Health-related fitness of South African primary school children

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_Sfssj9Fdt7YNHmifj8A7vjTldx6jZTt/view?usp=sharinghttps://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Qvq1wHzB6xhxLzkvqPvdI7TM0TM-9875?usp=sharinghttps://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Kj2bm9GTcctMIS9gTcsdUzxBq8gpDHBv?usp=sharin

The influence of sedentary and active work environments on wellness

Die begrip welstand het oor die afgelope dekades verander na gelang die lewenstyl van die samelewing met tegnologiese vooruitgang tred gehou het. Die hedendaagse siening is dat welstand in die eerste plek die verantwoordelikheid van die individu self is en bepaal word deur die beoefening van gedrag wat gesondheid bevorder. Daar is verskeie faktore wat bydra tot gesondheid in die sin van ’n individu se gevoel van algehele welstand op die lang termyn. Een van die belangrikstes daarvan is fisieke aktiwiteit, en daar is aansienlike navorsing gedoen om die voordele van ’n fisiek aktiewe lewenstyl te ondersoek. Hierdie navorsingsoorsig gaan van die veronderstelling uit dat die mees akkurate metode om dié voordele te peil, is om ’n aktiewe met ’n sedentêre lewenstyl te vergelyk. Die doel van die oorsig is om die begrip ‘algehele welstand’ te verduidelik en om die voordele van ’n werkomgewing wat fisieke aktiwiteit toelaat en die nadele van ’n omgewing waarin daar hoofsaaklik gesit word uit te lig wanneer dit op die bereiking van algehele welstand aankom.The concept of wellness has changed over the decades with the ever-changing lifestyle of society as it adapts to technological advances. The contemporary view is that wellness is the primary responsibility of the individual and is accomplished by practising health-promoting behaviour. There are various factors that contribute to wellness in the sense of an individual’s long-term sense of overall well-being. One of the most essential factors is physical activity, and there is a large body of research that explores the benefits of a physically active lifestyle. This article is based on the assumption that the most accurate way to measure these benefits are to compare an active with a sedentary lifestyle. The purpose of this review is to clarify the concept of wellness and highlight the benefits of a physically active working environment as opposed to the disadvantages of a sedentary environment in attaining overall wellbeing.http://www.satnt.ac.zahj2013ay201

Determining a physical wellness indicator

Met die toenemende klem op leefstylverwante gesondheid het die fokus vanaf die behandeling en genesing van siekte verskuif na voorkoming en gesondheidsbevordering. Alhoewel individuele welstandskomponente uitvoerig bestudeer is, het gebreke ontstaan vanweë teenstrydighede en ’n gebrek aan bewyse dat hierdie faktore kollektief op die verbetering van algehele welstand uitloop. Die huidige studie het hom op die terrein van algehele fisieke welstand toegespits en die komponente daarvan, asook die invloed van ’n aktiewe werksomgewing op die komponente nagevors. Vir die studie is ’n kwantitatiewe eksperimentele deursnee-ontwerp aanvaar. Verskille tussen die twee groepe deelnemers is met behulp van die onafhanklike steekproef t-toets gedoen. Voorgraadse universiteitstudente (n = 165) en 234 rekrute wat besig was met ’n fisieke oefenprogram tesame met wetstoepassingswerknemers is aan verskeie welstandassesserings onderwerp in ’n poging om die algehele welstand in sedentêre en aktiewe werksomgewings met mekaar te vergelyk. Die individuele resultate is vergelyk en tellings vir risiko-areas bepaal wat uiteindelik saamgestel is om ’n algehelewelstandaanwyser te formuleer. Daar is bevind dat die studente beter vertoon het op sommige welstandsterreine; die rekrute het egter beter algehele fisieke welstand gehad. Dit dui daarop dat fisieke aktiwiteit wel beduidend bydra tot die bereiking van algehele fisieke welstand en dus die risiko vir die ontwikkeling van chroniese leefstylverwante toestande verminder. Die oorkoepelende bevindings gee te kenne dat die handhawing van ’n gesonde leefstyl, deur middel van fisieke aktiwiteit en gedrag wat gesondheid bevorder, tot ’n beter stand van gesondheid sal lei. Hierdie navorsingsterrein het moontlikhede vir toekomstige navorsing blootgelê, veral met betrekking tot die algehelewelstandaanwyser.With the increasing prevalence of emphasis on lifestyle-related wellness, the focus has been diverted from treatment and cure of disease to prevention and health promotion. Therefore, the area of wellness has received much attention and has been promoted with much enthusiasm, especially in the corporate industry. The present study delved into the area of overall physical wellness and explored its components and the influence of an active work environment on these components. This study adopted a cross-sectional, quantitative experimental design Undergraduate university students (n = 165) and 234 training recruits and law enforcement employees underwent several wellness assessments in a bid to compare overall physical wellness in sedentary and active work environments. The individual results were compared and scored into risk areas that were ultimately compounded to formulate an overall physical wellness indicator. It was found that the students were superior in some areas of wellness; the recruits, however, possessed a more pronounced state of overall physical wellness. This indicates that physical activity does contribute significantly to attaining a state of overall physical wellness and so reduces the risk of developing lifestylerelated chronic conditions. The overall findings suggest that maintaining a healthy lifestyle through physical activity and health-promoting behaviour will result in a greater state of wellness. In this area of research a host of possibilities for future research are unfolding especially the overall wellness indicator.http://www.satnt.ac.zaam2014ay201

