One of the multitude of factors that can influence the cardiovascular components of children's health related fitness is the classroom teacher's knowledge of attitudes toward and personal participation rate with repect to physical activity. This study explored the possibility of a relationship existing between these teacher variables and children's health-related fitness levels. Nineteen Year Five and Year Six teachers from four suburban Sydney primary schools completed a physical activity attitudinal survey designed to ascertain their background knowledge of minimum physical activity requirements, their involvement rates, both as partcipants and as leaders of physical activity and their attitudes toward physical activity. A physical activity questionnaire was completed by 509 students in classes taught by the nineteen teachers. Results of survey and questionnaire are given and the issue is explored in some depth / Master of Education (Hons)

Lack of physical activity among New Zealanders is typically regarded as a serious public health concern. Surveys indicate that a considerable proportion of the population fail to engage in even modest amounts. As well as conferring health benefits, leading an active life can help to build social capital, achieve manual tasks, enhance enjoyment, and reduce traffic congestion and pollution. The research of physical activity in New Zealand is, therefore, important. Many factors influence physical activity behaviour, but traditionally there has been a focus on individual-level behaviour-change approaches. In recent years research has started to focus more on characteristics of physical and social environments, such as provision of cycle paths and development of community social cohesion. Concerned by what I observed to be an over-emphasis by New Zealand agencies on encouraging individual behaviour change, I set out to examine the factors that contributed to the shaping of built and social environments, and their effects on population physical activity. Identifying a gap in the research, I examined these factors via a case study of the Hamilton City Council (HCC). My study employed Foucauldian 'tools' to examine selected HCC documents and interview transcripts with a view to identifying the discourses underpinning local government action with regard to built and social environments and physical activity. In this process I interviewed seven HCC staff members from six relevant departments, including Parks and Gardens, Community Development, and Roading and Transportation. Data was gathered from the staff members using semi-structured interviews, based on pre-prepared guidelines, developed following a review of relevant literature. Relevant HCC strategy and planning documents were selected only after interviews were completed and included their urban design, transportation, creativity and identity and social well-being strategies. I adopted a Foucauldian perspective to analyse the data because I wanted to examine the phenomena of increased physical inactivity by questioning particular 'ways of knowing' and 'truths'. Such an examination, at the level of local government, could help reveal why some cities are more conducive to active living than others. This theoretical approach helped reveal a number of underpinning discourses, including discourses of economic rationality; the council as nurturer; safety and surveillance; participative government; and work efficiency. Key discourses of economic rationality and participative government were pervasive in both the interviews and documents, highlighting the degree to which economic considerations and consultative practices dominate local government actions. My four main findings were that HCC is shaped by and shapes certain discourses; HCC activities are contingent upon many factors outside their control; the creation of supportive environments for active living is a complex task; and, that dominating discourses can silence or obscure other equally valid discourses. These findings gave rise to discursive effects. Firstly, local authority planning, strategizing and action can promote population behaviour control by facilitating resident self-regulation. Secondly, factors outside the control of local authorities can impact on their ability to realise active living goals. Lastly, valid but silenced 'ways of knowing' about physical activity, health, and governance can constrain population physical activity participation. I found that HCC actions were reflective of the discourses identified, illustrating wider societal concerns regarding physical inactivity, obesity, citizenship, economic success, 'democratic' practices, and efficiency. This study contributes to population physical activity research by recognising the value of environmental approaches, but underscoring the need to consider the sources, mechanisms of maintenance, and effects of discourses circulating in local government using appropriate theoretical approaches.

