Football in the community schemes: Exploring the effectiveness of an intervention in promoting healthful behaviour change

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of a Premier League football club’s Football in the Community (FitC) schemes intervention in promoting positive healthful behaviour change in children. Specifically, exploring the effectiveness of this intervention from the perspectives of the participants involved (i.e. the researcher, teachers, children and coaches). A range of data collection techniques were utilized including the principles of ethnography (i.e. immersion, engagement and observations), alongside conducting focus groups with the children. The results allude to the intervention merely ‘keeping active children active’ via (mostly) fun, football sessions. Results highlight the important contribution the ‘coach’ plays in the effectiveness of the intervention. Results relating to working practice (i.e. coaching practice and coach recruitment) are discussed and highlighted as areas to be addressed. FitC schemes appear to require a process of positive organizational change to increase their effectiveness in strategically attending to the health agenda

Designing for hope and dignity : female specific approach to prison design

This master’s thesis, Designing for Hope and Dignity: Female Specific Approach to prison design, recognizes the need for gender specificity in prison design. Prisons are highly male dominated environments where women are often a marginalized and invisible group. Female inmates have distinct needs and do not benefit from prison’s gender-neutral practices that are on a closer inspection based solely on male norms. Through gaining a fuller understanding of female prisoner needs and knowledge in architecture’s effect on wellbeing, the thesis aims to create a concept design that enhances wellbeing and is better suited for the needs of female inmates. The thesis is divided into two sections. The first section is the literary background study which aims to answer the following questions: who female prisoners are, what are their needs, why it is advantageous to invest in better prison design, and what are important design attributes we can apply to improve wellbeing. Currently in Finland female prisoners are placed in separate female wards in male prisons or in Finland’s only female prison. It appears that most of these small wards in male prisons are inadequate at meeting female needs. Female prisoners would benefit from being placed in institutions that are separate from men and have been designed with women in mind. The latter section is the conceptual design, where analyses formed from the background study are utilized to create a closed prison design for women which seeks to promote prisoner wellbeing. The design is established on the idea that well-thought-out architecture that feels safe for women, fosters positive interactions, and is humane in scale and size, has the potential to support inmates in regaining some measure of dignity and provide opportunities for hope. The overall design composes of a general plan of the prison’s campus style layout and its spatial solutions, which are not tied to a particular site. Following a closer examination on spaces that have important roles in enhancing wellbeing, such as visitation and living spaces.Tämä diplomityö tunnistaa naiserityisyyden tarpeen vankiloiden suunnitellussa. Vankilat ovat miespainotteisia ympäristöjä, joissa naiset ovat usein näkymätön marginaalisessa asemassa oleva ryhmä. Naisvangeilla on omat tarpeensa, eivätkä he ole pääset hyötymään vankiloiden niin sanotuista sukupuolineutraaleista toimintamalleista, joiden voidaan lähemmän tarkastelun myötä todeta pohjautuvan miesnormeihin. Tällä hetkellä Suomessa naisvankeja sijoitetaan joko Suomen ainoaan naisvankilaan tai erillisiin pieniin naisosastoihin miesvankiloissa, joista suurin osa ei kykene vastaamaan naisten tarpeisiin. Naisvangit hyötyisivät siitä, että heidät sijoitetaan omiin laitoksiin, jotka on suunniteltu heitä ajatellen. Kiinnittämällä huomiota naisvankien tarpeisiin ja tietoon arkkitehtuurin vaikutuksesta hyvinvointiin, työn tavoite on luoda konseptitasoinensuunnitelma, joka tukee hyvinvointia ja naisvankien erityistarpeita. Diplomityö on jaettu kahteen osaan. Ensimmäinen osa on kirjallinen taustatutkimus, jonka tarkoituksena on vastata seuraaviin kysymyksiin: keitä ovat naisvangit, mitkä ovat heidän tarpeensa, miksi panostaa parempaan vankilasuunnitteluun ja mitkä ovat tärkeitä suunnittelukeinoja, joita voimme soveltaa hyvinvoinnin parantamiseen. Työn jälkimmäinen osio on konseptisuunnitelma, jossa taustatutkimuksesta saatua tietoa hyödyntämällä luodaan suljettu vankilamalli naisille, joka pyrkii edistämään vankien hyvinvointia. Suunnitelma perustuu ajatukseen siitä, että harkitulla arkkitehtuurilla, joka tuntuu turvalliselle, edistää positiivisia vuorovaikutuksia ja on kooltaan ja mittakaavaltaan inhimillinen voi jossain määrin auttaa vankeja palauttamaan ihmisarvoa ja tarjota toivoa. Suunnitelman alkuosassa esitetään kampusmallia soveltaen yleissuunnitelma vankila-alueesta, joka ei ole paikkasidonnainen. Tämän jälkeen työssä tarkastellaan lähemmin hyvinvoinnin kehittämisessä tärkeässä asemassa olevia tiloja, kuten vankilan vierailu- ja asuintilat

