0000000000382582
AUTHOR
Catherine Woods
Test-retest reliability of survey items on ownership and use of physical activity trackers
Background: Researchers are interested in using digital tools, such as physical activity trackers (PAT), to promote and measure physical activity. PAT is a fast-growing research area that measures movement therefore, reliable questions on the ownership and use of PATs among adolescent populations need to be developed. Objective: The aim of this study was to conduct an intra-rater test-retest reliability study on PAT survey items used for surveillance purposes among young adolescents in ownership and use of smartphone applications (apps) and heart rate monitors (HRM). Methods: Young adolescents (N = 755; 11-, 13-, and 15-year-olds) in the Olomouc region of the Czech Republic were recruited t…
Clusters of adolescent physical activity tracker patterns and their associations with physical activity behaviors in Finland and Ireland:cross-sectional study
Background:Physical activity trackers (PATs) such as apps and wearable devices (eg, sports watches, heart rate monitors) are increasingly being used by young adolescents. Despite the potential of PATs to help monitor and improve moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) behaviors, there is a lack of research that confirms an association between PAT ownership or use and physical activity behaviors at the population level.Objective:The purpose of this study was to examine the ownership and use of PATs in youth and their associations with physical activity behaviors, including daily MVPA, sports club membership, and active travel, in 2 nationally representative samples of young adolescent …
Rethinking children’s physical activity interventions at school: A new context-specific approach
Physical activity is important for children’s health. However, evidence suggests that many children and adults do not meet international physical activity recommendations. Current school-based interventions have had limited effect on physical activity and alternative approaches are needed. Context, which includes school setting, ethos, staff, and sociodemographic factors, is a key and largely ignored contributing factor to school-based physical activity intervention effectiveness, impacting in several interacting ways.ConceptualizationCurrent programs focus on tightly-constructed content that ignores the context in which the program will be delivered, thereby limiting effectiveness. We prop…
Health promoting sports federations : theoretical foundations and guidelines
Background: Researchers and policy-makers have highlighted that the potential for organized sports to promote health has been underexploited. Sports clubs have limited capacity to promote health due to their voluntary nature and have called for support from their national sports federations. The present article provides guidelines, based on the theoretical principles of health promoting sports clubs and an analysis of practical tools and proven strategies, to support national sports federations to invest in health promotion (HP). Methods: A qualitative iterative study was undertaken, based on five 2-h meetings of a group of 15 international researchers in HP in sports clubs. Notes and minut…