Secular trends in muscular fitness among Finnish adolescents.

Aim: To investigate secular change over time in health-related muscular fitness and how leisure time physical activity (LTPA), sport club participation, and body mass index are associated with muscular fitness in adolescents. Methods: Two cross-sectional samples of Finnish 13—16-year-old adolescents were studied in 1976 (n = 643; 312 boys and 331 girls) and in 2001 (n = 579; 308 boys and 271 girls). Muscular fitness index was calculated as the sum of age- and sex-specific z-scores of four tests measuring muscular fitness and agility. Height and weight were also measured. Self-reported weekly frequency of LTPA of at least 30-min duration and regularity of participation in organised sport we…

Secular trends in aerobic fitness performance in 13-18-year-old adolescents from 1976 to 2001

To analyse the secular trends in aerobic fitness performance and some of its determinants (body mass index (BMI) and leisure time physical activity (LTPA)) in adolescents.Cross-sectional population-based studies in 1976 and 2001 in Finland. A stratified random sample of Finnish 13-18-year-old adolescents was studied in 1976 (n = 717; 384 boys and 333 girls) and in 2001 (n = 558; 305 boys and 253 girls). The main outcome measure was aerobic fitness, estimated with a 2000 m (for boys) and 1500 m (for girls) running test; the weight and height of participants were also measured. Self-reported weekly frequency of LTPA of at least 30 min duration and regularity of participation in organised spor…

Merkittävä liikunnanopettajakoulutuksen kehittäjä ja liikuntakasvatuksen tutkija

Liikuntapedagogiikan professori Risto Telama menehtyi 86-vuotiaana 14. marraskuuta 2022 Jyväskylässä. nonPeerReviewed

Physical Activity in Childhood and Adolescence as Predictor of Physical Activity in Young Adulthood

Background Despite the general belief that physical activity in childhood and youth is an important prerequisite for the physical activity in adulthood, there is not much information based on reliable longitudinal studies about the continuity of physical activity from childhood and adolescence to adulthood. Methods As a part of a national-level research program called “Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns,” we studied to what extent leisure-time physical activity at the age of 9, 12, 15, and 18 predicts physical activity nine and 12 years later. A total of 610 9-year-old, 624 12-year-old, 572 15-year-old, and 503 18-year-old boys and girls were studied in 1980. A follow-up measurement was car…

Differences in physical activity at recess and school-related social factors in four Finnish lower secondary schools

This study investigated the differences in physical activity (PA) at recess and school-related social factors, and described school PA promotion processes and staff experiences at four lower secondary schools from the Finnish Schools on the Move programme. Recess PA, peer relationships at school, relatedness to school, and school climate were assessed via surveys with eighth-grade students in spring 2011 (n ¼ 385) and spring 2013 (n ¼ 373). Local contact people in the school projects (n ¼ 6), school staff (n ¼ 83) and principals (n ¼ 3) provided information on the PA promotion process via telephone interviews and surveys. Differences in student-level data in years 2011 and 2013 were analyse…

Personal Reasons for Withdrawal from Team Sports and the Influence of Significant others among Youth Athletes

The aim of this study was to identify the main reasons for withdrawal from team sports and to examine the influence of significant others (i.e., coaches, parents, peers, and siblings) in the decision making concerning withdrawal from youth sports. An attempt was also made to compare withdrawal components and the influence of significant others in terms of gender, level of competition and years of involvement in youth sports. The participants in this study were young football (American soccer) (n=397), ice hockey (n=88) and basketball (n=50) players who had terminated their participation in their sports. Principal component analysis was used to reduce the number of withdrawal items and iden…

Secular trends in youth physical activity and parents' socioeconomic status from 1977 to 2005.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between youth physical activity and family socioeconomic status (FSES) over 28 years. As a part of the Finnish Adolescent Health and Lifestyle Survey a random sample of 12-, 15- and 18-year-old boys and girls participated in a nation-wide survey by answering questions every second year, from 1977 to 2005, on, among other things, leisure time physical activity and sport participation. Father’s education represented FSES. The results showed that there were no significant or only small differences between the high and low FSES groups in unorganised physical activity during the study period. Participation in physical activities organized…

Motives for competitive sports participation in masters track and field athletes : Impact of sociodemographic factors and competitive background

