personal experiences, perceptions and attitudes towards protected natural resource management. Stinchcombe's historicist explanation provided a theoretical perspective based upon two assumptions; the phenomenon is produced by a system of constant causes, and some social patterns cause their own reproduction. Historicist explanation can be used as a means to understanding and explaining social phenomenon. The evolution of the ranger was seen as a self replicating phenomenon. Analysis of the evolution of the ranger highlighted six categories seen to influence ranger duties and responsibilities. These included the environmental, governmental, departmental policies, public pressure, key individuals, and other rangers and institutions. 'Meanings' of the New Zealand ranger were analysed. Meanings are considered both in terms of ranger duties and responsibilities, and meanings ascribed by those involved in protected natural resource management. Three distinct periods in the evolution of the ranger are identified; protection, control and management. These three represent changes in ranger duties and responsibilities, and management techniques

Standing Balance and Spatiotemporal Aspects of Gait Are Impaired Upon Nocturnal Awakening in Healthy Late Middle-Aged and Older Adults

Study Objectives: Nocturnal awakenings may constitute a unique risk for falls among older adults. We describe differences in gait and balance between presleep and midsleep testing, and whether changes in the lighting environment during the midsleep testing further affect gait and balance. Methods: Twenty-one healthy, late middle-aged and older (64.7 ± 8.0 y) adults participated in this repeated-measures design consisting of four overnight laboratory stays. Each night, participants completed baseline visual acuity, gait, and balance testing. After a 2-h sleep opportunity, they were awakened for 13 min into one of four lighting conditions: very dim white light (\u3c 0.5 lux); dim white light (∼28.0 lux); dim orange light (∼28.0 lux); and white room-level light (∼200 lux). During this awakening, participants completed the same sequence of testing as at baseline. Results: Low-contrast visual acuity significantly decreased with decreasing illuminance conditions (F(3,45) = 98.26, p \u3c 0.001). Our a priori hypothesis was confirmed in that variation in stride velocity and center of pressure path length were significantly worse during the mid-sleep awakening compared to presleep baseline. Lighting conditions during the awakening, however, did not influence these parameters. In exploratory analyses, we found that over one-third of the tested gait and balance parameters were significantly worse at the midsleep awakening as compared to baseline (p \u3c 0.05), and nearly one-quarter had medium to large effect sizes (Cohen d ≥ 0.5; r ≥ 0.3). Conclusions: Balance and gait are impaired during midsleep awakenings among healthy, late middle-aged and older adults. This impairment is not ameliorated by exposure to room lighting, when compared to dim lights