In light of alarming rises in the prevalence of obesity worldwide, tackling the obesity ‘epidemic’ is now a national health priority in many countries. Increasingly, population measures that provide accurate estimates of body fatness in children are required. Body mass index (BMI), or weight standardised for height, remains the most cost-effective and practical tool in this regard. However, there is evidence that the association between BMI and body fatness is variable in children from different ethnic backgrounds. The primary aim of this thesis was to investigate the appropriateness of BMI thresholds for defining overweight and obesity in female children and adolescents from five diverse ethnic groups. Secondary objectives were to examine the associations between weight control practices and perceptions, and to compare objectively-measured physical activity levels with participation in active transport (AT). In order to achieve the primary aim stated above, it was necessary to obtain valid and reliable measures of body fat percentage (%BF) in a large sample of children. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is well suited for this purpose, providing a portable and cost-effective means to estimate fat-free mass (and subsequently %BF). While equations exist for European, Maori, and Pacific Island children, findings from the preliminary study described in Chapter 2 demonstrate that there are no BIA equations appropriate for Chinese and Indian children. Given that these two groups are two of the fastest growing ethnicities in New Zealand, a new equation was developed that enables Asian girls to be included in future BIA research. The main study of this thesis involved a large-scale investigation of body composition in New Zealand’s five major ethnic groups (European, Maori, Pacific Island, East Asian, and South Asian). A total of 1,081 adolescent girls aged 11-16 years participated in the Girls’ Activity and Body Composition (ABC) Study. To extend the age range, data were combined with another study of 5-11-year-old New Zealand children (595 girls), coined the Body-Size and Steps in Children (BASIC) Study. Both studies measured BMI from height and weight, %BF from bio impedance measurements, and physical activity using sealed multiday memory pedometers over five consecutive days. A questionnaire was also administered to the adolescent-aged girls to gather data related to weight perceptions and practices. Initial analyses of the main dataset demonstrated that existing BMI definitions of overweight were relatively insensitive for predicting excess %BF in South and East Asian girls. Conversely, low specificity was observed for Pacific Island and Maori children. These findings provided the rationale for the second set of analyses: the development of BMI cut-off points that correspond to an equivalent level of %BF across all ethnicities. The adjusted BMI curves for overweight and obesity ranged from an average of 3.3 and 3.8 kg.m-2 (respectively) lower than international standards in South Asian girls to 1.5 and 1.9 kg.m-2 higher in Pacific Island girls. Clearly, the proposed changes will have significant effect on our estimates of overweight and obesity in this population group. Subsequent investigation revealed that many adolescent girls misclassify their weight status. However, the number of girls trying to lose weight exceeded those who perceived themselves as being overweight, with the magnitude of the difference dependent on ethnicity. It was concluded that interventions and educational campaigns that assist girls in recognising a state of excess body fat are a priority for all ethnic groups to ensure that behavioural changes necessary to combat widespread overweight and obesity are adopted. Finally, it was observed that the physical activity levels of the participants were significantly lower on weekends (9,528  4,407) than on weekdays (12,597  3,630). Furthermore, a consistent decline in daily step counts was observed with age: after adjustment for ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES), girls in school years 9-10 achieved 2,469 (weekday) and 4,011 (weekend) fewer steps than girls in years 1-2. Daily step counts also varied by ethnicity, with Maori girls the most active and South Asian girls the least active. Overall, girls who used AT to and from school averaged 1,052 more weekday steps than those who did not use AT. These data suggest that adolescent-aged girls and girls of Asian descent are priority groups for future physical activity interventions, and that the promotion of AT in girls appears to be worthwhile.

The investigations described in this thesis were conducted in order to increase the understanding of the relationships between physical activity, aerobic fitness, body composition, asthma, and asthma severity in children and adolescents. This was largely achieved by examining the aforementioned factors in a sizeable population of Melbourne school children and adolescents. However, during the course of the school-based testing, it became apparent that the severe asthmatic category was under-represented, typical of the current literature. Thus, effort was also directed at addressing this knowledge gap by examining a severely asthmatic cohort in a laboratory-based setting. The outcomes generated by these investigations can be summarised as follows: 1) In ‘school-tested’ youth aged 10 to 14 years, prevalence rates of overweight and obesity were 19.1% and 4.0%, respectively. Approximately 16% of participants also suffered from asthma. These rates appear to be representative of similarly aged children and adolescents within Australia. The latter observation also adds weight to the view that asthma prevalence has attenuated in recent years. In addition, overweight and obesity were more prevalent in asthmatics than non-asthmatics, supporting the proposed notion of an asthma-obesity association. 