Monkey see, monkey do? Exploring parent-athlete behaviours from youth athletes' perspective

Parents are an important social agent that can shape their child's behaviour in sport. However, the association between a youth athlete's perception of their parent's sideline sport behaviour and their own sporting behaviours is currently unclear. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between parent and youth athlete behaviours in sport settings. Australian youth athletes (n = 67) participating in team-based sports completed an online survey where they reported their parents positive and negative sideline behaviours and their own prosocial and antisocial sport behaviour during the past month. Linear regression results suggested that parent's positive behaviours were associated with youth prosocial behaviours, whereas parent's negative behaviours were associated with youth antisocial behaviours. Results provide preliminary quantitative evidence that youth athletes' perceptions of their parents' sideline behaviours predict their own on-field behaviours. As antisocial athlete behaviours were positively associated with parent negative behaviours, sport organisations should target, and ideally eliminate, negative parent behaviours. Conversely, to improve prosocial athlete behaviour, encouraging positive parent behaviours should be promoted

RELIABILITY OF THE LONG-RANGE CORRELATIONS OBTAINED FROM DETRENDED FLUCTUATION ANALYSIS OF RUNNING STRIDE INTERVALS

Monitoring stride interval long-range correlations has been suggested as a method for coaches and clinicians to track changes in fatigue and injury risk. This study investigated the between-day reliability of stride interval long-range correlations during treadmill running. Stride interval long-range correlations were assessed on two occasions 1-week apart using detrended fluctuation analysis during 6 minutes of running at 11, 13 and 15 km·h-1. Stride interval long-range correlations demonstrated good absolute reliability (95% limits of agreement: 0.11-0.14 arbitrary units) and relative reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.74-0.87) at each running speed. The absolute reliability values reported in this study can be used by athletes, coaches and clinicians to determine real changes in stride interval long-range correlations

Physiotherapy and related management for childhood obesity: A systematic scoping review

IntroductionDespite targeted efforts globally to address childhood overweight/obesity, it remains poorly understood and challenging to manage. Physiotherapists have the potential to manage children with obesity as they are experts in movement and physical activity. However, their role remains unclear due to a lack of physiotherapy-specific guidelines. This scoping review aims to explore existing literature, critically appraising and synthesising findings to guide physiotherapists in the evidence-based management of childhood overweight/obesity.MethodA scoping review was conducted, including literature up to May 2020. A review protocol exists on Open Science Framework at https://osf.io/fap8g/. Four databases were accessed including PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Medline via OVID, with grey literature searched through google via "file:pdf". A descriptive synthesis was undertaken to explore the impact of existing interventions and their efficacy.ResultsFrom the initial capture of 1871 articles, 263 intervention-based articles were included. Interventions included qualitative focused physical activity, quantitative focused physical activity and multicomponent interventions. Various outcome measures were utilised including health-, performance- and behaviour-related outcomes. The general trend for physiotherapy involvement with children who are obese appears to favour: 1) multicomponent interventions, implementing more than one component with environmental modification and parental involvement and 2) quantitative physical activity interventions, focusing on the quantity of bodily movement. These approaches most consistently demonstrated desirable changes across behavioural and health-related outcome measures for multicomponent and quantitative physical activity interventions respectively.ConclusionWhen managing children with obesity, physiotherapists should consider multicomponent approaches and increasing the quantity of physical activity, given consistent improvements in various obesity-related outcomes. Such approaches are well suited to the scope of physiotherapists and their expertise in physical activity prescription for the management of childhood obesity. Future research should examine the effect of motor skill interventions and consider the role of environmental modification/parental involvement as factors contributing to intervention success

Cognitive behavioural therapy: a treatment for overweight and obese adolescents

There is growing concern worldwide regarding the rising prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents whereby many of the adverse health effects associated with adult obesity are now being seen in adolescents. Of further concern is the strong tracking of adolescent weight into adulthood which has added consequences for long-term health. Whilst the prevention of overweight and obesity should be at the forefront, it is evident that effective treatment programs for already obese teens are urgently needed to prevent them from becoming obese adults. This book provides an overview of adolescent overweight/obesity and possible treatment options, before reporting on the results of a scientific trial utilising Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to treat overweight and obese adolescents. The CBT program focussed on sustainable lifestyle changes to diet and activity to bring about improvements in weight status, body fat and dietary habits. Therefore, this book would provide a useful reference for health professionals, physical educators, researchers, academics or other individuals with an interest in obesity

The Biodex Isokinetic Dynamometer for knee strength assessment in children: advantages and limitations

