Coaches' Health Promotion Activity and Substance Use in Youth Sports

There is an increasing amount of evidence suggesting youth sports clubs are an important setting for health promotion. Adolescents in sport club settings can benefit from exposures of positive and negative consequences to health. To better understand the sport club context and coaches' health promotion activity in substance use prevention, this study compares sport club members with non-members aged between 14-16 years old on their experience and use of alcohol, smoking and snuff and coaches' health promotion activity on substances. Methods: Adolescents (n = 671) from sports clubs and from matched schools (n = 1442) were recruited in this study. Multiple binary logistic regressions were performed on substance use. Results: Higher prevalence of substance use was associated with discussions of substances, often held by coaches. Significantly fewer girls who are sport club members had experiences in alcohol, smoking or snuff than their non-member counter-parts, the differences among boys varied by substance. Fewer sport club members experienced smoking than non-members. More boys used snuff than girls. Conclusions: The most salient points for health promotion were that girls who were sport club members used fewer substances and for boys the picture was more complicated. Coaches could be using reactive strategies through informal learning to address substance use in clubs, although more effective training on substance use for coaches is needed

Educational and family-related determinants of organized sports participation patterns from adolescence to emerging adulthood: A four-year follow-up study

This study aimed to identify organized sports participation patterns and their prevalence from adolescence to emerging adulthood, and the educational and family-related determinants of the patterns. Adolescents in the Finnish Health Promoting Sports Club (FHPSC) study answered a health behaviour questionnaire and reported on sports club participation at ages 15 and 19 (N = 609). In emerging adulthood, dropouts (total 41.05%; females 43.72%; males 36.56%), maintainers (30.87; 26.44; 38.33), nonparticipants (27.59; 29.32; 24.67), and joiners (0.49; 0.52; 0.44) (p = .024) were identified. A mixed multinomial logistic regression analysis showed, that male gender, as compared to female gender, increased the odds of being a maintainer rather than a nonparticipant or dropout. Among females, high achievement at school and aspiration towards upper secondary school at age 15 increased the odds of being a maintainer at age 19 rather than a nonparticipant. High achievement at school and experiencing a (strong) decrease in parental support for physical activity/sport increased the odds of being a dropout rather than a nonparticipant. Having no experience of a strong decrease in parental support increased the odds of being a maintainer rather than a dropout. Among males, aspiration towards upper secondary school increased the odds of being a maintainer or dropout rather than a nonparticipant. The most common reason for dropping out was study, which was also the most prevalent life status at age 19. The findings highlight a need for more flexible possibilities to combine organized sports participation and school studies, and the importance of parental support for physical activity/sport

Physical activity measured by accelerometry among adolescents participating in sports clubs and non-participating peers

The purpose of this descriptive cross-sectional study is to describe the amount and intensity of physical activity (PA) measured by accelerometry among adolescents participating in organized sports (SCP) and age-matched non-participating peers (NP). SCPs (332) and NPs (139) wore an accelerometer on the hip for seven days. PA was reported using the 1-min exponential moving average. The current moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) recommendation of at least an average of 60 min of MVPA daily was reached by 85% of SCPs and 45% of NPs (p PA of Finnish adolescents participating in nine different organized sports and age-matched non-participating peers was measured by accelerometry for one week and the results are reported using the 1-min exponential moving average.Adolescents participating in many organized sports accumulated more PA than non-participants; this was observed in meeting the PA recommendations, total amount of PA at different intensities, and step count.The current PA recommendation of at least an average of 60 min of MVPA per day was reached by 85% of SCPs and 45% of non-participating peers. Vigorous physical activity at least three times per week was incorporated by 96% of SCPs and 81% of NPs. During training days, males participating in soccer, basketball, and cross-country skiing spent more time in MVPA than females participating in the same sports. During non-training days, the time spent in MVPA was similar between males and females participating in sports clubs.</ul

Acute and overuse injuries among sports club members and non-members: the Finnish Health Promoting Sports Club (FHPSC) study