Objectives Masters athletes due to their lifelong engagement in sport represent a unique group to study motivation for regular physical activity, but there is less scientific data on the sport motives in masters athletes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association of age, sex, education, nationality, competitive background and training amount with sport motives of masters track and field athletes. Methods 811 (254 women) athletes aged 35–89 years participated in European Veterans Athletics Championships in the year of 2000. Sport motives were assessed with a questionnaire and categorized into1) well-being, 2) competitive and performance 3) health and fitness motives. R…

Questionnaire-assessed moderate to vigorous physical activity of the Finnish youth in 1979-2005

The purpose of the study was to investigate the time trend of questionnaire-assessed moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among 12-18-year-old Finnish boys and girls from 1979 to 2005. The MVPA was defined as "at least moderately breathtaking and sweating in leisure time physical activities more than 3 times week." Data were based on the Adolescent Health and Lifestyle Survey, which is a biannual, nation-wide survey on adolescent health and health-related lifestyle in Finland. The nationally representative samples were drawn from the Finnish Population Register Centre. The numbers of participants varied from 2832 to 8390 and the response rates from 91% (girls, 1981) to 58% (boys, 2…

Use of dietary supplements and anabolic-androgenic steroids among Finnish adolescents in 1991-2005.

Background : The aim of the study was to describe the prevalence, trends and associated factors of dietary supplements (DS) and anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) use among Finnish adolescents. Methods: The sample comprised 30 511 adolescents aged 12–18 years, of which 22 519 (74%) answered a questionnaire. We also studied associations between 14 socioeconomic, health and health behavioural variables and DS and AAS use by logistic regression. Results: The proportion of respondents using DS was 45% during the past year and it increased linearly by age. Vitamins (37%) and herbal products (13%) were the most common DSs. In 1991, 9% of the boys aged 16–18 years reported protein use, while the f…

Adolescents' physical activity at recess and actions to promote a physically active school day in four Finnish schools

The national Finnish Schools on the Move programme support schools with their individual plans to promote school-based physical activity (PA). We examined the changes in adolescents’ recess and overall PA in four lower secondary schools and described the school actions to promote students’ PA and the local contact persons’ perceptions of the effects. Recess and overall PA were assessed four times by anonymous questionnaires from students in grades 7–9 (n = 789) in 2010–12, and local contact persons (n = 7) provided information on school actions with diaries, interviews and surveys. Student data were analysed with descriptive statistics and chi-square tests, and school actions data were anal…

Changes in physical activity and sedentary time in the Finnish Schools on the Move program: a quasi-experimental study

The aim of the Finnish Schools on the Move program is to create a more active and pleasant school day through physical activity (PA). In this quasi-experimental design, we compared changes in moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time (ST) during the school day and outside school hours for Grades 1–9 over two academic years in four program schools and two reference schools. Altogether 319 girls and boys aged 7–15 participated in the study between 2010 and 2012. MVPA and ST were measured four times over the 1.5-year follow-up period for seven consecutive days, using a hip-worn ActiGraph accelerometer. Linear growth curve modeling was used to examine the effect…

General overview: European Integrated project on Aerosol Cloud Climate and Air Quality interactions (EUCAARI)-integrating aerosol research from nano to global scales

In this paper we describe and summarize the main achievements of the European Aerosol Cloud Climate and Air Quality Interactions project (EUCAARI). EUCAARI started on 1 January 2007 and ended on 31 December 2010 leaving a rich legacy including: (a) a comprehensive database with a year of observations of the physical, chemical and optical properties of aerosol particles over Europe, (b) comprehensive aerosol measurements in four developing countries, (c) a database of airborne measurements of aerosols and clouds over Europe during May 2008, (d) comprehensive modeling tools to study aerosol processes fron nano to global scale and their effects on climate and air quality. In addition a new Pan…

Physical activity and participation in sports of young people in Finland

As a part of a larger research programme called Cardiovascular Risks in Young Finns, this longitudinal study is concerned with physical activity and participation in, and dropout from, sport among children and adolescents in Finland, the interrelationship between participation in sports and family and living environment and the impact of the physical activity experienced in childhood and adolescence on later interest in physical activity. The data were gathered in 1980 from 3596 boys and girls who were 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 years of age. The measurements were carried out in 1983, 1986 and 1989. The present study will be concerned with the 9-year-old and older subjects only. Physical activi…

