Previous research shows that people with disabilities have less opportunities to participate and exercise in physical activities than the rest of the population. The purpose of this study has therefore been to investigate experiences of opportunities for exercising physical activities within sports associations, among members in sport clubs that are aimed towards people with disabilities. The purpose has also been to investigate how these members perceive the importance of the physical activities in the sports association. In this study, a qualitative approach has been selected and it has been done semi-structured interviews with eight members from two different sport clubs in Southern Sweden. The analysis has been done using content analysis. The analysis of the results showed that there are various factors that affect the members' ability to exercise physical activities in sports clubs. In the analysis, it emerged that these factors could both facilitate or complicate the opportunities for participation. For this reason, the majority of interviewees appreciated their opportunities as both good and bad. Finally, the analysis of the results showed that all interviewees felt that participation in the physical activities had positive effects on their physical and mental health, but also that it increased their social network.

The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument that measures self-efficacy perceptions of physical educators towards teaching lifetime physical activities. This Physical Educator Efficacy Scale for Teaching Lifetime Physical Activities (PEES-LPA), was validated through expert review, and pilot procedures, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA). EFA revealed a six-factor model that accounted for 67.8% of the total observed score variance (PAF extraction/Varimax rotation). Additionally, results demonstrated: (a) factors showing simple structure that aligns with related literature, (b) high factor scores (>.40) with no double loadings, (c) efficacy items relating to Net/Wall activities and Target activities loading together, and (d) internal consistency showed to be very high for both the full model (.95) and each individual factor (.92-.95). The PEES-LPA appears demonstrate accptable reliability and validity, though further analysis needs be explored for items that may influence multicollinearity and normality.

Title: Relationship between physical activities and memory in older adults Objectives: Estimating the effect of physical activity on memory in seniors older than 60 years. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. The data for the elaboration of the diploma thesis were obtained from the pan-European project Survey of Health Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). In this study, all probands were divided according to gender and further into three groups according to their level of education using the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED - 97). In the data analysis, means and standard deviations were calculated for continuous variables and percentages were calculated for categorical variables. Non-parametric statistical methods were used to test the hypotheses. For more than three categories, the Kruskal-Wallis test was used, followed by post-hoc analysis. The Mann-Whitney U test with Bonferoni correction was used for post-hoc analysis. Testing of memory functions was performed using a ten-word memorization test with immediate and delayed recall. Results: Data from of 47,169 probands older than 60 years were used in the study. A total of 26,034 women and 21,135 men participated. The investigation demonstrated a positive effect of physical and sports activities on the memory...

Background: Physican activitiy (PA) benefits people of all age groups. PA can improve not only physical fitness, but also social skills, behavior as well as psychological well-being in neurotypican populations. Social skills and well-being are essential elements for life. Autistic children face deficits is both these apsects. Since positive effects regarding social skills and well-being have been found in TD population, positive benefits fllowing participation in PA may also be found in children with austism. Aim: This systematic literature review aimed is to identify how participation in PA affect social skills and well-being in autistic chlidren. Method: A literature search was performed in five databases to find peer-reviewed studies identifying effects of physical activities on social skills and well-being. Nine studies met the predefined selection ciretria. Results: Several types of physical activities improved various social skills and decrease challenging and adaptive behaviors in preschool and school aged autistic children. Promising findings were found regarding well-being aspects, relationships with peers and motor skills. Conclusion: Physical activity can improve social skills, behavioral problems and adaptive behaviors in preschool and school aged autistic children while results on well-being, peer relationships ans motor skills look promising.

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Purpose: The purpose of this study was twofold, to determine (1) if obesity is more prevalent among youths with functional limitations than among youths without special needs; and (2) to determine if variables related to the domains of youth lifestyle, parenting experience, perceived social capital, and youth social participation mediate the relationship between youths with functional limitations and obesity. Design: This study is a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the nationally representative dataset, the National Survey of Children’s Health. Exposure: Youths between the ages of 10 and 17 with functional limitations or no special healthcare needs. Outcome: Sex-specific body mass index ≥ 95th for age percentile values using 2000 Center of Disease Control growth charts. Variables of interest: Potential mediators were examined in four domains: (1) youth lifestyle, defined as participation in after-school sports, physical activities, hours spent watching television, having a television set in the youth’s bedroom, eating family meals together, and getting enough sleep; (2) parenting experience, defined as parental aggravation, coping, and emotional support; (3) perceived neighborhood social capital; and (4) youth social participation, defined as participation in after-school club activities. Results: Gender was an effect modifier, with 27.7% of females with functional limitations being obese, as compared to 12.9% of females with no special needs. There was no statistically significant difference between the prevalence of obesity in male youths with functional limitations and in those with no special needs. The association between female youths with functional limitations and obesity was partly mediated by participation in after-school sports and participation in physical activities. Conclusion/Implications: The findings from this study suggest that lack of female participation in after-school sports and physical activities is partly responsible for the increased prevalence of obesity in those with functional limitations compared to those with no special needs. Future interventions that reduce barriers to and increase facilitators of after-school sports and physical activities could reduce the difference in obesity prevalences between females with functional limitations and those with no special needs. / Public Health

My graduation theses focuses on the difference between sport activities of men and women , students of South Bohemia University in České Budějovice. The object in view are students of South Bohemia University that study bachelor, and engineer programme. The theoretical part is bended on definition of the term sport activity and it´s main division. Then I tried to think of consequences of a lack of sport activity and also it´s affect on sexual relation. In the empirical part I present my results of quantity and quality of sport activities and evaluation of well-being, health and sex amenity associated with sport activity. The aim of my graduation theses is to compare preferences of sport activities of men and women. This essay should be used to teach students the importace of sport activity on the whole biomentalsocial part of health.

