Lithuanian Sports University e-Journals
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S13-2: Adapting and Implementing Physical Literacy Tools for Ukrainian Youth: Bridging Global Standards With Local Context
Get PDFPurpose: To adapt the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy (CAPL, version 2) protocol and assess the validity of its affective and cognitive domains. Integrating a physical literacy (PL) approach offers a strategic method for promoting sustainable health practices among youth. A key step in advancing studies in this area is adapting tools to assess PL. However, PL remains a relatively new concept in Ukraine in terms of policy, research, and practice, emphasising the need to develop local expertise during the adaptation process to ensure that the tools are relevant to unique cultural, societal, and educational context.
Methods: The study followed the guidelines outlined in the Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Status Measurement Instruments. A group of experts (n = 22) who had previously participated in organised training courses on PL assessed the content validity. The psychometric properties of the Motivation and Confidence, and Knowledge and Understanding components of the CAPL protocol were evaluated using a sample of schoolchildren aged 9–12 years (n = 426).
Results: After a four-step translation process, the CAPL protocol was analysed by Ukrainian experts in physical education and pedagogy. The Ukrainian version demonstrated sufficient content validity. According to the experts, the proposed question blocks related to the affective and cognitive components of PL were clear and well-formulated. Some difficulties arose when assigning certain content blocks to specific sections of the protocol. The Ukrainian version of CAPL demonstrated acceptable validity, internal consistency of scales, and test-retest reliability, confirming its applicability for children aged 9–12 years.
Conclusions: Promoting and implementing PL requires a comprehensive approach. This involves developing appropriate tools and simultaneously building expertise among local specialists to ensure effective assessment, proper tool administration, and accurate interpretation of results. Involving local experts in adapting and validating PL tools ensures they are culturally relevant and empowers professionals in physical education, sports, and pedagogy. This, in turn, enhances their ability to promote PL and improve health outcomes, supporting efforts to integrate PL into national strategies, educational reforms, and public health initiatives aimed at increasing youth physical activity.
Support/Funding Source: The author received no financial support for the research.
Keywords: Children, physical literacy, health practices, tools, adaptatio
S17-1: The Alignment of Current Physical Education in Europe With the Concept of Physical Literacy: Transformational Inspirations From the EUROPLIT 2.0 Study
Get PDFPurpose: Physical education (PE) is considered key to empowering young people for an active lifestyle. Europe is characterised by heterogeneous educational concepts and curricular landscapes. The concept of physical literacy (PL; Whitehead, 2001) has gained international attention in recent years. PL integrates physical, cognitive, and affective capabilities for lifelong physical activity (IPLA, 2017), advocating for a holistic empowerment to physically active lifestyles (Edwards et al., 2017). Despite the WHO (2018) promoting PL in its global action plan on physical activity (GAPPA), it remains unclear to what extent European countries currently meet the criteria of a ‘PL-inspired PE’. The aim of this study is to assess the fulfilment of core criteria for PL-inspired PE across Europe.
Methods: Through a targeted literature review and iterative expert consultation, 15 criteria for ‘PL-inspired PE’ were developed and projected onto a 5-point Likert scale (e.g. student-centred vs. standard-oriented teaching; exploration vs. perfection orientation). Experts from 40 European countries evaluated these criteria using a four-eyes principle. Descriptive statistics assessed the fulfilment of the criteria. General linear models determined significant differences between the four European regions (Nordic, Southern, Western, Central/Eastern Europe) and between Anglophone and non-Anglophone countries. Exploratory correlations were calculated between PL compatibility and country-specific educational attainment (PISA) and human development indicators (HDI).
Results: The 15 criteria showed satisfactory internal consistency (α = .86). The mean values for the ‘PL-inspired PE’ criteria clustered around the mid-point, indicating only a slight overall tendency towards a PL-affirming PE (0.31–0.75). Nordic countries showed the highest compatibility (mean (M) = 3.97, standard deviation (SD) = 0.54), differing significantly from Central/Eastern European countries (M = 3.04, SD = 0.60). Significant exploratory correlations were found between PL compatibility and educational attainment (r = .43, p = .006) and the HDI (r = .32, p = .043).
Conclusion: The results illustrate the heterogeneity of curriculum-supported PE regarding its compatibility with the globally promoted PL concept. PE pedagogy in Europe should strengthen exchange, considering different cultural perceptions. The Nordic countries, viewed as advanced in the PL development process, are particularly relevant for international research.
Keywords: Transformation, physical education, curricula, comparison, Europ
S18-4: Barriers to Active Transportation to School Among Czech Children – Olomouc Strategy
Get PDFPurpose: The aim is to introduce and identify the main barriers and perceived risks associated with active transportation to and from school in a city level initiative in Olomouc, Czech school-aged children.