Parents' Physical Activity, Socioeconomic Status and Education as Predictors of Physical Activity and Sport among Children and Youths - A 12-Year Follow-Up Study

The purpose of this study was to examine parental influences on children's participation in sport and their later physical activity. The population for the study consisted of a random sample of 1881 9- to 15-year-old boys and girls who were exposed to the extensive research program called "Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns" in 1980. They and their parents have been followed up for twelve years at three-year intervals by means of a short questionnaire concerning physical activity and other factors. The results indicated that the fathers' physical activity in 1980 was related to their children's habitual physical activity in the same year, and gave in boys and girls a significant prediction…

Physical education teachers in motion: an account of attrition and area transfer

Background: Teacher turnover has been identified as a major problem that represents instability in teaching. Teacher turnover can be divided into three components: attrition means that the teacher is leaving the profession; area transfer means that the teacher is changing his/her subject area and migration means that the teacher is moving from one school to another. The single most important concern is teacher attrition. Attrition is particularly high among teachers in their first five years of service. Although extensive research has been carried out on teacher attrition, no single study exists which comprehensively analyses the attrition of physical education (PE) teachers.Purpose: The pu…

Trends in leisure time physical activity among young people in Finland, 1977—2007

The decline in physical activity among young people has been discussed in the media during recent decades, although the scientific evidence for this has been scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate trends over 30 years in leisure time physical activity of Finnish boys and girls aged 12, 14, 16 and 18 years from 1977 to 2007. The data were obtained from the Finnish Adolescent Health and Lifestyle Survey. In the survey nationwide samples have been drawn every second year (number of respondents has varied from 2832 to 8390) since 1977. Leisure time physical activity was measured through questions concerning organized sport and unorganized leisure time physical activity. Participation…

Adolescent physical fitness and activity as predictors of adulthood activity.

A 25-year population-based study was conducted to determine how physical fitness and participation in leisure-time physical activity in adolescence (age 12-18 years) predict leisure-time physical activity in adulthood (age 37-43 years). In 1976, five field tests were conducted to measure muscular fitness, agility and aerobic capacity, and self-report weekly frequencies of activity were obtained by questionnaire. A modified questionnaire was repeated in 2001, when participants were age 37-43 years (N = 1525). On the basis of the questionnaire, a physical activity index was calculated both in 1976 and 2001. The odds ratios (OR) for being inactive in adulthood among those who were physically v…

Lavatanssiko liikuntaa? : lavatanssi-illan fyysinen aktiivisuus ja kuormittavuus sekä niihin yhteydessä olevat tekijät

Lavatanssi on kasvattanut suosiotaan viime vuosikymmeninä. Terveys- ja kuntoliikuntamuotona sitä on tutkittu varsin vähän. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli selvittää lavatanssin fyysistä aktiivisuutta ja kuormittavuutta sekä niihin yhteydessä olevia tekijöitä. Yhden tanssi-illan aikana tammikuussa 2011 tanssijoiden fyysistä kuormittavuutta mitattiin sykemittareilla ja fyysistä aktiivisuutta selvitettiin askelmittareilla. Taustatietoja kerättiin sähköisellä kyselylomakkeella. Tutkimukseen osallistui 58 vapaaehtoisesti ilmoittautunutta tanssinharrastajaa. Kolmen tunnin lavatanssi-illan aikana tutkittavien keskisyke oli 116 ± 16 bpm, korkein syke 160 ± 15 bpm, ja energiankulutus miehillä 2043 ± 5…

Recess physical activity and school-related social factors in Finnish primary and lower secondary schools: cross-sectional associations.

Abstract Background Participation in physical activities provides students with opportunities for social interaction and social skills development. The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations of students’ recess physical activity with school-related social factors. Methods Data were collected in 19 schools countrywide in autumn 2010, and 1463 students from grades 4 and 5 (primary school) and from grades 7 and 8 (lower secondary school) completed an anonymous questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to investigate whether self-reported physical activity at recess was associated with peer relationships at school, relatedness to school and school clim…

In memoriam: Risto Telama : ensimmäinen Suomessa väitellyt liikuntatieteiden tohtori