2) Asthmatic and non-asthmatic young people had comparable aerobic fitness and daily physical activity levels and the severity of disease did not influence aerobic fitness nor involvement in physical activity. Males possessed greater aerobic fitness and physical activity levels and had a lower percentage body fat compared to age-matched females, independent of asthma status (i.e. asthmatic or non-asthmatic). 3) There was a significant inverse relationship between aerobic fitness and markers of increased body fat among non-asthmatic children and adolescents, even after corrections to aerobic fitness were made for fat free mass. Differences in daily physical activity could only partially explain this association. In fact, the current findings suggest that decreased levels of daily physical activity are not the cause of the increased overweight/obesity prevalence among this sample, and that physical activity lacks a strong link to paediatric overweight/obesity in this population. These findings were also present in asthmatic youth. 4) Severely asthmatic youth, premedicated with bronchodilator, had aerobic fitness levels comparable to their non-asthmatic and less severe asthmatic peers. This finding indicates that severely asthmatic youngsters should be able to train at work intensities sufficient to bring about improvements in cardio-respiratory fitness without any added functional limitation due to their condition. In addition, a state of well-controlled asthma (as were the severe asthmatics in this study) afforded the participants the ability to engage in similar levels of physical activity as their non-asthmatic or less severe asthmatic peers. In agreement with data from the ‘school-tested’ asthmatics, a significantly greater proportion of severely asthmatic participants were overweight or obese in comparison to their non-asthmatic peers. These findings (i) highlight the association between aerobic fitness and overweight/obesity; (ii) suggested that decreased levels of daily physical activity were not associated with the increased overweight/obesity prevalence in a youth sample within Australia; (iii) emphasize that well-controlled asthmatic young people can undertake levels of physical activity and achieve cardio-respiratory fitness similar to that of their non-asthmatic peers, independent of asthma severity, and; (iv) indicated that asthma is either a risk factor for overweight and obesity or that overweight and obesity may precede asthma.

This study investigates the influences on participation in physical activity of thirty adolescent girls from a metropolitan secondary school in Victoria. It seeks to understand how they perceived, experienced and explained their involvement or non involvement in both competitive and non competitive physical activity during four years of their secondary schooling. Participants experienced physical education as both a single sex group in Years 7 and 9 and a coeducational group in Years 8 and 10. They were exposed to a predominantly competitive curriculum in Years 7 to 9 and a less structured, more social, recreational program in Year 10. These experiences enabled them to compare the differences between class structures and activity programs and identify the significant issues which impacted on their participation. Large Australian population studies have revealed that fewer girls participated in sport and regular physical activity than boys. An important consequence is that girls miss out on the health benefits associated with participating in physical activity. Other research has found adolescence is the time that girls drop out of competitive sport. However, an important issue is whether girls who drop out of competitive sport cease to be involved in any physical activity. There are some studies which have reported good participation rates by adolescent girls in non competitive, recreational forms of physical activity and the possibility exists that they may drop out of competitive and into non competitive physical activity. This study primarily utilises a qualitative approach in contrast to previous studies which have largely relied upon the use of surveys and questionnaires. Whilst quantitative research has provided useful information about the bigger picture, there are limitations caused by reliance on the researchers' own interpretations of the data. Additionally there is no opportunity for any clarification and explanation of findings and trends by the respondents themselves. The current study utilized qualitative individual and collective interviews in three stages. Questions were asked in the broad areas of coeducation and single sex classes, preferences for competitive or recreational activity and body image issues. Some quantitative information focusing on nature and extent of current activity patterns was also gathered in the first stage. Thirty Year 10 girls participated in individual first interviews. Nine selected girls then took part in the second (individual) and third (collective) interview stages. Results revealed three groups based on the nature of physical activity involvement: [1] competitive activity group, [2] social activity group and [3] transition group. The transition group represented those who were in the process of withdrawing from competitive sport to take up more non competitive, recreational activity. The most significant difference between groups was skill level. On the whole those entering adolescence with the highest skill levels, such as those in the competitive group, were the most confident and relished competing against others. The social group was low in skill and confidence and had predominantly negative experiences in physical education and sport because their deficiencies were plainly visible to all. Similarly, a lack of skill improvement relative to those of 'better performers' affected the interest and confidence levels of those in the transition group. Boys' domination in coeducational classes through verbal and physical intimidation of the less competent and confident girls and exclusion of very competent girls was a major issue. Social and transition group members demonstrated