The effect of emotional state on the learning of visual skills

Goeie visuele vaardighede is noodsaaklike komponente in die bereiking van opvoedkundige, ekonomiese en sosiale sukses, en onafhanklikheid. ’n Behoefte is geïdentifiseer om te bepaal of die visuele vaardighede van studente verbeter kan word deur visuele sportoefeninge, en of die potensiële voordele van hierdie soort oefeninge beïnvloed kan word deur emosionele toestande soos angs en nuuskierigheid. Albei laasgenoemde toestande kan ’n impak hê op die aanleer van visuele vaardighede. Aangesien daar tot dusver min navorsing gedoen is oor die verwantskap tussen die aanleer van visuele vaardighede en die aanwesigheid van dié twee emosionele toestande, is dit nodig om te bepaal in watter mate angs en weetgierigheid wel die aanleer van visuele vaardighede kan beïnvloed. ’n Kwantitatiewe navorsingsmetodologie is vir die doel van die studie gebruik. ’n Kwasi-eksperimentele ontwerp is uitgevoer ten einde data te versamel oor visuele vaardighede en die uitwerking van visuele sportoefeninge daarop. Die steekproef het bestaan uit tweedejaarse fisiologiestudente (n = 204) en het studente ingesluit van albei geslagte, uiteenlopende etnisiteite, almal in die ouderdomsgroep 18–27 jaar. Angs en weetgierigheid is gemeet aan die hand van die State-Trait Personality Inventory (STPI), terwyl die visuele vaardighede van die deelnemers gemeet is deur ’n battery toetse vir visuele vaardigheid. Die uitslae van die toetse kan moontlik aantoon dat oefeninge sommige visuele vaardighede kan verbeter. Dis egter belangrik om daarop te let dat angsvlakke in berekening gebring moet word wanneer die opleiding onderneem word. Volgens die bevindings van hierdie studie blyk dit dat angs in ’n mate ’n negatiewe uitwerking op die aanleer van fokus, sporingsvermoë en vergensie het. Volgens die huidige studie blyk dit egter dat weetgierigheid nie enige invloed gehad het op enige van die visuele vaardighede wat in die studie nagevors is nie.The findings of the present study suggest that anxiety, to some extent, influences the learning of focusing, tracking and vergence. Curiosity, on the other hand, did not influence the learning of any of the visual skills under investigation in the present study. Good visual skills are essential components in achieving educational, economic and social success, and independence. A need has been identified to determine whether the visual skills of students can be improved through sports vision exercises, and whether the potential benefits derived from these sports vision exercises could be influenced by emotional states such as anxiety and curiosity. Since little research has been conducted on the relationship between the learning of visual skills and the presence of these two emotional states, one needs to determine the extent to which anxiety and curiosity affect the learning of visual skills. For the purposes of this study, a quantitative research methodology was used. A quasi-experimental approach was employed to collect data on visual skills and the effects of sports vision exercises on these visual skills. The sample consisted of second-year physiology students (n = 204) and included students of genders, various ethnicities, and ages ranging from 18 to 27 years of age. Anxiety and curiosity were measured by using the State-Trait Personality Inventory (STPI), whilst the visual skills of the participants were measured by using a battery of visual skills tests. The results proved that sports vision exercises can improve some visual skills. It should, however, be noted that anxiety levels must be controlled when administering this training. The findings of the present study suggest that anxiety, to some extent, negatively influences the learning of focusing, tracking and vergence. Curiosity on the other hand did not influence the learning of any of the visual skills under investigation in the present study.http://www.satnt.ac.zaam201

