Individual- and environmental-related correlates of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in 11-, 13-, and 15-year-old Finnish children

peer-reviewed The objective of this study was to analyze the associations of various individual- and environmental- related factors with subgroups of daily, frequent, moderate and low moderate-to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among children and adolescents. Data were obtained from the Finnish School-age Physical Activity (FSPA) study 2016 from 4677 national representative 11-, 13-, and 15-year-old children and adolescents. MVPA and individual- and environmental-related factors were assessed by a questionnaire and analyzed by two-level logistic regression. Seventeen of the twenty-one variables were statistically significantly associated with MVPA. However, only three variables were stati…

spub-ri-2018-0052-File007 – Supplemental material for Does sports club participation contribute to physical activity among children and adolescents? A comparison across six European countries

Supplemental material, spub-ri-2018-0052-File007 for Does sports club participation contribute to physical activity among children and adolescents? A comparison across six European countries by Sami Kokko, Leena Martin, Susanna Geidne, Aurelie Van Hoye, Aoife Lane, Jeroen Meganck, Jeroen Scheerder, Jan Seghers, Jari Villberg, Michal Kudlacek, Petr Badura, Kaisu Mononen, Minna Blomqvist, Bart De Clercq and Pasi Koski in Scandinavian Journal of Public Health

Objectively assessed vigorous physical activity and motor coordination are associated in 11‐year old children

This cross‐sectional study examined the associations between gender, sports club (SC) participation, physical activity (PA), motor coordination (MQ) and object control skill (TC). 11 year‐old children (n = 477) wore accelerometers during seven consecutive days for the analysis of moderate PA (MPA) and vigorous PA (VPA). To detect motor competence (MC), children's motor coordination was measured using the KTK (MQ), and object control skill with throw‐and‐catch task (TC). Sports club (SC) status was obtained by a questionnaire. Boys had higher levels of MPA (F = 50.45, P<0.001) and VPA (F = 11.13, P = 0.001), and were better in TC (F = 39.83, P < 0.001) than girls. SC participants outperforme…

Pelikäsityksen kehittyneisyys sulkapallossa 9-13 -vuotiailla koulutytöillä ja -pojilla

Development and validation of the Perceived Game-Specific Soccer Competence Scale

The objective of this study was to create a valid, self-reported, game-specific soccer competence scale. A structural model of perceived competence, performance measures and motivation was tested as the basis for the scale. A total of 1321 soccer players (261 females, 1060 males) ranging from 12 to 15 years (13.4 ± 1.0 years) participated in the study. They completed the Perceived Game-Specific Soccer Competence Scale (PGSSCS), self-assessments of tactical skills and motivation, as well as technical and speed and agility tests. Results of factor analyses, tests of internal consistency and correlations between PGSSCS subscales, performance measures and motivation supported the reliability an…

Finnish late adolescents’ physical activity during COVID-19 spring 2020 lockdown

Background Physical activity (PA) is recognised as one of the leading and effective strategies to prevent non-communicable diseases that boosts the immune system to fight against diseases. Closures of schools, sport clubs and facilities because of COVID-19 reduced the opportunities to participate in PA. We aimed to examine physical activity levels of late adolescents, the contexts to be physical active and its changes during the spring 2020 lockdown. Methods A national representative sample of late adolescents in general upper secondary school (n = 2408, females = 64%, mean age = 17.2y, SD = 0.63) completed self-report online surveys on PA behaviours between March and June 2020. Multinomina…

Lasten ja nuorten liikuntakäyttäytyminen Suomessa : LIITU-tutkimuksen tuloksia 2018

The role of sport-specific play and practice during childhood in the development of adolescent Finnish team sport athletes

This study sought to understand the role of sport-specific play and practice in the development of adolescent team sport athletes in the Finnish sports development system. Participants were male, 15-year-old soccer (n = 141), ice hockey (n = 204), and basketball (n = 96) players, divided into three groups based on the amount of sport-specific play and practice experienced during childhood. Data were collected with sport-specific inventories of practice history, tactical skills, psychological skills, and sport-specific skill test. Results showed that athletes with more sport-specific play and practice during childhood had more sport-specific play and practice during adolescence, better techn…

The role of sport-specific play and practice during childhood in the development of adolescent Finnish team sport athletes