Männliche Jugendliche mit Migrationshintergrund werden in öffentlichen und politischen Debatten häufig pauschal zu einer Problemgruppe stilisiert und in wissenschaftlichen Diskursen werden ihnen u.a. Schwierigkeiten bei der Identitätsbildung attestiert. Vor dem Hintergrund, dass männliche Jugendliche mit Migrationshintergrund insbesondere in informellen Kontexten (d.h. außerhalb des Vereins) äußerst sportaffin sind, setzt sich die Dissertation mit dem informellen Fuß- und Basketballspielen von marginalisierten jungen Männern aus einem traditionsverwurzelten Migranten-Milieu auseinander. Im Mittelpunkt der qualitativ angelegten Studie steht dabei die Frage, welche Sinnperspektiven die jungen Männer mit dem informellen, selbstorganisierten Sporttreiben verbinden und welche Bedeutung der Sport bei der Arbeit an der Identität (einschließlich der Geschlechtsidentität) einnimmt. Auf Grundlage von leitfadengestützten Interviews sowie ethnographischen Gesprächen und Beobachtungen werden sowohl die narrativen als auch die durch körperliches Bewegungshandeln erfolgenden (unbewussten) Identitätskonstruktionen und -darstellungen nachgezeichnet, und es wird die besondere Struktur dieser kleinen Lebenswelt beleuchtet. Dabei zeigt sich, dass der informelle Sport für die 13 untersuchten Hauptschüler eine Gegenwelt zur Lebenswelt Schule darstellt, insofern sie hier nicht nur Kompetenzerfahrungen machen können, sondern zudem die ihnen relevanten symbolischen Kapitalien „Respekt“ und „Ehre“ ‚erwirtschaften‘ können. Die Möglichkeit, im informellen Sport identitätsstärkende Erfahrungen zu machen, steht vor allem im Zusammenhang mit der besonderen Struktur des Sports, infolge derer die Jugendlichen bspw. den Sinnrahmen der Aktivitäten selbst bestimmen können und positiv konnotierte Sonderrollen (z.B. die Rolle des Sportvermittlers) einnehmen können. Darüber hinaus veranschaulicht die Untersuchung, dass insbesondere die Jungen mit muslimischem Hintergrund den Sport funktionalisieren, um in ihren Familien zumeist vorherrschende dominanzorientierte Männlichkeitsentwürfe und damit einhergehende hierarchische Geschlechterverhältnisse zu reproduzieren. Damit kann der Sport zwar als zentraler Identitätsstabilisator beschrieben werden, er leistet jedoch zugleich einen Beitrag zum Tradieren von althergebrachten Männlichkeitsentwürfen.

Author's first name and surname: Bc. Monika Pazderová Supervisor of the thesis: MUDr. Martin Matoulek, Ph.D. Thesis title: The influence of the physical activity on high blood pressure in patients with obesity or metabolic syndrome Workplace: 3rd Medical Department, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General Teaching Hospital in Prague and Health rehabilitation centre VŠTJ MEDICINA Prague Year of thesis defence: 2012 ABSTRACT Nowadays the metabolic syndrome belongs worldwide to the most widespread diseases. The joint occurrence of diabetes, obesity and hypertension has been known for a long time. Also nowadays many doctors consider obesity a typical risk factor for diabetes or hypertension. Generally it is true: the higher BMI the higher likelihood of hypertension occurrence. Hypertension is a risk factor for atherosclerosis which is a cardiovascular disease. Nowadays the high blood pressure belongs to the most common health disorders of populations in both developing and advanced industrialized countries. The complications of hypertension are an important cause of sickness rate, invalidity and death. The occurrence of high blood pressure increases with age and is also dependent on the gender. The average levels of systolic pressure increase with age. On the other hand, the average levels of...

[pt] Este trabalho identifica a intenção dos consumidores seniores - acima de 55 anos de idade - na prática de atividades físicas. Também verifica os motivos que podem restringir a participação dessas pessoas nas atividades. Finalmente, investiga uma segmentação de mercado alternativa, com base no conceito de idade cognitiva. Compara a análise das variáveis demográficas, como idade cronológica, sexo, ocupação e renda familiar, com os resultados. Isto permite averiguar a influência que essas variáveis exercem no desejo de praticar atividades físicas e na percepção das restrições intrapessoais. Uma amostra de conveniência de 231 pessoas acima de 55 anos respondeu ao questionário elaborado para testar várias hipóteses. Os resultados mostraram que os consumidores acima de 55 anos já praticam ou têm intenção de praticar atividades físicas de intensidade leve e de esforço moderado, mas não há esta intenção para atividades que exigem muito esforço. Os resultados também mostram que existem restrições intrapessoais que impedem pessoas mais velhas de praticar as atividades de que gostariam. / [en] This study identifies the intention of senior consumers - over 55 years old - to practice of physical activities. It also looks at factors that restrain these consumers to engage in physical activities. Finally, it investigates an alternative market segmentation based on the concept of cognitive age. An analytical framework is used to cross results with demographic variable, such as chronological age, sex, occupation and family income. It allows to see how demographic factors affect the willingness to practice physical activities and the perception of the intrapersonal restraints. A convenient sample of 231 people over 55 years old answered a questionnaire that was elaborated to test several hypothesis. Basic results show that 55+ consumers already practice or intend to practice only low or moderate intensity physical activities, but not more vigorous. They also show that there are manifested intrapersonal restraints that do not permit older people to practice the activities they would like to.