Schools as sites for social change : applying the TEARS principle

In order to truly be innovative in education, it is sometimes necessary to break away from conventional practices while, at the same time, keeping the students’ best interests in mind. We support the notion that innovation in teaching and learning plays a vital role in the success of an institution and as such have launched innovative initiatives amongst various institutions. These initiatives present various benefits, such as empowering children and supporting well-being through innovative educational wellness indicators and health promoting intervention. Based on the results obtained in this study, and the needs and knowledge based on the teachers and learners, an intervention plan was developed to support positive change within the schools and the community. This intervention plan includes the development of learning content that can be included in the curriculum without adding any additional burden to the teachers as well as the training of teachers to better implement this curriculum. The intervention further aims to assist with social change by guiding the schools in improving their learner feeding scheme and physical activity programme. The TEARS principle is an innovative 5-step enterprise that has been developed and implemented in order to pioneer the necessary changes in education.http://ijleol.cgpublisher.comhb201

Cardiovascular health risk among university students in South Africa

Tradisioneel is individue se vermoëns, belangstellings en persoonlikhede tydens beroepsvoorligting en werwings- en keuringsprosesse geassesseer, terwyl slegs enkele studies op die liggaamlike gesondheid van tweedejaarstudente, as intreevlakwerknemers vir sakeondernemings in Suid- Afrika, gefokus het. Die hoofdoel van hierdie navorsing was om die stand van die kardiovaskulêre gesondheid van universiteitstudente in hul tweede jaar (as intreevlakwerknemers) te bepaal. Die motivering vir die studie was tweeledig: eerstens om die huidige kardiovaskulêre gesondheidsrisiko van studente te bepaal, en tweedens om hulle in te lig oor die mate van risiko waaraan hulle blootgestel is. Die studie was ’n kwantitatiewe deursneestudie wat onderneem is om inligting in te win oor die kardiovaskulêre gesondheid van universiteitstudente. Die steekproef wat vir hierdie navorsingstudie gebruik is, het bestaan uit 162 universiteitstudente in Suid-Afrika wat almal tussen 18 en 25 jaar oud was. Die resultate het aangedui dat 55.6% van die betrokke studente aan hoë bloeddruk gely het. Uit laasgenoemde groep studente is 81.1% as prehipertensief gediagnoseer, terwyl stadium 1-hipertensie by 18.9% gediagnoseer is. Altesaam 64.8% van al die deelnemende studente se tellings is in die hoër meetgebied van die Kardiale Stresindeks (KSI). Ongelukkig het 61% van dié studente met verhoogde KSI-tellings ook hoë bloeddruk getoon. Benewens verhoogde harttempo en bloeddruk het 15.2% van die deelnemers ook swak harttempoveranderlikheid getoon. Dus het byna 10% van die totale steekproef verhoogde kardiale stresvlakke, verhoogde harttempo en hoë bloeddrukvlakke vertoon. Die resultate dui daarop dat universiteitstudente heeltemal onbewus is van hul kardiovaskulêre gesondheid en van die moontlikheid dat dit ’n invloed op hul loopbane kan hê. Beroepsvoorligters, industriële sielkundiges, opvoedkundige sielkundiges en praktisyns op die gebied van menslikehulpbronbestuur kan hierdie inligting voordelig binne die bestek van hul praktyk gebruik om beroepsvoorligting aan fisiologiestudente te verskaf. Dié praktiese benadering sal fisiologiestudente ook in staat stel om vas te stel wat hul eie kardiovaskulêregesondheidsrisiko’s is.Traditionally, individuals’ abilities, interests and personality were assessed during career guidance