Designing for hope and dignity:female specific approach to prison design

Abstract. This master’s thesis, Designing for Hope and Dignity: Female Specific Approach to prison design, recognizes the need for gender specificity in prison design. Prisons are highly male dominated environments where women are often a marginalized and invisible group. Female inmates have distinct needs and do not benefit from prison’s gender-neutral practices that are on a closer inspection based solely on male norms. Through gaining a fuller understanding of female prisoner needs and knowledge in architecture’s effect on wellbeing, the thesis aims to create a concept design that enhances wellbeing and is better suited for the needs of female inmates. The thesis is divided into two sections. The first section is the literary background study which aims to answer the following questions: who female prisoners are, what are their needs, why it is advantageous to invest in better prison design, and what are important design attributes we can apply to improve wellbeing. Currently in Finland female prisoners are placed in separate female wards in male prisons or in Finland’s only female prison. It appears that most of these small wards in male prisons are inadequate at meeting female needs. Female prisoners would benefit from being placed in institutions that are separate from men and have been designed with women in mind. The latter section is the conceptual design, where analyses formed from the background study are utilized to create a closed prison design for women which seeks to promote prisoner wellbeing. The design is established on the idea that well-thought-out architecture that feels safe for women, fosters positive interactions, and is humane in scale and size, has the potential to support inmates in regaining some measure of dignity and provide opportunities for hope. The overall design composes of a general plan of the prison’s campus style layout and its spatial solutions, which are not tied to a particular site. Following a closer examination on spaces that have important roles in enhancing wellbeing, such as visitation and living spaces.Tiivistelmä. Tämä diplomityö tunnistaa naiserityisyyden tarpeen vankiloiden suunnitellussa. Vankilat ovat miespainotteisia ympäristöjä, joissa naiset ovat usein näkymätön marginaalisessa asemassa oleva ryhmä. Naisvangeilla on omat tarpeensa, eivätkä he ole pääset hyötymään vankiloiden niin sanotuista sukupuolineutraaleista toimintamalleista, joiden voidaan lähemmän tarkastelun myötä todeta pohjautuvan miesnormeihin. Tällä hetkellä Suomessa naisvankeja sijoitetaan joko Suomen ainoaan naisvankilaan tai erillisiin pieniin naisosastoihin miesvankiloissa, joista suurin osa ei kykene vastaamaan naisten tarpeisiin. Naisvangit hyötyisivät siitä, että heidät sijoitetaan omiin laitoksiin, jotka on suunniteltu heitä ajatellen. Kiinnittämällä huomiota naisvankien tarpeisiin ja tietoon arkkitehtuurin vaikutuksesta hyvinvointiin, työn tavoite on luoda konseptitasoinensuunnitelma, joka tukee hyvinvointia ja naisvankien erityistarpeita. Diplomityö on jaettu kahteen osaan. Ensimmäinen osa on kirjallinen taustatutkimus, jonka tarkoituksena on vastata seuraaviin kysymyksiin: keitä ovat naisvangit, mitkä ovat heidän tarpeensa, miksi panostaa parempaan vankilasuunnitteluun ja mitkä ovat tärkeitä suunnittelukeinoja, joita voimme soveltaa hyvinvoinnin parantamiseen. Työn jälkimmäinen osio on konseptisuunnitelma, jossa taustatutkimuksesta saatua tietoa hyödyntämällä luodaan suljettu vankilamalli naisille, joka pyrkii edistämään vankien hyvinvointia. Suunnitelma perustuu ajatukseen siitä, että harkitulla arkkitehtuurilla, joka tuntuu turvalliselle, edistää positiivisia vuorovaikutuksia ja on kooltaan ja mittakaavaltaan inhimillinen voi jossain määrin auttaa vankeja palauttamaan ihmisarvoa ja tarjota toivoa. Suunnitelman alkuosassa esitetään kampusmallia soveltaen yleissuunnitelma vankila-alueesta, joka ei ole paikkasidonnainen. Tämän jälkeen työssä tarkastellaan lähemmin hyvinvoinnin kehittämisessä tärkeässä asemassa olevia tiloja, kuten vankilan vierailu- ja asuintilat

