Using formative research to develop CHANGE! : a curriculum-based physical activity promoting intervention

Background : Low childhood physical activity levels are currently one of the most pressing public health concerns. Numerous school-based physical activity interventions have been conducted with varied success. Identifying effective child-based physical activity interventions are warranted. The purpose of this formative study was to elicit subjective views of children, their parents, and teachers about physical activity to inform the design of the CHANGE! (Children\u27s Health, Activity, and Nutrition: Get Educated!) intervention programme. Methods : Semi-structured mixed-gender interviews (group and individual) were conducted in 11 primary schools, stratified by socioeconomic status, with 60 children aged 9-10 years (24 boys, 36 girls), 33 parents (4 male, 29 female) and 10 teachers (4 male, 6 female). Questions for interviews were structured around the PRECEDE stage of the PRECEDE-PROCEDE model and addressed knowledge, attitudes and beliefs towards physical activity, as well as views on barriers to participation. All data were transcribed verbatim. Pen profiles were constructed from the transcripts in a deductive manner using the Youth Physical Activity Promotion Model framework. The profiles represented analysis outcomes via a diagram of key emergent themes. Results : Analyses revealed an understanding of the relationship between physical activity and health, although some children had limited understanding of what constitutes physical activity. Views elicited by children and parents were generally consistent. Fun, enjoyment and social support were important predictors of physical activity participation, though several barriers such as lack of parental support were identified across all group interviews. The perception of family invested time was positively linked to physical activity engagement. Conclusions : Families have a powerful and important role in promoting health-enhancing behaviours. Involvement of parents and the whole family is a strategy that could be significant to increase children\u27s physical activity levels. Addressing various perceived barriers to such behaviours therefore, remains imperative. <br /

Adventurous Physical Activity Environments: A Mainstream Intervention for Mental Health

Adventurous physical activity has traditionally been considered the pastime of a small minority of people with deviant personalities or characteristics that compel them to voluntarily take great risks purely for the sake of thrills and excitement. An unintended consequence of these traditional narratives is the relative absence of adventure activities in mainstream health and well-being discourses and in large-scale governmental health initiatives. However, recent research has demonstrated that even the most extreme adventurous physical activities are linked to enhanced psychological health and well-being outcomes. These benefits go beyond traditional ‘character building’ concepts and emphasize more positive frameworks that rely on the development of effective environmental design. Based on emerging research, this paper demonstrates why adventurous physical activity should be considered a mainstream intervention for positive mental health. Furthermore, the authors argue that understanding how to design environments that effectively encourage appropriate adventure should be considered a serious addition to mainstream health and well-being discourse

Early-life gut dysbiosis linked to juvenile mortality in ostriches

Imbalances in the gut microbial community (dysbiosis) of vertebrates have been associated with several gastrointestinal and autoimmune diseases. However, it is unclear which taxa are associated with gut dysbiosis, and if particular gut regions or specific time periods during ontogeny are more susceptible. We also know very little of this process in non-model organisms, despite an increasing realization of the general importance of gut microbiota for health

The "Euro-Mediterranean Forum on co-operation in Agriculture and Food Agro-Industry": The first CNR initiative in the framework of MEDA Regional Actions

The paper analyses the cooperation activities of the Italian National Research Council in the field of agriculture and food agro-industry. Particular attention is given to the cooperation between European Union and Mediterranean Partners in the framework of MEDA Regional Actions

Finite element micromechanics model of impact compression of closed-cell polymer foams

AbstractFinite element analysis, of regular Kelvin foam models with all the material in uniform-thickness faces, was used to predict the compressive impact response of low-density closed-cell polyethylene and polystyrene foams. Cell air compression was analysed, treating cells as surface-based fluid cavities. For a typical 1mm cell size and 50s−1 impact strain rate, the elastic buckling of cell faces, and pop-in shape inversion of some buckled square faces, caused a non-linear stress strain response before yield. Pairs of plastic hinges formed across hexagonal faces, then yield occurred when trios of faces concertinaed. The predicted compressive yield stresses were close to experimental data, for a range of foam densities. Air compression was the hardening mechanism for engineering strains <0.6, with face-to-face contact also contributing for strains >0.7. Predictions of lateral expansion and residual strains after impact were reasonable. There were no significant changes in the predicted behavior at a compressive strain rate of 500s−1