Psychometric Evaluation of the Norwegian Versions of the Modified Group Environment Questionnaire and the Youth Sport Environment Questionnaire
This study aimed to translate the modified Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ) and the Youth Sport Environment Questionnaire (YSEQ) into Norwegian, examine the factor structure and reliability of the scales through independent clusters model confirmatory factor analysis (ICM-CFA) and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM), and examine differential item functioning (DIF) as a function of sex. Three-hundred-and-thirty-three athletes (M(SD)age = 18.7(2.60) years; 33% females) completed the GEQ. Three-hundred-and-three athletes (M(SD)age = 15.0(1.48) years; 26% females) completed the YSEQ. Results indicated acceptable fit indices for a four-factor, a second-order two-factor (task a…
The effectiveness of local child weight management programmes: an audit study
Background Many different child weight management programmes exist, with varying degrees of evaluation to provide evidence of their success. The purpose of this research was to use a standardized approach to audit the effectiveness of weight management intervention programmes in the West Midlands region of the UK, specifically to assess the benefits to participating children in terms of health improvement and behaviour change. Methods An audit of seven family-based intervention programmes currently in place in the West Midlands. Programmes were audited against the Standard Evaluation Framework. Results The programmes provided a partial data set relating to a change in weight from the baseli…
Role Satisfaction Mediates the Relation between Role Ambiguity and Social Loafing among Elite Women Handball Players
The aims of the study were to develop a questionnaire on self-reported social loafing (SRSLQ), and then to examine its relations with role ambiguity and role satisfaction in a sample of 110 women handball players competing at the elite level in Norway. Structural equation modeling analyses indicated that the SRSLQ was a psychometrically sound measure. In line with the expectations, role satisfaction fully mediated the positive relation between role ambiguity and self-reported social loafing: The more players experienced role ambiguity, the less satisfied they were with their role in the team, and the more social loafing they reported.
Making Every "Point" Count: Identifying the Key Determinants of Team Success in Elite Men’s Wheelchair Basketball
Wheelchair basketball coaches and researchers have typically relied on box score data and the Comprehensive Basketball Grading System to inform practice, however, these data do not acknowledge how the dynamic perspectives of teams change, vary and adapt during possessions in relation to the outcome of a game. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the key dynamic variables associated with team success in elite men’s wheelchair basketball and explore the impact of each key dynamic variable upon the outcome of performance through the use of binary logistic regression modelling. The valid and reliable template developed by Francis, Owen and Peters (2019) was used to analyse video footage in S…
The impact of school-day variation in weight and height on National Child Measurement Programme body mass index-determined weight category in Year 6 children
Background In England, the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) annually measures the weight and height of Year 6 school children (age 10–11 years). While measurement protocols are defined, the time of measurement within the school day is not. This study examined the impact of school-day variation in weight and height on NCMP body mass index (BMI)-determined weight category in Year 6 children. Methods Standing height and weight were measured in morning and afternoon sessions in 74 children, boys (n= 34; height: 141.16 ± 7.45 cm; weight: 36.48 ± 9.46 kg, BMI: 18.19 ± 3.98 kg/m2) and girls (n= 40; height: 144.58 ± 7.66 cm; weight: 42.25 ± 11.29 kg; BMI: 19.97 ± 3.98 kg/m2) aged 11 ± 0.…
A New Reliable Performance Analysis Template for Quantifying Action Variables in Elite Men’s Wheelchair Basketball
This study aimed to develop a valid and reliable performance analysis template for quantifying team action variables in elite men’s wheelchair basketball. First action variables and operational definitions were identified by the authors and verified by an expert panel of wheelchair basketball coaching staff in order to establish expert validity. A total of 109 action variable were then placed into 17 agreed Categorical Predictor Variable categories. The action variables were then used to develop a computerized performance analysis template for post-event analysis. Each possession (n = 200) from an international men’s wheelchair basketball game was analyzed by the first author on two occasio…
Older adults who have previously fallen due to a trip walk differently than those who have fallen due to a slip
Studying the relationships between centre of mass (COM) and centre of pressure (COP) during walking has been shown to be useful in determining movement stability. The aim of the current study was to compare COM-COP separation measures during walking between groups of older adults with no history of falling, and a history of falling due to tripping or slipping. Any differences between individuals who have fallen due to a slip and those who have fallen due to a trip in measures of dynamic balance could potentially indicate differences in the mechanisms responsible for falls. Forty older adults were allocated into groups based on their self-reported fall history during walking. The non-faller …
Kako budući stručnjaci u sportu, tjelovježbi i tjelesnome odgoju percipiraju tjelesni izgled pretile djece
Anti-fat bias has been previously identified amongst practising obesity health care specialists, physical education (PE) teachers and students of exercise science and PE in samples in the USA and New Zealand. The present research investigated the perceptions of the physical self of ‘fat’ versus ‘normal-weight’ children held by 167 students studying sport exercise and PE related programmes in higher education in England. Onesample t-tests identified that the sample held negative perceptions towards ‘fat’ children (identified by subscale mean scores that were significantly different from the subscale mean of 2.5 that would identify equivocal perception between ‘fat’ and ‘normal-weight’ childr…
Lifetime Adherence to Physical Activity Recommendations and Fall Occurrence in Community-dwelling Older Adults: a Retrospective Cohort Study
Wright RL, Robinson PD, Peters DM. Lifetime adherence to physical activity recommendations and fall occurrence in community-dwelling older adults: a retrospective cohort study. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 310-320, 2012. Falling is a major health concern for community-dwelling older adults. Regular physical activity has been proposed to prevent falls. The aim of this study was to assess whether the achievement of the 2004 UK Department of Health physical activity recommendations over a lifetime had a protective effect against falling in older people. 313 community-dwelling older adults completed a questionnaire about lifetime physical activity and fall occurrence. There were sign…
Age and Grip Strength Predict Hand Dexterity in Adults.