A critical review of national physical activity policies relating to children and young people in England

Background: There has been an increasing focus on the importance of national policy to address population levels of physical inactivity. It has been suggested that the 4 cornerstones of policy comprise (1) national guidelines on physical activity (PA), (2) setting population goals and targets, (3) surveillance or health-monitoring systems, and (4) public education. The current study aimed to review the policy actions that have addressed each of these elements for children and youth in England and to identify areas of progress and remaining challenges.  Methods: A literature search was undertaken to identify past and present documents relevant to PA policy for children and youth in England. Each document was analysed to identify content relevant to the 4 cornerstones of policy.  Results: Physical activity guidelines (Cornerstone 1) for children and youth have been in place since 1998 and reviewed periodically. Physical activity targets (Cornerstone 2) have focussed on the provision of opportunities for PA, mainly through physical education in schools rather than in relation to the proportion of children meeting recommended PA levels. There has been much surveillance (Cornerstone 3) of children's PA, but this has been undertaken infrequently over time and with varying inclusions of differing domains of activity. There has been only one campaign (Cornerstone 4) that targeted children and their intermediaries, Change4Life, which was an obesity campaign focussing on dietary behavior in combination with PA. Most recently, a government infographic supporting the PA guidelines for children and young people was developed, but details of its dissemination and usage are unknown.  Conclusion: There have been many developments in national PA policy in England targeted to children and young people. The area of most significant progress is national PA guidelines. Establishing prevalence targets, streamlining surveillance systems, and investing in public education with supportive policies, environments, and opportunities would strengthen national policy efforts to increase PA and reduce sedentary behavior

Proximity to Sports Facilities and Sports Participation for Adolescents in Germany

Objectives - To assess the relationship between proximity to specific sports facilities and participation in the corresponding sports activities for adolescents in Germany. Methods - A sample of 1,768 adolescents aged 11–17 years old and living in 161 German communities was examined. Distances to the nearest sports facilities were calculated as an indicator of proximity to sports facilities using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Participation in specific leisure-time sports activities in sports clubs was assessed using a self-report questionnaire and individual-level socio-demographic variables were derived from a parent questionnaire. Community-level socio-demographics as covariates were selected from the INKAR database, in particular from indicators and maps on land development. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between proximity to the nearest sports facilities and participation in the corresponding sports activities. Results - The logisitic regression analyses showed that girls residing longer distances from the nearest gym were less likely to engage in indoor sports activities; a significant interaction between distances to gyms and level of urbanization was identified. Decomposition of the interaction term showed that for adolescent girls living in rural areas participation in indoor sports activities was positively associated with gym proximity. Proximity to tennis courts and indoor pools was not associated with participation in tennis or water sports, respectively. Conclusions - Improved proximity to gyms is likely to be more important for female adolescents living in rural areas

Anger is associated with subclinical atherosclerosis in low SES but not in higher SES men and women : the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study

We investigated the associations of anger and cynicism with carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and whether these associations were moderated by childhood or adulthood socioeconomic status (SES). The participants were 647 men and 893 women derived from the population-based Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. Childhood SES was measured in 1980 when the participants were aged 3-18. In 2001, adulthood SES, anger, cynicism, and IMT were measured. There were no associations between anger or cynicism and IMT in the entire population, but anger was associated with thicker IMT in participants who had experienced low SES in childhood. This association persisted after adjustment for a host of cardiovascular risk factors. It is concluded that the ill health-effects of psychological factors such as anger may be more pronounced in individuals who have been exposed to adverse socioeconomic circumstances early in life.We investigated the associations of anger and cynicism with carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and whether these associations were moderated by childhood or adulthood socioeconomic status (SES). The participants were 647 men and 893 women derived from the population-based Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. Childhood SES was measured in 1980 when the participants were aged 3-18. In 2001, adulthood SES, anger, cynicism, and IMT were measured. There were no associations between anger or cynicism and IMT in the entire population, but anger was associated with thicker IMT in participants who had experienced low SES in childhood. This association persisted after adjustment for a host of cardiovascular risk factors. It is concluded that the ill health-effects of psychological factors such as anger may be more pronounced in individuals who have been exposed to adverse socioeconomic circumstances early in life.We investigated the associations of anger and cynicism with carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and whether these associations were moderated by childhood or adulthood socioeconomic status (SES). The participants were 647 men and 893 women derived from the population-based Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. Childhood SES was measured in 1980 when the participants were aged 3-18. In 2001, adulthood SES, anger, cynicism, and IMT were measured. There were no associations between anger or cynicism and IMT in the entire population, but anger was associated with thicker IMT in participants who had experienced low SES in childhood. This association persisted after adjustment for a host of cardiovascular risk factors. It is concluded that the ill health-effects of psychological factors such as anger may be more pronounced in individuals who have been exposed to adverse socioeconomic circumstances early in life.Peer reviewe

