0000000000284285
AUTHOR
Yolanda Demetriou
Field-based tests for the assessment of physical fitness in children and adolescents practicing sport: a systematic review within the ESA program
High levels of physical fitness (PF) can positively affect both health and cognitive function, thus monitoring its levels in youth can help increase health and quality of life in adult populations later on. This systematic review aims to identify PF field-based tests used in young European populations practicing sport to find tools that are adequate for the considered target involving a new battery within the Enriched Sport Activities (ESA) project. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was followed. In the 83 identified articles, the main tests used were: vertical/horizontal jumps (for muscular strength/power); push-ups, running at maximu…
Effects of school-based interventions on motivation towards physical activity in children and adolescents: Protocol for a systematic review
Background Recent studies have observed low levels of physical activity in children and adolescents worldwide. Physical activity interventions are increasingly carried out to counteract this development. The school environment is an ideal setting for such interventions to take place as large numbers of children and adolescents can be addressed. With the assumption that motivation is the key to initiate and sustain beneficial health behaviors, theory-based intervention studies apply motivational strategies to increase students’ participation in physical activity. The main objective of this systematic review will be to analyze the effects of school-based physical activity interventions on a v…
Physical Activity-Related Profiles of Female Sixth-Graders Regarding Motivational Psychosocial Variables: A Cluster Analysis Within the CReActivity Project
IntroductionAdolescents’ physical activity (PA) behavior can be driven by several psychosocial determinants at the same time. Most analyses use a variable-based approach that examines relations between PA-related determinants and PA behavior on the between-person level. Using this approach, possible coexistences of different psychosocial determinants within one person cannot be examined. Therefore, by applying a person-oriented approach, this study examined (a) which profiles regarding PA-related psychosocial variables typically occur in female sixth-graders, (b) if these profiles deliver a self-consistent picture according to theoretical assumptions, and (c) if the profiles contribute to t…
Effects of school-based interventions on motivation towards physical activity in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Introduction Assuming that motivation is the key to initiate and sustain beneficial health behaviors, the aim of this systematic review was to analyze the effects of school-based physical activity interventions on a variety of motivational outcomes towards PA in school-aged children and adolescents. Methods A comprehensive literature search was carried out in six electronic databases to identify randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental trials examining the effects of PA interventions implemented during the regular school day, e.g., during physical education lessons or lunch breaks. Primary outcomes of interest were students' motivation, basic psychological needs, goal orientation…
The Influence of an Enriched Sport Program on Children’s Sport Motivation in the School Context: The ESA PROGRAM
Purpose: Besides the evident positive effect on body development, physical activity has proven to boost executive functions, especially if the exercises are enriched with cognitive stimuli. Previous studies have shown that introducing challenging exercises in the physical activity routine can also enhance motivation. Therefore, enriching a physical education program with cognitively challenging exercises may also foster children’s motivation during physical education classes, where the motivation is high at the beginning of the school year and low at the end of it. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to test if a sport program enriched by cognitive stimuli may improve kids’ motivation o…
The Effect of an enriched sport program on children's executive functions: the ESA program
Purpose: The effects of physical exercise on executive functions (EFs) are well documented. EFs are involved in daily activities, and their development determines the quality of people’s future life, both in terms of mental health and quality of life. The purpose of the current paper is to evaluate the effects of a physical education program, elaborated within the Enriched Sports Activity Program (ESA Program), an Erasmus + Project, on EFs, namely, visuospatial working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and task switching. Method: Data were collected on November 2017 (t1) and May 2018 (t2). At t1, a sample of 357 children from four European countries (Italy, Germany, Lithuan…
Physical fitness and motor coordination monitoring during enriched sport activities in a sample of children living in Europe. The Esa Program
Enriched Sport Activities Program (ESA) is an Evidence-based Practice Exercise Program cofounded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union (Key action:Sport - 579661-EPP1-2016-2-IT-SPO-SCP). It aims to enhance social inclusion, equal opportunities and psycho-physical well being in school-age children with typical development and special needs trough sport activities enriched by cognitive tasks. A multidisciplinary approach has been employed; in detail, health - and skills-related physical fitness components, as well as developmental psychology and neuroscience research are the theoretical basis to implement an evidence-based program suitable to increase sport compliance in 7 different…
Cognitive and motivational monitoring during enriched sport activities in a sample of children living in Europe. The ESA program
Enriched Sport Activities (ESA) Program is an Evidence-based Practice Exercise Program cofounded by the Erasmus + Programme of the European Union (Key action: Sport-579661-EPP-1-2016-2-IT-SPO-SCP). It aims to enhance social inclusion, equal opportunities and psycho-physical wellbeing in children with typical development and special needs. This aim will be pursued through two ways: (1) Children and preadolescents’ participation in Enriched Sport Activities (ESA) Program; (2) Parents’ involvement and education on cognitive, motivational and social benefits of Physical Activities (PA) in their children. Recent research showed that high-level cognitive processes, such as inhibition, shifting, w…
Field-Based Health-Related Physical Fitness Tests in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review
Physical fitness (PF) is a multi-component construct and a biomarker of health. Worse PF is related to vulnerability and predicts worse academic achievements. Thus, assessing PF is important to monitor health in youth. This systematic review aimed to identify and inform physical education, health professionals and entities about existing PF batteries and field-tests that can be used in school settings. A comprehensive literature search was carried out in five electronic databases (Academic Search Complete, Education Resources Information Center, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) to identify PF battery protocols that can be carried out in the school setting. Overall, 24 PF batteries were i…