In the scientific literature, there is much evidence of a relationship between age and dexterity,\ud where increased age is related to slower, less nimble and less smooth, less coordinated\ud and less controlled performances. While some suggest that the relationship is a direct consequence\ud of reduced muscle strength associated to increased age, there is a lack of research\ud that has systematically investigated the relationships between age, strength and\ud hand dexterity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the associations between\ud age, grip strength and dexterity. 107 adults (range 18-93 years) completed a series of hand\ud dexterity tasks (i.e. steadiness, line tracking…
Future sport, exercise and physical education professionals' perceptions of the physical self of obese children
Published version of an article from the journal:International Journal of Fundamental and Applied Kinesiology. Also available from the publisher:http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=82637 Anti-fat bias has been previously identified amongst practising obesity health care specialists, physical education (PE) teachers and students of exercise science and PE in samples in the USA and New Zealand. The present research investigated the perceptions of the physical self of 'fat' versus 'normal-weight' children held by 167 students studying sport exercise and PE related programmes in higher education in England. Onesample t-tests identified that the sample held negative percep…
Development and Initial Validation of the Humor Climate in Sport Scale
In sport teams, humor is an essential element that influences communication processes, and plays an important role in group dynamics. Despite this, no current instrument is presented in the literature to measure humor climate in sport teams. Therefore, the current study presents the development and initial validation of the Humor Climate in Sport Scale (HCSS). The aim was to assess content, structural and concurrent validity of the developed instrument, and to examine differential item functioning (DIF) as a function of sex. Three different phases were completed in this study. The first phase involved focus groups (n= 5) that explored humor as communication in a team sport context. In phase…
The Influence of Collective Behavior on Pacing in Endurance Competitions
A number of theoretical models have been proposed in recent years to explain pacing strategies observed in individual competitive endurance events. These have typically related to the internal regulatory processes that inform the making of decisions relating to muscular work rate. Despite a substantial body of research which has investigated the influence of collective group dynamics on individual behaviors in various animal species, this issue has not been comprehensively studied in individual athletic events. This is somewhat surprising given that athletes often directly compete in close proximity to one another, and that collective behavior has also been observed in other human environme…
Preferred Coach Leadership Behaviour in Elite Soccer in Relation to Success and Failure
Multidimensional models of leadership in sport suggest that in order to maximize performance there should be congruence between the actual coaching behaviour and behaviours preferred by players. This study examined the preferred coaching leadership behaviours in prolonged periods of perceived success and failure in eighty-eight elite soccer players in Norway using the Leadership Scale for Sport (LSS). The three preferred behaviours were Positive Feedback, Training & Instruction, and Democratic Behaviour in both scenarios. All preferred behaviours (except Autocratic Behaviour) were higher in the unsuccessful scenario (p <.01). Negative relationships existed between age/experience and…
Intra‐ and inter‐instrument reliability of the Actiwatch 4 accelerometer in a mechanical laboratory setting.
Intra- and Inter-Instrument Reliability of the Actiwatch 4 Accelerometer in a Mechanical Laboratory Setting This study aimed to quantify the intra-and inter-instrument reliability of the Actiwatch 4 accelerometer (AW4) in a mechanical setting. Twenty seven AW4 were attached to an isokinetic dynamometer and subjected to angular acceleration for 30 min at 50 deg/sec representing moderate intensity (MPA condition) and 200 deg/sec representing vigorous intensity (VPA condition), with a repeat trial conducted. Reliability was assessed using coefficient of variation (CV), absolute percent error (APE), and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Mean AW4 activity counts displayed acceptable rel…
Athletes as ‘Cultural Architects’: A Qualitative Analysis of Elite Coaches` Perceptions of Highly Influential Soccer Players
The main purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of highly influential players\ud in elite soccer. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten elite coaches to determine\ud their perceptions of the characteristics, emergence and impact of highly influential players.\ud The interview guide was anchored in coaching literature and leadership theory, and after\ud exploring the interview data in this frame, we decided to label these athletes as cultural\ud architects. The results of the analysis revealed three general dimensions of cultural architects\ud in elite teams: a) Personal characteristics, which include elements related to their\ud achievements on the soccer pitc…
Preliminary evidence of reductive stress in human cytotoxic T cells following exercise.
