Global Matrix 3.0 Physical Activity Report Card Grades for Children and Youth: Results and Analysis From 49 Countries

Background: Accumulating sufficient moderate to vigorous physical activity is recognized as a key determinant of physical, physiological, developmental, mental, cognitive, and social health among children and youth (aged 5–17 y). The Global Matrix 3.0 of Report Card grades on physical activity was developed to achieve a better understanding of the global variation in child and youth physical activity and associated supports. Methods: Work groups from 49 countries followed harmonized procedures to develop their Report Cards by grading 10 common indicators using the best available data. The participating countries were divided into 3 categories using the United Nations’ human development index (HDI) classification (low or medium, high, and very high HDI). Results: A total of 490 grades, including 369 letter grades and 121 incomplete grades, were assigned by the 49 work groups. Overall, an average grade of “C-,” “D+,” and “C-” was obtained for the low and medium HDI countries, high HDI countries, and very high HDI countries, respectively. Conclusions: The present study provides rich new evidence showing that the situation regarding the physical activity of children and youth is a concern worldwide. Strategic public investments to implement effective interventions to increase physical activity opportunities are needed

Promoting development of entrepreneurial skills of youth in Ghana through a structured sport intervention program

IntroductionThe purpose of this brief report is to describe how a structured sport-based positive life skills program can be used in promoting the development of entrepreneurial skills of youth in Ghana.MethodsA total of 29 youth participated in the study with 11 as the control group and the remaining 18 as the intervention group. The students in the intervention together with 5 parents participated in a weekend mapping camp. Data for the study was collected with the Youth Experience Survey for Sport to measure the Life skills and entrepreneurship skills using a quasi experimental pre and post test control group design.ResultsThe youth in the intervention group reported important physical and personal benefits and entrepreneurial skills such as cooperation (teamwork), risk taking, creativity, leadership, cognitive development, and positive engagement in physical activity which they did not previously have. The results are similar to existing published papers giving this report a commendable validity and reliability.DiscussionSimilar to the previously published papers, the perceived gains in this report also show that exposing youth to a structured sport-based positive life skills program produce both physical benefits and development of lifelong skills necessary to develop skills necessary for entrepreneurial endeavors. When this intervention is upscaled in Ghana the country could offset high youth unemployment with its associated challenges

Physical activity and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria: does age and gender make a difference?

Abstract Background There is overwhelming evidence indicating that depression may be reduced by physical activity (PA), but studies in lower- and middle-income countries and those that involved data at higher physical activity doses were underrepresented. The current study investigated the associations between PA levels (vigorous, moderate, walking and sitting) and depression and tested whether age and gender moderate the link between PA and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method The participants were 857 adults (51.0% women; aged 18–69, mean age = 29.71, SD = 10.84 years) who completed an online survey as part of the General Health, Speech and Physical Activity Relationship Assessment Study in Nigeria. Physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) short form, while depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Results The results of the Hayes PROCESS macro indicated that those who engaged in vigorous PA reported lower levels of depression (B = − 0.02, p <0 .01). Sitting (B = − 0.00, p = 0.050), walking (B = 0.00, p = 0.054) and moderate (B = 0.00, p =0 .064) PA were not significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Older participants reported fewer symptoms of depression (B = 0.11, p < .001). Women had higher depressive symptoms than men (B = 0.91, p <0 .05). The interactions of age and gender with PA levels were not significant, which showed that age and gender did not moderate the relationships of PA and depression. Conclusion Engagement in vigorous PA may be helpful to reduce levels of depression and improve mental health in the general population

Ghana PA_COVID 19_Student Data

Research evidence has shown some geographical variations in physical activity (PA) between rural and urban environments. However, engagement in PA among African populations in the wake of COVID-19 has been largely unexplored. The current study examined residential area differences in PA, overweight, and self-rated health status among participants during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana. Participants (N = 856) were recruited from the university community during the COVID-19 health crisis by means of an online survey posted on various social media platforms, through direct e-mail invitations, and in-person recruitment. More than half of the participants (56.0%) have not been vaccinated for COVID-19, but their self-rated health status were mostly good (87.6%) and only a few (12.4%) rated their health status as poor. Most of the participants rated their weight as normal (80.1%). A statistically significant difference was observed in walking between participants whose place of residence was in the city and those who resided in the town during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (p = 0.047).</p