compliance with boys' power by hanging back and sitting out of competitive activities. Conversely, the competitive group resisted boy's attempts to dominate but had to work hard to demonstrate their athletic capabilities in order to do so. Body image issues such as the skimpy physical education and sport uniform along with body revealing activities such as swimming and gymnastics, heightened feelings of self-consciousness and embarrassment for most girls. When strategies were adopted by social and transition group members to avoid any body exposure or physical humiliation, participation levels were subsequently affected. However, where girls felt confident about their physical abilities and body image, they were able to ignore their unflattering uniforms and thus participation was unaffected. Specific teaching practices such as giving more attention to boys, for example by segregating the sexes in mixed classes to focus attention on boys, reinforced stereotypical notions of gender and contributed to the inequities for girls in physical education. The competitive group were frustrated with having to prove themselves as capable as boys in order to receive greater teacher attention. The transition group rejected teacher's attempts to coerce them into participating in the inter school sports program. The social group believed that teachers viewed and treated them less favourably than others because of their limited skills. Girls were not passive in the face of these obstacles. Rather than give up physical activity they disengaged from competitive sport and took up other forms of activity which they had the confidence to perform. These activity choices also reflected their expanding social interests such as spending time with male and female friends outside school and increased demands on their time by study and part time work commitments. This study not only highlighted the diversity and complexity of attitudes and behaviours of girls towards physical activity but also demonstrated that they display agency in making conscious, sensible decisions about their physical activity choices. Plain Language Summary of Thesis Adolescent girls in physical education and sport; An analysis of influences on participation by Julia Whitty Submitted for the degree of Master of Applied Science Deakin University Supervisor: Dr Judy Ann Jones This study investigates the influences on participation in physical activity of thirty adolescent girls from a metropolitan secondary school in Victoria in order to understand how girls' perceived, experienced and explained their involvement or non involvement in both competitive and non competitive physical activity. Qualitative individual and collective interviews were conducted. Questions focussed on attitudes about coeducation and single sex classes, preferences for competitive or recreational activity and feelings about body image. Some quantitative information about the nature and extent of current activity patterns was also gathered in the first stage. Thirty Year 10 girls participated in individual first interviews. Nine selected girls then took part in the second (individual) and third (collective) interview stages. Results revealed three clearly different groups based on the nature of physical activity involvement (1) Competitive, (2) Social and (3) Transition (those in the process of withdrawing from competitive sport to take up more non competitive, recreational activity). The major difference between groups was skill level. Those entering adolescence with the highest skill levels were more competent and confident in the coeducational and competitive sport setting. Other significant issues included boys' domination, body image and teaching behaviours and practices.

It is well understood that substantial health inequality exists for adults with an intellectual disability (AWID). In comparison to the general population AWID experience higher rates of morbidity and mortality associated with sedentary lifestyles, yet little is known about the role physical activity plays in preventing or mediating this outcome for this segment of society. Without appropriate instrumentation, it is not possible to address the inadequacies that currently exist in the area of physical activity and AWID. The primary aim of the series of studies in this thesis was to develop a psychometrically sound proxy-respondent measurement tool that could be used by researchers, epidemiologists and public health personnel to gather information on the physical activity behaviours of AWID. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) is an internationally published tool with good psychometric properties when used as a self-report tool with adults without a disability (AWOID), but no evidence exists as to the validity or reliability of this tool when used by proxy respondents to report on the physical activity behaviour of AWID. Given little is known about the energy expenditure characteristics of AWID, nor the accuracy of tools developed for AWOID when applied to AWID, two secondary aims of this thesis were to measure the energy expended by AWID and AWOID during seven common activities of daily living (ADL) and to assess the accuracy of an objective physical activity measurement tool (Caltrac® accelerometer) for use with AWID. Evidence gathered through the studies in this thesis found that as the energy demand of ADL increased there was an increase in the difference between energy expended by AWID and AWOID. Results indicated that AWID achieved moderate-intensity physical activity when walking at a pace of 3.0 km/hr or more. The proxy-respondent telephone questionnaire (IPAQ-ID) described in this thesis allows for universal assessment of the physical activity behaviours of AWID. The IPAQ-ID was found to have measurement properties equivalent to measurement tools used among AWOID. The IPAQ-ID was found to be suitable for use as a surveillance tool by researchers to collect comparable data on health-enhancing physical activity behaviours of AWID.