BackgroundPhysical activity in adolescence is promoted for its multi-dimensional health benefits. However, too intensive sports participation is associated with an increased injury risk. Our aim was to compare the occurrence of acute and overuse injuries in Finnish sports club members and non-members and to report training and competing habits associated with a higher injury risk in sports club members.MethodsIn this cross-sectional survey targeted at 14-16-year-old adolescents, a structured questionnaire was completed by 1077 sports club members and 812 non-members. The main outcome measures were self-reported acute and overuse injuries, their location and type.ResultsAt least one acute injury in the past year was reported by 44.0% of sports club members and 19.8% of non-members (P<0.001). The sex-adjusted odds ratio (OR) for acute injury in sports club members compared to non-members was 3.13 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.54-3.87). Thirty-five percent of sports club members and 17.4% of non-members (P<0.001) reported at least one overuse injury during the past year. The overuse injury OR for sports club members was 2.61 (95% CI 2.09-3.26). Sports club members who trained 7-14h per week during training (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.21-2.12, P=0.001) or competition season (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.18-2.06, P=0.002) were more likely to report an injury compared to members who trained 3-6h per week. Those sports club members who participated in forty competitions or more compared to 7-19 competitions per year were more likely to report an acute injury (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.05-2.08, P=0.028) or for an overuse injury (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.02-2.30, P=0.038).ConclusionsBoth acute and overuse injuries are common among youth sports club members, and the number increases along with increasing amounts of training and competitions. More effective injury prevention is needed both for adolescents engaging in sports club activities and for other adolescents

Physical activity measured by accelerometry among adolescents participating in sports clubs and non-participating peers

The purpose of this descriptive cross-sectional study is to describe the amount and intensity of physical activity (PA) measured by accelerometry among adolescents participating in organized sports (SCP) and age-matched non-participating peers (NP). SCPs (332) and NPs (139) wore an accelerometer on the hip for seven days. PA was reported using the 1-min exponential moving average. The current moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) recommendation of at least an average of 60 min of MVPA daily was reached by 85% of SCPs and 45% of NPs (p < .001). During training days, the MVPA times among SCPs ranged from 153 ± 39 min in males and 109 ± 35 min in females participating in basketball to 113 ± 33 min in males participating in floorball and 83 ± 32 min in females participating in gymnastics. Sports participation contributes rather strongly to the accumulation of the recommended amount of MVPA. During training days, SCPs, except for females participating in gymnastics, accumulated more MVPA than NPs. During non-training days, only males participating in cross-country skiing and females participating in track and field accumulated more MVPA than NPs. HIGHLIGHTSPA of Finnish adolescents participating in nine different organized sports and age-matched non-participating peers was measured by accelerometry for one week and the results are reported using the 1-min exponential moving average.Adolescents participating in many organized sports accumulated more PA than non-participants; this was observed in meeting the PA recommendations, total amount of PA at different intensities, and step count.The current PA recommendation of at least an average of 60 min of MVPA per day was reached by 85% of SCPs and 45% of non-participating peers. Vigorous physical activity at least three times per week was incorporated by 96% of SCPs and 81% of NPs.During training days, males participating in soccer, basketball, and cross-country skiing spent more time in MVPA than females participating in the same sports. During non-training days, the time spent in MVPA was similar between males and females participating in sports clubs.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Socioeconomic differences in adolescents’ smoking: a comparison between Finland and Beijing, China