Objective: To critically appraise the Biodex System 4 isokinetic dynamometer for strength assessment of children. Methods: Appraisal was based on experiences from two independent laboratories involving testing of 213 children. Issues were recorded and the manufacturer was consulted regarding appropriate solutions. Results: The dynamometer had insufficient height adjustment for alignment of the knee for some children, requiring the construction of padding to better fit the child within the dynamometer. Potential for entrapment of the non-testing leg was evident in the passive and eccentric modes and a leg bracket restraint was constructed. Automated gravity correction did not operate when protocols were linked or data was exported to an external device. Conclusions: Limitations were noted, some of which were applicable to knee strength testing in general and others which were specific to use with children. However, most of these obstacles could be overcome, making the Biodex System 4 suitable for assessment of knee strength in children

Test-retest reliability of the biodex system 4 isokinetic dynamometer for knee strength assessment in paediatric populations

Background: Isokinetic dynamometry is a widely used tool for measuring muscle strength in clinical intervention and rehabilitation as well as research in children. Objective: To assess the test-retest reliability of knee flexor/extensor strength using the Biodex Multi-Joint System 4 Isokinetic Dynamometer in children. Methods: Peak isometric knee extensor (KE) and peak isokinetic knee flexor (KF) torques of the dominant and nondominant limbs were assessed twice in 11 children aged 10 to 13 yrs, 7 to 10 days apart. Results: Peak torques were higher in the dominant limb (p ≤ 0.006). Peak isometric KE torque was 8.4% higher (SEM 2.5%) at the second testing session, but there was no inter-action with the limb tested (p > 0.2). Peak isokinetic KE/KF torque ratios agreed well between tests and had intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) of 0.96. Conclusions: The dynamometer provides a reliable means of assessing knee strength in 10 to 13 year olds, with excellent test-retest reliability for isokinetic KE/KF. A learning effect occurred when assessing isometric torque, indicating the importance of habituation for this measure.Margarita D. Tsiros, Paul N. Grimshaw, Anthony J. Shield, Jonathan D. Buckle

Parent and early childhood educator perspectives of unstructured nature play for young children: A qualitative descriptive study.

Nature play is growing in popularity, with many early childhood settings transforming their outdoor play environments to incorporate more natural elements. Current research highlights the benefits of engaging in unstructured nature play for children's health and development; yet little is known about the experiences of key nature play end-users such as parents and early childhood educators, even though they directly impact the application of nature play within early childhood settings. This study aimed to address this knowledge gap by exploring parent and early childhood educator (ECE) perspectives to gain an understanding about their experiences with nature play. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, semi-structured in-person and telephone interviews were conducted with 18 ECE and 13 parents across four early childhood centres (from various socio-economic regions) across metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia during 2019-2020. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis identified five main themes; positive affirmations of nature play, factors influencing nature play engagement, defining nature play, outdoor play space design and risky play. Children's connection to the natural world, learning about sustainability, emotional regulation, and children discovering their own capabilities were perceived advantages of engaging in nature play. Despite the benefits, ECE's described institutional barriers such as resourcing, adhering to policies and scheduling conflicts, whereas, parents described time, getting dirty and proximity to nature play spaces as barriers to nature play engagement. Parents and ECEs alike described adults as gatekeepers for play, especially when other daily tasks compete for their time, or when faced with weather-imposed barriers (cold, rain, extreme heat in summer). The findings suggest that parents and ECEs may need additional resources and guidance on how to engage with nature play and how to overcome barriers within early childhood settings and the home environment

The impacts of unstructured nature play on health in early childhood development: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND:Nature play is growing in popularity as children's play spaces are transforming from traditional playgrounds into more nature-based play spaces with considerable financial and resource investment from government bodies. This has resulted in the re-development of children's play spaces to incorporate more natural elements such as trees, plants and rocks. Despite this, it is unclear whether there is empirical evidence to support claims that play in nature is beneficial for child health and development. AIM:To conduct a systematic review examining the impacts of nature play on the health and developmental outcomes of children aged 2-12 years. METHODS:Seven electronic databases were searched (MEDLINE, ERIC, Embase, PsycINFO, The Cochrane Library, The Joanna Briggs Institute and Emcare) from inception to July/August 2018 (search updated July/August 2019). The Inclusion criteria were children aged 2-12 years with no health/developmental conditions. The exposure/intervention of interest was unstructured, free play in nature. Critical appraisal of included studies was conducted using the McMaster Critical Appraisal Tool. Descriptive synthesis was then undertaken using the NHMRC FORM Framework. RESULTS:Out of 2927 articles identified, 16 studies met the inclusion criteria. The nature play exposure/intervention was heterogeneously described, and a plethora of outcome measures were used. Nature play had consistent positive impacts on physical activity outcomes and cognitive play behaviours (imaginative and dramatic play). However, there remain some concerns regarding the quality of the evidence base, heterogeneity in intervention description and parameters in the outcome measures used. CONCLUSIONS:While the positive impacts of nature play were encouraging in terms of physical activity and cognitive development, nature play stakeholders should focus on producing a universal definition for nature play, the development of standardised outcome measures and the conduct of robust research designs. Implications of these findings suggest the need for the development of standardised guidelines to inform practice and policy in the design of children's play spaces in different contexts