This study sought to understand the role of sport-specific play and practice in the development of adolescent team sport athletes in the Finnish sports development system. Participants were male, 15-year-old soccer (n ¼ 141), ice hockey (n ¼ 204), and basketball (n ¼ 96) players, divided into three groups based on the amount of sport-specific play and practice experienced during childhood. Data were collected with sport-specific inventories of practice history, tactical skills, psychological skills, and sport-specific skill test. Results showed that athletes with more sport-specific play and practice during childhood had more sport-specific play and practice during adolescence, better techn…

Game understanding and game performance in badminton : development and validation of assessment instruments and their application to games teaching and coaching

Hyväksi pelaajaksi tuleminen vaatii hyvien fyysisten ja taidollisten ominaisuuksien lisäksi myös hyviä kognitiivisia taitoja. Suomessa pelien tutkiminen, valmentaminen ja opettaminen on kuitenkin keskittynyt pääasiassa taitojen ja fyysisten ominaisuuksien kehittämiseen. Pelikäsityksen kehittäminen ja ratkaisuntekoon liittyvät seikat ovat jääneet vähemmälle huomiolle. Näin sanoo pelikäsitystä tutkinut ja pelianalyysia väitöskirjatyössään kehittänyt Minna Blomqvist, itse aikoinaan monivuotinen squashin maajoukkuepelaaja, joka oli maailman ranking-listallakin parhaimmillaan 30 parhaan joukossa. Tutkimuksen kohteeksi valittu sulkapallo on malliesimerkki pelistä, jossa pelaajan sekä kognitiivise…

Nuorten liikuntakäyttäytyminen Suomessa : LIITU-tutkimuksen tuloksia 2020

Identifying technical, physiological, tactical and psychological characteristics that contribute to career progression in soccer

This study sought to examine which technical, physiological, tactical and psychological characteristics at age 15 years contribute to successful soccer performance at age 19 years. Participants were male soccer players ( n = 114; mean age 15.4 ± 0.3 years), divided into elite and sub-elite groups based on their performance level at age 19 years. Technical, physiological, tactical and psychological characteristics were recorded when players were 15-year olds. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that performance level at age 19 was clearly associated with technical skills of passing and centering as well as agility and motivation levels recorded at age 15 years. These results extend o…

Does sports club participation contribute to physical activity among children and adolescents? : A comparison across six European countries

Aims: Insufficient physical activity (PA) is one of the largest public health challenges of our time and requires a multisectoral public-health response. PA recommendations state that all children and adolescents should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) daily and carry out vigorous PA (VPA) three times weekly. While participation in sports club activities is known to enhance the probability of reaching the recommended overall PA level, less is known about the contribution of sports club participation to VPA and few cross-national comparisons have been carried out. The purpose of this paper is to study whether participation in sports club activities is associat…

Sports club participation impact on motor competences, dispositional goal orientations, and perceptions of school-based physical education among Finnish third-grade children

Across the world, youth sports clubs are prominent and the main opportunity for engaging children and youth in physical activities. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of sports club participation on actual and perceived motor competences, achievement goal perspectives, and perceptions of school physical education among Finnish third-grade children. Participants were 114 girls and 100 boys (N = 214). All children were 10-years-old, or they would turn 10-years-old during the year of data collection. The participants, based on their involvement or non-involvement in their local sports clubs, fit into four subgroups. The subgroupings were ‘never’ participated in a s…

Development of perceived competence, tactical skills, motivation, technical skills, and speed and agility in young soccer players

The objective of this 1-year, longitudinal study was to examine the development of perceived competence, tactical skills, motivation, technical skills, and speed and agility characteristics of young Finnish soccer players. We also examined associations between latent growth models of perceived competence and other recorded variables. Participants were 288 competitive male soccer players ranging from 12 to 14 years (12.7 ± 0.6) from 16 soccer clubs. Players completed the self-assessments of perceived competence, tactical skills, and motivation, and participated in technical, and speed and agility tests. Results of this study showed that players' levels of perceived competence, tactical skill…

LIITU 2018 -tutkimus : liikunnan merkitysten kirjo on kaventunut

Hieman reilu kolmasosa suomalaislapsista ja -nuorista liikkui suosituksen mukaan – toimintarajoitteita kokevista joka neljäs. Lasten ja nuorten liikunnalle antamien merkitysten kirjo oli kaventunut ja esteet vahvistuneet, vaikka koettu pätevyys ja liikuntamotivaatio olivat korkealla. Suurin osa lapsista ja nuorista kannatti urheilun eettisten sääntöjen noudattamista. Säännöllinen liikkuminen oli myönteisesti yhteydessä koettuun terveyteen. Säännöllisesti liikkuvilla oli myös vähemmän yksinäisyyden kokemuksia. nonPeerReviewed