Prospective association between objective measures of childhood motor coordination and sedentary behaviour in adolescence and adulthood

BACKGROUND: Higher levels of gross motor coordination are positively associated with physical activity in childhood, but little is known about how they relate to sedentary behaviour. The aim of this study was to investigate the longitudinal association between gross motor coordination at childhood and sedentary behaviour in adolescence and adulthood. METHODS: Data were from the 1970 British Cohort Study (the age 10, 16, and 42-year surveys). At age 10 the participant's mother provided information on how often participants watched TV and played sports and a health visitor administered several tests to assess gross motor coordination. At aged 16 and 42-years participants reported their daily screen and TV time, respectively, and physical activity status. We examined associations between gross motor coordination at age 10 with sedentary behaviour and physical activity at age 16 and 42, using logistic regression. RESULTS: In multivariable models, higher levels of gross motor coordination were associated with lower odds of high screen time (n = 3073; OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.64, 0.98) at 16-years although no associations with physical activity were observed (OR 1.16, 95% CI 0.93, 1.44). Similar associations were observed with TV time in adulthood when participants were aged 42, and in addition high gross motor coordination was also associated with physical activity participation (n = 4879; OR 1.18, 95 % CI 1.02, 1.36). CONCLUSIONS: Intervention efforts to increase physical activity participation and reduce sedentary behaviour over the life course may be best targeted towards children with low gross motor coordination

Effect of a school-based active play intervention on sedentary time and physical activity in preschool children

Early childhood is a critical time for promoting physical activity. Few studies have investigated the effect of interventions in this population. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a school-based active play intervention on preschool children’s sedentary time and physical activity. Preschool children were recruited from randomly selected preschools. Schools were randomly assigned to an intervention or comparison group. One teacher per intervention school received training from active play professionals in the delivery of a 6-week active play programme. Comparison schools continued their usual practice. Children wore a uni-axial accelerometer for 7 days at baseline, immediately after and at 6-month post-intervention. No significant intervention effects were observed for sedentary time or physical activity. However, sex and hours spent at school were significant predictors of physical activity. Children who spent fewer hours (half-day children) at school were significantly more active than their full-day counterparts. Physical activity during the intervention classes was high even though neither daily physical activity nor sedentary time changed. Notably children who spent more time at preschool were less active suggesting that preschool was not as conducive to physical activity engagement as other environments

Impact of a school-based intervention to promote fruit intake: a cluster randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: There is evidence that fruit consumption among school children is below the recommended levels. This study aims to examine the effects of a dietary education intervention program me, held by teachers previously trained in nutrition, on the consumption of fruit as a dessert at lunch and dinner, among children 6-12 years old. STUDY DESIGN: This is a randomized trial with the schools as the unit of randomisation. METHODS: A total of 464 children (239 female, 6-12years) from seven elementary schools participated in this cluster randomized controlled trial. Three schools were allocated to the intervention and four to the control group. For the intervention schools, we delivered professional development training to school teachers (12 sessions of 3 h each). The training provided information about nutrition, healthy eating, the importance of drinking water and healthy cooking activities. After each session, teachers were encouraged to develop classroom activities focused on the learned topics. Sociodemographic was assessed at baseline and anthropometric, dietary intake and physical activity assessments were performed at baseline and at the end of the intervention. Dietary intake was evaluated by a 24-h dietary recall and fruit consumption as a dessert was gathered at lunch and dinner. RESULTS: Intervened children reported a significant higher intake in the consumption of fruit compared to the controlled children at lunch (P = 0.001) and at dinner (P = 0.012), after adjusting for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides further support for the success of intervention programmes aimed at improving the consumption of fruit as a dessert in children.CIEC – Research Centre on Child Studies, IE, UMinho (FCT R&D unit 317), Portuga