This study investigated immunophenotypic differences in intracellular thiol redox state of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from trained [ n = 9, means ± SD: age 28 ± 5 yr; (body mass index) BMI 23.2 ± 2.6 kg/m2; V̇o2max (maximal oxygen intake)56.9 ± 6.1 ml·kg−1·min−1] and recreationally active (RA, n = 11, means ± SD: age 27 ± 6 yr; BMI 24.2 ± 3.7 kg/m2; V̇o2max 45.1 ± 6.4 ml·kg−1·min−1) participants before and after a maximal aerobic exercise tolerance test. Blood samples were taken before (Pre), during (sample acquired at 70% maximum heart rate), immediately after (Post + 0), and 15 min postexercise (Post + 15). PBMCs were isolated, and reduced thiol analysis [fluores…
Mental Toughness Moderates Social Loafing in Cycle Time-Trial Performance
The purpose of this study was to determine if mental toughness moderated the occurrence of social loafing in cycle time-trial performance.Twenty-seven men (Mage = 17.7 years, SD = 0.6) completed the Sport Mental Toughness Questionnaire prior to completing a 1-min cycling trial under 2 conditions: once with individual performance identified, and once in a group with individual performance not identified. Using a median split of the mental toughness index, participants were divided into high and low mental toughness groups. Cycling distance was compared using a 2 (trial) × 2 (high-low mental toughness) analysis of variance. We hypothesized that mentally tough participants would perform equall…
A systematic review of physical fitness, physiological demands and biomechanical performance in equestrian athletes
This article presents a systematic review of the literature investigating physical fitness, physiological demands and biomechanical performance in equestrian athletes. Three databases (SportsDiscus, CAB abstracts and PubMed) were searched to identify the literature. The main search term of ‘horse-riding’ was combined with eleven specific keywords (‘fitness’, ‘physiology’, ‘biomechanics’, ‘equestrian’, ‘athlete’, ‘co-ordination’, ‘heart rate’, ‘oxygen consumption’ ‘kinematic’ ‘EMG’ and ‘skill’). Exclusion criteria were: conference proceedings, abstracts, theses, and non-peer reviewed articles. Subsequently, 15 peer-reviewed papers were identified and included within this review. The main re…
“Just Going through the Motions….”: A Qualitative Exploration of Athlete Perceptions of Social Loafing in Training and Competition Contexts — Implications for Team Sport Coaches
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty team sport athletes representing a range of different sports with the aim of investigating their views relating to social loafing in training and competition. General themes investigated and subsequent content analysis highlighted factors that promote or reduce the extent of social loafing. Determinants of self-loafing were grouped according to three distinct categories: Group processes; Task characteristics and Individual perceptions. Social loafing among others was perceived to be prevalent in both the training and competition scenarios with more examples of social loafing provided in the training situation. The signs of social loafin…
Differences in axial segment reorientation during standing turns predict multiple falls in older adults
Author's version of an article in the journal: Gait and Posture. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2012.05.013 Background: The assessment of standing turning performance is proposed to predict fall risk in older adults. This study investigated differences in segmental coordination during a 360° standing turn task between older community-dwelling fallers and non-fallers. Methods: Thirty-five older adults age mean (SD) of 71 (5.4) years performed 360° standing turns. Head, trunk and pelvis position relative to the laboratory and each other were recorded using a Vicon motion analysis system. Fall incidence was monitored by monthly questionnaire over the…
Validity and Test-Retest Reliability of the TIVRE-Basket Test for the Determination of Aerobic Power in Elite Male Basketball Players
The aims of this study were to (a) determine the relationship between performance on the court-based TIVRE-Basket test and peak aerobic power determined from a criterion laboratory-based incremental treadmill test and (b) to examine the test-retest reliability of the TIVRE-Basket test in elite male basketball players. To address aim 1, 36 elite male basketball players (age: 25.2 ± 4.7 years, weight: 94.1 ± 11.4 kg, height: 195.83 ± 9.6 cm) completed a graded treadmill exercise test and the TIVRE-Basket within 72 hours. The mean distance recorded during the TIVRE-Basket test was 4001.8 ± 176.4 m, and mean VO2 peak was 54.7 ± 2.8 ml · kg(-1) · min(-1), and the correlation between the 2 parame…