and recruitment and selection processes; however, only a few studies focused on the actual health of second-year students, as entry-level employees for business in South Africa. The main research purpose was to determine the cardiovascular health of second-year university students’ (as young entry-level employees). The motivations for the study are two-fold: to determine the current cardiovascular health risk of students, and to educate the students about such risk. The study was a quantitative cross-sectional study to determine university students’ cardiovascular health. The sample used in this research study consisted of 162 university students in South Africa, between the ages of 18 and 25 years. The results indicated that 55.6% students had high blood pressure. Then 81.1% of the latter group of students were identified as prehypertensive, while 18.9% were considered as having stage-1 hypertension. Students exhibited elevated cardiac stress as well. Altogether 64.8% of all the participating students scored in the elevated range of the Cardiac Stress Index (CSI). Unfortunately, 61% of the students with elevated CSI readings also exhibited high blood pressure. Furthermore, of the latter group, 15.2% exhibited poor heart rate variability, as well as elevated heart rate and blood pressure. Therefore, nearly 10% of the total sample exhibited elevated cardiac stress, an elevated heart rate and high blood pressure levels. The implications of the results are that university students are unaware of their cardiovascular health and that it may have an effect on their careers. Career counsellors, industrial psychologists, educational psychologists, and human resource management practitioners may benefit from this information in their scope of practice to guide physiology students in their career. This practical approach also allows physiology students to determine their own cardiovascular health risks.http://www.satnt.ac.zaam201

An endometrial histomorphometric study of CD56+ natural killer cells in women with unexplained infertility

BACKGROUND. The number of peripheral blood and endometrial natural killer cells varies greatly during implantation and the first trimester of pregnancy and is thought to play a role in the maintenance of a healthy pregnancy. However, the role of endometrial CD56+ natural killer (NK) cells as an immunological mechanism in unexplained infertility is yet unknown. OBJECTIVES. The study aimed to enumerate the concentrations of CD56+ NK cells in endometrial samples, and to statistically compare these numbers between fertile and infertile women. METHODS. A histomorphometric analysis was conducted using haematoxylin and eosin staining and an immunohistochemical approach was used for quantifying cell numbers. RESULTS. Fifty samples were collected in equal parts between a study group of infertile female subjects (mean (standard deviation) age 35 (4), range 26 - 42 years) and a control group of multiparous fertile individuals (mean (SD) age 43.4 (6.3), range 30 - 55). The mean number of CD56+ NK cells present at different depths for both the study and control groups did not differ significantly. Age and group (study or control) were not significantly related to the mean number of CD56+ NK cells. However, for the late secretory phase the mean number of CD56+ NK cells was significantly higher than for the early phase. CONCLUSION. Our findings could not identify a statistically significant correlation between the number of CD56+ NK cells and infertility.Discovery Foundation Research Awardshttp://sajog.org.za/index.php/SAJOGhttp://www.journals.co.za/content/journalam2017Anatomical PathologyAnatomyHaematologyImmunologyStatistic

An evaluation of the state of wellness amongst medical aid company employees in South Africa