Background: Various studies have demonstrated the associations between socioeconomic status (SES) and health and health behaviour among adolescents. However, few studies have compared the socioeconomic difference in adolescent smoking between countries with different stage of smoking. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and adolescent smoking in Beijing, China and Finland through the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. Methods: The data used in this study were derived from the Chinese HBSC linked project survey 2008 in Beijing and the Finnish HBSC survey 2006. The final sample included 2005 Chinese and 1685 Finnish 15-year-old schoolchildren. The associations between Family Affluence Scale (FAS), as the SES measure, and adolescents’ smoking behaviour, including ever smoked, weekly smoking and the early onset of smoking were examined separately in two countries through binary logistic regression. Results: Compared to students from the high FAS group, Chinese boys from the low FAS group were more likely to report having ever smoked (OR = 2.12, 95 % CI = 1.49–3.01) and being early onset of smoking (OR = 2.17, 95 % CI = 1. 44–3.26). Finnish girls from the low FAS group were more likely to report being weekly smokers (OR = 1.68, 95 % CI = 1. 07–2.65). No significant difference was found for Chinese girls and Finnish boys. Conclusions: This study indicated different patterns of socioeconomic difference in smoking between Chinese and Finnish adolescents by gender and by smoking behaviour, which suggests that socioeconomic inequalities in smoking are different among adolescents in countries with different stage of smoking. Country specific policies and interventions for different target groups should be encouraged and designed for reducing the prevalence of adolescents’ smoking.peerReviewe

Test-retest reliability of selected items of Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey questionnaire in Beijing, China

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Children's health and health behaviour are essential for their development and it is important to obtain abundant and accurate information to understand young people's health and health behaviour. The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study is among the first large-scale international surveys on adolescent health through self-report questionnaires. So far, more than 40 countries in Europe and North America have been involved in the HBSC study. The purpose of this study is to assess the test-retest reliability of selected items in the Chinese version of the HBSC survey questionnaire in a sample of adolescents in Beijing, China.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A sample of 95 male and female students aged 11 or 15 years old participated in a test and retest with a three weeks interval. Student Identity numbers of respondents were utilized to permit matching of test-retest questionnaires. 23 items concerning physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep and substance use were evaluated by using the percentage of response shifts and the single measure Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for all respondents and stratified by gender and age. Items on substance use were only evaluated for school children aged 15 years old.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The percentage of no response shift between test and retest varied from 32% for the item on computer use at weekends to 92% for the three items on smoking. Of all the 23 items evaluated, 6 items (26%) showed a moderate reliability, 12 items (52%) displayed a substantial reliability and 4 items (17%) indicated almost perfect reliability. No gender and age group difference of the test-retest reliability was found except for a few items on sedentary behaviour.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The overall findings of this study suggest that most selected indicators in the HBSC survey questionnaire have satisfactory test-retest reliability for the students in Beijing. Further test-retest studies in a large and diverse sample, as well as validity studies, should be considered for the future Chinese HBSC study.</p

Current status and changes in sports club participation between 2016-2022 among 9-15 year olds in Finland

Sports clubs attain a lot of children and adolescents in many countries and contributes to physical activity (PA) and physical education (PE), and further to public health (PH). In Finland, sports club participation has been monitored nationally in The Finnish School-aged Physical Activity (FSPA) study. The purpose of this study is to describe the current status and changes in sports club participation in given age groups over time and with regards to age and gender. Nationally representative samples of 9-15 year olds were collected by electronic questionnaire in 2016 (n = 6956), in 2018 (n = 5683) and in 2022 (n = 7936). Sports club participation was asked by four category question: 1) No current nor previous participation; 2) No current, but yes previous participation (drop out); 3) Occasional current participation; and 4) Regular and active current participation. Results are presented through percentage distributions and changes in proportions. The proportion of regularly participating children and adolescents was smaller in 2022 (46%) than in 2018 (50%) and in 2016 (51%) and among both genders. The proportions of the participation over time remained stable among 9 and 11 year olds, but were smaller among 13 and 15 year olds. The largest change was observed among 13 year olds, in which the proportion of regular participants had dropped 10% from 2016 to 2022. Regarding to gender, the proportion of dropouts had increased among both genders, but more among girls. As low levels of PA among school-aged has been one of the major public health 16th European Public Health Conference 2023 ii17 Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article/33/Supplement_2/ckad160.041/7327806 by University of Jyvaskyla user on 26 October 2023 concerns in Finland, the decrease in sports club participation steepen this concern further. This is especially true among girls. Actions to induce more participants and prevention of drop out are needed. The negative trend in sports club participation is a public health concern as with wide coverage club activities contribute to physical activity and education. This trend needs to be changed.nonPeerReviewe