No description available.

This study investigated the validity of the Physical Activity Interview (PAI) for assessing children's self-reported physical activity. Third and fifth graders wore an accelerometer and were interviewed using the PAI to determine 12-hour recall accuracy for activity expressed as energy expenditure (EE). Caltrac estimates of EE for the 12-hour day (12-HEE) and activity EE were the validation criteria. 12-HEE correlations were significant (p<.001) between Caltrac and PAI for third (r=.79) and fifth grade (r=.80). Caltrac and PAI Total Activity were significant for fifth grade (r=.82, p<.001) but not for third grade (r=.36, p<.021). Analysis of tertiles based on the Caltrac demonstrated that the PAI significantly (p<.002) discriminated between activity levels for fifth graders but not for third. The use of PAI may be age-dependent.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

For thousands of students this year alone, taking the physical fitness tests will be as much a part of the annual school routine as is the first day of school, lunch, and standardized tests in the classroom. Given this, it becomes relevant to gain some insights into what students think, feel, and know about these tests. For example, do students know why they take the test items? How to improve their performance on the test items? What do they think about taking the tests? Do students who perform well on the tests think differently than those who don't? To answer questions like the above, 54 students in the fourth and fifth grades from two different schools were interviewed two-at-a-time using a semi-structured interview format. Interviews with physical education and other school staff were also conducted to provide for multiple sources of data (triangulation). Audiotaped interviews were transcribed, numbered line-by-line, and analyzed according to qualitative methods. Assertions were developed which were supported by the data. Results indicate that most students have an incomplete, concrete understanding of the purposes and concepts pertaining to the physical fitness tests. Teacher's urging or encouraging behaviors during test administration have a large effect on students feelings about taking the tests, and many times students, especially those who tend to score poorly on the tests, receive negative feedback from their peers in the form of ridicule and embarrassment. / Master of Science

Ma Man-yan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 54-71). / Text in English; abstracts in English and Chinese. / Ma Man-yan. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgements --- p.iii / List of Table --- p.vii / List of Figure --- p.viii / Chapter CHAPTER ONE --- Introduction --- p.1 / General introduction --- p.1 / Early participation in physical activity --- p.1 / The childhood years --- p.2 / Parental influence --- p.3 / Purpose of study --- p.4 / Theoretical framework --- p.5 / Operational definition --- p.6 / Delimitations --- p.7 / Limitations --- p.8 / Significance of the study --- p.9 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO --- Review of Literature --- p.11 / Physical activity and the public health --- p.11 / Sedentary life --- p.12 / Promoting active lifestyle --- p.12 / Parental influences in physical activity --- p.14 / The early childhood years --- p.15 / Overview of results --- p.16 / Beliefs --- p.18 / Parental beliefs and the influence on children --- p.19 / Achievement goal --- p.21 / The case in Hong Kong --- p.24 / Hong Kong children's lives --- p.24 / Parents in Hong Kong --- p.25 / Cultural values: The Confucian ethic --- p.26 / Instrumental society --- p.27 / Filial Piety --- p.29 / Definition of success --- p.31 / Summary --- p.32 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE --- Method --- p.34 / Participants --- p.34 / Instrumentation --- p.34 / Measures of children's physical activity levels --- p.34 / Measures of parental beliefs regarding their child's participation in physical activity --- p.35 / Goal orientations --- p.35 / Reasons for children's physical activity participation --- p.36 / Parents' exercise behavior --- p.36 / Family background information --- p.37 / Procedure --- p.37 / Statistical analysis --- p.38 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR --- Results --- p.40 / Descriptive statistics --- p.40 / Gender and parental beliefs --- p.41 / The relationship between parents' and children's level of physical activity --- p.43 / Parents' self-reported level of physical activity --- p.43 / Physical activity participation with children --- p.43 / Family characteristics --- p.44 / Chapter CHAPTER FIVE --- Discussion --- p.45 / Limitations --- p.52 / Conclusion --- p.53 / References --- p.54 / Appendix A --- p.72 / Appendix B --- p.73 / Appendix C --- p.74 / Appendix D --- p.75 / Appendix E --- p.76 / Appendix F --- p.77 / Appendix G --- p.83

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in a movement programme (FITKIDZ) designed by the author produced statistically significant improvements in the physical fitness and locomotor co-ordination of four and five year old children. The study also examined the relationship between post-intervention levels of physical fitness and locomotor co-ordination. The subjects (N = 19), who all attended pre-primary school, were tested on physical fitness components and their execution of locomotor co-ordination using both quantitative and qualitative evaluation processes. The subjects were selected from a pre-primary school that volunteered to participate in the study. Due to the structure of the school and pressure from the parents, it was not possible to have a control group. The subjects underwent an eight-week movement programme (FITKIDZ), after which they were retested. Results showed a statistically significant improvement in abdominal strength, Body Mass Index (BMI) and flexibility (Sit-and-reach scores and trunk lifts). Qualitative results also showed a statistically significant improvement in the children's performance oflocomotor skills. Correlation matrices between the physical fitness components and locomotor skills indicated that the strongest straight-line relationship existed between strength and locomotor co-ordination. The other relationships between the physical fitness components and locomotor co-ordination were not significant. It was concluded that the performance of locomotor skills improved, as did numerous components of physical fitness of the subjects over the duration of the designed movement programme. However, it was noted that this improvement may be partially due to normal maturation of the subject group and that the results from this study would be better supported ifit were possible to include a control group. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie was om te bepaal of daar enige statistiese beduidende verskil was in die fisieke fiksheid en lokomotor-koordinasie van vier- en vyf-jaar oue kinders wat aan 'n bewegingsprogram (FITKIDZ) deelgeneem het, wat deur die outeur ontwerp was. Die studie het ook enige beduidende verhouding tussen pre-bemiddeling en post-bemiddeling uitslae van fisieke fiksheid en lokomotorkoërdinasie ondersoek. Die toetspersone (N = 19), almal kleuterskoolkinders, was in die fisieke fiksheidskomponente en uitvoering van lokomotor-koordinasie deur beide kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe waardebepalingstrategieë getoets. Die toetspersone was van 'n kleuterskool wat vrywillig aan die program deelgeneem het. Aangesien daar druk van die ouers was en die skool 'n sekere struktuur volg, was dit nie moontlik om 'n kontrole-groep te hê nie. Die toetspersone was op 'n agt-week bewegingsprogram (FITKIDZ) geplaas, waarna hulle weer getoets is. Uitslae het 'n statistiese beduidende verbetering in abdominale krag, Liggaamsgewigindeks en lenigheid (Sit-en-reik tellings en romp ekstensie) gewys. Korrelasies tussen die fisieke fiksheidskomponente en lokomotor vaardighede dui aan dat die skerkste reguitlyn verhouding tussen krag en lokomotor-koordinasie bestaan het. Die ander verhoudings tussen die fisieke fiksheidskomponente en lokomotorkoërdinasie was nie betekenisvol nie. Daar is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die uitvoering van die lokomotor vaardighede verbeter het, so ook veelvuldige fiksheidskomponente van die toetspersone oor die durasie van die bewegingsprogram. Daar is egter waargeneem dat hierdie verbeteringe gedeeltelik te danke mag wees aan die normale maturasie van die toetsgroep en dat die uitslae van hierdie studie beter ondersteun sou word as daar 'n kontrole-groep was.

published_or_final_version / Sports Science / Master / Master of Science in Sports Science