Huidige navorsing op die gebied van welstand in die werkplek is gefragmenteer en vereis ’n holistiese, geïntegreerde en stelselmatige begrip van werknemerwelstand sodat gesondheiden welstandsorg doeltreffend bestuur kan word. Die toenemende las van nie-oordraagbare toestande in Suid-Afrika beklemtoon die noodsaaklikheid van voorkomingstrategieë soos welstandprogramme. Die werkomgewing bied ’n ideale plek, aangesien ’n groot deel van die bevolking geteiken word, insluitende diegene wie se lewenstyl verbeter moet word. Hierdie studie is dus daarop gemik om verskeie gesondheid- en welstandkomponente onder werknemers van ’n mediesefondsmaatskappy te evalueer in ’n poging om risikogebiede te identifiseer wat verdere ingryping vereis. Die deelnemers het bestaan uit 140 werknemers van ’n mediesefondsmaatskappy wat ten minste 40 h per week werk. Hulle is onderwerp aan ’n welstandassesseringsbattery bestaande uit antropometrieke, gesondheidverwante en fisieke kapasiteitmetings. Die resultate toon dat ingryping nodig is betreffende alkohol- en dwelmgebruik, dieetgewoontes, hartgesondheid, liggaamsamestelling, spieruithouvermoë, kardiorespiratoriese uithouvermoë en individuele persepsies van die maatskappy. Dié studie het resultate opgelewer wat die bevindings van baie vorige navorsing op hierdie gebied staaf. Die trefwydte van welstandprogramme op die Suid-Afrikaanse bevolking is egter beperk. Die sukses van welstandprogramme wat fisieke aktiwiteit beklemtoon, is goed gedokumenteer in hoë-inkomstelande, met bewys van die ekonomiese voordele en opbrengs op belegging. Gevolglik word daar aangevoer dat die toepassing van welstandprogramme ’n positiewe uitwerking op die Suid-Afrikaanse werkmag sal hê.Current research in the area of wellness in the workplace is fragmented and requires a holistic, integrated and systemic understanding of employee wellness in order for health and wellness care to be effectively managed. The growing burden of noncommunicable conditions in South Africa highlights the necessity for prevention strategies such as wellness programmes to be implemented. The workplace provides an ideal setting as a large proportion of the population will be targeted, including those who require lifestyle improvement. Therefore this study sought to evaluate various health and wellness components among employees of a medical aid company in an attempt to identify risk areas which require further intervention. Participants were 140 employees of a medical aid company who work a minimum of 40 h per week and who were subjected to a wellness assessment battery, consisting of anthropometrical, health-related and physical capacity measurements. The results indicate that intervention is required in terms of alcohol and drug usage, dietary habits, heart health, body composition, muscular endurance, cardiorespiratory endurance, and individual perceptions towards the company. This study produced results which corroborate the findings of a great deal of previous research in this field. However, the scope for applying wellness programmes to the South African population is limited. The success of wellness programmes which emphasise physical activity has been well documented in high-income countries, with evidence of economic benefits and return on investment. And so it is proposed that implementation of wellness programmes will have a positive effect on the South African workforce.http://www.satnt.ac.zaam201

Influence of two sports vision training techniques on visual skills performance of university students

Vision is an essential sense and crucial throughout a student’s academic career. Reading and writing during formal studies require a basic level of visual skills. Training of visual skills to students may improve the way visual stimuli are processed, and subsequently lead to visual skill-, motor- and cognitive performance enhancement. The visual system processes information by way of ‘hardware’- skills (physical, mechanical properties) and the more trainable ‘software’-skills (perceptual, cognitive abilities). Sports vision skills training in athletes indicated faster response to visual information and ultimately improved performance, particularly in fast-ball sports. The efficiency of two sports vision training programmes were tested and compared in undergraduate physiology students of various ethnicities (aged 18-25 years), during a 6-week training period. Three groups were used. One control group and two experimental groups were used. Two programmes were used for the experimental groups (a vision laboratory executed battery of repeated visual skills vs. ‘Eyedrills’ an available webbased training programme). Both comprised ‘hardware’ and ‘software’ skills, and include: visual acuity, focusing, tracking, vergence, sequencing, eye-hand coordination and visualisation. For pretest/ post-test evaluations of all students the repeated laboratory training programme was executed. The control group was only exposed to the pre- and post-test. Individuals trained in the laboratory indicated the highest improvement in all visual skills, except vergence. The ‘Eyedrills’ group displayed significant improvements in focusing, tracking and eye-hand coordination, with the control group indicating the least improvement in visual skills - ruling out the notion of improvement occurring only due to test familiarity. Visual training was verified an essential method of improving visual skills, and fundamental in the expansion of basic visual abilities of university students for enhanced performance.http://www.journals.co.za/content/journal/ajpherd1am2017Biokinetics, Sport and Leisure SciencesPhysiologyPsychologySports MedicineStatistic