<p>Studenter i Sverige har visats vara en utsatt grupp för stress i samhället. Tidigare forskning har påvisat att en lägre stressupplevelse kan prediceras av individens kontrolluppfattning (locus of control), tillgång till socialt stöd och fysiska aktivitetsvanor. Studiens frågeställning gällde om kontroll-uppfattning, socialt stöd eller fysiska aktivitetsvanor var den starkaste prediktorn för en lägre stressupplevelse hos högskolestudenter. En enkät-undersökning mätte 119 högskolestudenters stressupplevelse, kontroll-uppfattning, sociala stöd och fysiska aktivitetsvanor. Enkla- samt multipla regressionsanalyser visade att kontrolluppfattning var den starkaste prediktorn för en lägre stressupplevelse hos studenter. Kontrolluppfattning var även den enda signifikanta prediktorn när socialt stöd och fysisk aktivitet inkluderades i analysen, vilket inte påvisats tidigare. Resultaten kan användas vid utvecklandet av praktiska åtgärder i syfte att reducera stress.</p>

<p>Människans behov av fysisk aktivitet är lika stort idag som det alltid varit. Dock har människans genomsnittliga energiförbrukning minskat avsevärt i och med det mer moderna samhället. Enligt Fyss, (2008) är den åtgärd som skulle ha störst positiv effekt på folkhälsan ökad fysisk aktivitet. Fysisk aktivitet har visat sig ha positiva effekter på människors välmående, dock är verkningsmekanismerna okända. Idag använder samtliga landsting i Sverige sig av fysisk aktivitet som behandlingsform för olika sjukdomar. Syftet med den här studien var att undersöka vad olika träningsbeteenden hos studenter har för betydelse på den psykiska hälsan. En enkätstudie genomfördes med 80 högskolestuderande, varav 51 kvinnor, i åldrarna 19-42. Fysisk aktivitet visade sig ha betydelse för det psykiska välmåendet. De studenter som motiverades till att träna för att det är roligt upplevde högst psykiskt välmående. Slutsatsen blir att fysisk aktivitet har betydelse för det psykiska välmående, men fler studier behövs dock för att kunna utveckla dessa resultat.</p><p> </p>

<p><strong>Background: </strong>Among young women vary the presence of urinary leakage between 28-80% depending on the study and the sport practiced. Poor support in the upper part of the urethra and urinary bladder base is considered the common cause of stress urinary incontinence. Supports are given by the pelvic floor muscles and the key muscles to prevent incontinence. Urinary leakage occurs more frequent in women who engaged in sports that provide a high abdominal pressure. Pelvic floor training is considered to be an effective and safe method to treat stress urinary incontinence and is recommended in the literature as the first treatment action. <strong>Aim:</strong> To examine young active women's experience of urinary incontinence affects their lives. <strong>Method:</strong> A qualitative design with tape-recorded interviews and semi-structured open questions were used as data collection method. A strategic selection was made. Six young active elite sportswomen interviewed. A qualitative content analysis was conducted. <strong>Results:</strong> Four categories were identified: manageable, social limitations, emotional and communication. Main findings shows that young women do not talk about urinary leakage as a problem, they have different ways to cope. Women experience a fear of urinary leakage shall be affected without prior notice and to lose control. The risk of urinary leakage gives concentration difficulties in training. The study shows a great lack of information. <strong>Weighted understanding:</strong> Among young women, there may be a risk that they are more affected by urinary leakage than middle-aged and older women, in terms of their experience of urinary leakage and leak impact on their lives. This in view of the ideals which today makes high demands and is difficult to live up to. Women get often their first information on the basin floor exercise to prevent urinary leakage at childbirth. This information should take place earlier.</p> / <p><strong>Bakgrund: </strong>Hos unga elitidrottare varierar förekomsten av urinläckage mellan 28-80 % beroende på studie och vilken sport som utövas. Dåligt stöd i övre delen av urinröret och urinblåsans botten anses vara den valigaste orsaken till ansträngningsinkontinens. Stödet ges av bäckenbottenmuskulaturen och dess viktiga muskler för att förhindra inkontinens. Urinläckage förekommer oftare hos kvinnor som utövar sporter som ger ett högt buktryck. Bäckenbottenträning anses vara en effektiv och säker metod för att behandla ansträngningsinkontinens och rekommenderas i litteraturen som första behandlingsåtgärd.