Influence of intense training program on cardio stress index

Rekrute in die gewapende magte word met talle stressors gekonfronteer, onder meer ’n strawwe opleidingsprogram wat ’n impak op hul fisiologiese funksionering kan hê. Die kardiostresindeks (KSI) is ’n nie-indringende merker van die stres wat die hart ervaar. Die berekening van die KSI is gebaseer op die duur van vaskulêre eksitasie (duur van QRS), hartkloptempo, hartritme en die standaardafwyking van die tyd wat verloop tussen elke opeenvolgende kardiale siklus (RRinterval). Die doel van die huidige studie was om die fisiologiese impak van 20 weke van strawwe opleiding op rekrute te toets, met behulp van KSI as ’n nie-indringende biomerker van kardiostres. Proefnemings is by drie geleenthede tydens die basiese militêre opleiding van rekrute, tussen die ouderdomme van 18 en 24 jaar, in die gewapende magte onderneem (week 1, week 12 en week 20) (n = 202, manlik = 115, vroulik = 87). Veranderlikes wat gemeet is, het die volgende ingesluit: rustende KSI, hartkloptempo (HKT) en bloeddruk. Data-analise is uitgevoer deur middel van gepaarde t-toetse ten einde die volgende pare te vergelyk: week 1 (basislyn) met week 12; week 12 met week 20; en week 1 met week 20. Wat die manlike rekrute betref, was die gemiddelde KSI en harttempo by al drie toetse binne normale perke. Die basislynwaardes vir vroulike rekrute was in betekenisvolle mate hoër in die eerste week. Daar was ’n algehele afname van die KSI oor die hele tydperk van 20 weke. Uit hierdie studie wil dit voorkom asof die meting van die KSI ’n nieindringende metode is om die uitwerking van afrigting op die hart te bepaal.Armed service recruits are faced with many stressors, including a strenuous training regimen that may have an impact on their physiological functioning. The Cardio Stress Index (CSI) is a noninvasive marker of the stress that the heart is experiencing. The aim of the study was to test the physiological impact of 20 weeks of intense training of armed service recruits, using CSI as a noninvasive biomarker of cardiac stress. Armed service recruits are faced with many stressors, including a strenuous training regimen that may have an impact on their physiological functioning. The CSI is a noninvasive marker of the stress that the heart is experiencing. The calculation of the CSI is based on the duration of vascular excitation (QRS duration), heart rate, heart rhythm and standard deviation of the duration of time between each successive cardiac cycle (RR-interval). The aim of the present study was to test the physiological impact of 20 weeks of strenuous training of armed service recruits, using CSI as a noninvasive biomarker of cardiac stress. Experiments were conducted at three points in time (weeks 1, 12, 20) during the basic military training of armed service recruits (n = 202, males = 115, females = 87), aged between 18 and 24 years. Variables measured include: Resting CSI, heart rate and blood pressure. Data analysis was performed, using paired t-tests for pairwise comparisons of week 1 (baseline) with week 12; week 12 with week 20; and week 1 with week 20. The average CSI and heart rate remained within normal values for male participants on all three testing occasions. However, baseline readings for females were significantly higher during week 1. There was an overall decrease in the CSI in the 20 week time frame. From this study it seems as if the CSI measurement is a noninvasive method to establish the effects of training on the health of the heart.http://www.satnt.ac.zaam201