<strong> </strong><strong>Syfte: </strong>Att undersöka yngre aktiva idrottande kvinnors upplevelse av om urininkontinens påverkar deras livssituation. <strong>Metod: </strong>En kvalitativ metod med bandade intervjuer och halvstrukturerade öppna frågor användes som datainsamlingsmetod. Ett strategiskt urval gjordes. Sex yngre kvinnliga aktiva elitidrottare intervjuades. En kvalitativ innehålls analys utfördes.<strong> Resultat: </strong>Fyra kategorier identifierades: Hanterbarhet, sociala begränsningar, Emotionellt och kommunikation. Huvudesultatet visar att yngre kvinnor inte pratar om urinläckage som ett problem, de hade olika sätt att hantera situationen. Kvinnorna upplevde en rädsla för att urinläckage skulle ske utan förvarning och för att tappa kontrollen. Risk för urinläckage gav koncentrationssvårigheter vid träning. Studien visar en stor informationsbrist.  <strong>Sammanvägd förståelse: </strong>Hos yngre kvinnor kan det finnas en risk för att de påverkas mer av urinläckage än medelålders och äldre kvinnor, när det gäller  upplevelsen av urinläckage och läckagets påverkan på  livssituationen. Detta med tanke på de ideal som idag ställer stora krav och är svåra att leva upp till. Kvinnor får oftast sin första information om bäcken botten träning för att förebygga urinläckage vid barnafödande. Denna information bör ske tidigare. <strong></strong></p>

<p>Syftet med denna studie var att beskriva personers erfarenheter av sina kost- och motionsvanor före respektive efter en kirurgisk behandling mot fetma. Vidare var syftet att beskriva om personerna ansåg att operationen påverkat deras psykiska och fysiska hälsa. Kirurgiska behandlingar mot fetma har ökat under de senaste åren och forskning visar att det är den metod som ger bäst effekt för att behålla en långvarig viktnedgång i jämförelse med diverse dieter och fysisk aktivitet. En kvalitativ metod med innehållsanalyser användes där fem kvinnor som genomgått en operation mot fetma intervjuades. Kategorier har skapats utifrån hur det har sett ut före och efter operationen när det gäller kost- och motionsvanor samt psykisk och fysisk hälsa. Resultatet visade att kostvanorna hos alla deltagare före operation var oregelbundna där det mesta av maten intogs på kvällarna. Motion utövades i regel inte alls av de flesta deltagarna. Efter operation har samtliga regelbundna kostvanor och äter små portioner. Motionsvanorna har förändrats i den mån att fler promenader utförs men i övrigt ingen ökad fysisk aktivitet. Den psykiska hälsan har förbättrats för de flesta genom bättre självförtroende och ökad livskvalitet. Även den fysiska hälsan har förbättrats då deltagarna upplever mer ork och färre besvär med bland annat värk och högt blodtryck. Slutsatserna från studien är att kost- och motionsvanor förändrats men endast i viss utsträckning, däremot har den fysiska och psykiska hälsan förändrats till det bättre.</p> / <p>The purpose of this study is to describe how people who have undergone surgical treatment for obesity experience their diet and exercise habits before and after surgery. Furthermore, it intends to describe if the participants believe that the operation affected their mental and physical health. Surgical treatments for obesity has become more popular in recent years and research shows that it is the method most effective for maintaining weight loss in comparison with various diets and physical activities. A qualitative method with content analysis was used and five women who had surgery for obesity participated. The results showed that the dietary habits of all participants before surgery was irregular and the participants all ate large meals in the evenings. Exercising in general did not exist among the participants. After surgery, all participants had a regular diet and ate smaller portions. Exercise habits have changed to the extent that all take more walks but otherwise they have not increased their physical activity. Mental health has improved for most through better self-esteem and quality of life. Physical health has improved and the participants feel more strength and fewer symptoms, such as pain and high blood pressure. The conclusion from this study is that diet and exercise habits have changed but only to a certain extent, however, the physical and mental health has changed for the better.</p>