Methods: The Olomouc city introduced a project ‘Safe Road to School’ in 2018 to all city schools. The main objective of the project was to identify dangerous places and thus prevent traffic accidents where children are moving and to minimise the risk of their occurrence. Map application, aimed at 4/5 and 8/9 graders, was applied to identify problematic or dangerous areas and their gradual removal. The presentation provides an overview of the main barriers identified within three rounds of this initiative in 2019, 2021, and 2023.
Results: Most children reported walking as their primary mode of transportation to (58% in 2019, 45% in 2021, and 55% in 2023) and from school (63% in 2019, 50% in 2021, and 58% in 2023), primarily due to perceived safety (83% in 2019, 85% in 2021, and 79% in 2023). The main safety concerns identified were speeding traffic (36% in 2019, 37% in 2021, and 38% in 2023). The school neighbourhood was often perceived as safe, with some issues of unpleasant and unsafe episodes due to the presence of homeless individuals, alcohol users, missing crosswalks, and speeding cars. Experience with these findings indicate the awareness of authorities to solve the issue as soon as possible.
Conclusion: All alerts recorded by the pupils on the map were forwarded to the departments responsible at the Olomouc city, police, or other administrative authorities for solution, and the process of evaluation of each risk area was recorded. It is apparent that recording and appropriate intervention can result in improved environmental quality to ensure increased safety and thus promote active transport for children to and from schools. By understanding these threats in school neighbourhoods, we can encourage children to choose active modes of transport, leading to improved health and a more sustainable lifestyle.
 
S19: Making Sport Events and Physical Activity Promotion More Climate Friendly
Get PDFThis symposium brings together innovative research and practical strategies to advance sustainability across the spectrum of sport events and physical activity promotion. The presentations address themes ranging from eco-friendly event organisation, travel optimisation in recreational league play, attitudes of football fans regarding sustainability, to more general questions about how ready organisations in the sport sector are to work on sustainability goals.
The first presentation introduces the “City, Green, Go!” toolkit, an initiative developed under a multi-partner Erasmus+ project. This toolkit empowers grassroots sports organisations, municipal authorities, and event organisers with actionable guidelines on reducing their carbon footprint. Focusing on seven core principles, including energy efficiency, biodiversity, catering, mobility, waste reduction, sustainable materials, and water conservation, the toolkit demonstrates how integrating environmental awareness into event planning can lead to more eco-friendly sport events.
The second presentation investigates the environmental impact of travel in recreational league play. Employing algorithm-based optimisation, the study analysed travel distances from over 4,000 football matches in Germany. The findings reveal that strategically regrouping teams based on geographic proximity has substantial potential to reduce overall travel distances and CO₂ emissions.
The third presentation focuses on embedding planetary health in the context of physical activity promotion. Drawing on survey data, this work explores the discrepancy between the high personal value placed on sustainability and its comparatively lower prioritisation within organisations. The insights highlight key barriers – political, financial, and cultural – that must be addressed to transform organisational practices and better integrate environmental priorities into sport event planning.
The fourth presentation deals with the attitudes of football fans regarding perceived environmental corporate social responsibility. Survey results indicated that about 50% of the football fans used active transport options to get to the stadium. Also, many fans agreed that it was important to them that their club acted in an environmentally friendly way.
Together, these contributions provide an overview of the opportunities and challenges to prepare the sport sector for a carbon neutral future
S20: Advancing Knowledge on Equitable Physical Activity Policy Implementation: Learnings From the IMPAQT Consortium
Get PDFThe growing burden of non-communicable diseases demands systemic solutions that promote population-level physical activity (PA) and address longstanding health inequities. Public policies have the potential to be one such solution. IMPAQT, which stands for ‘IMproving Physical Activity policies and their impact on health eQuiTy’ aims to improve health equity in and through PA by developing and implementing the Physical Activity Environment Policy Index (PA-EPI) across six diverse countries. For more details see: www.ul.ie/research/impaqt. This symposium explores key dimensions of this work, from reviewing the scientific evidence to strategies for ensuring equity throughout the policy assessment process and its application.
Presentation one provides results from a literature review assessing the evidence for the effect of public PA policy on health equity. Presentation two introduces an equity module developed for the PA-EPI, designed to embed systematic equity considerations across its 45 policy indicators. Presentation three offers guidance on the equitable recruitment of stakeholder councils as part of the PA-EPI process. The PA-EPI council’s role is to assess the evidence of policy implementation for each country and provide recommendations to address critical implementation gaps. IMPAQT has been designed to maximise inclusive representation in policy evaluation. Presentation four will share information about the development of a curated set of Best Practice Exemplars of policy implementation, offering globally sourced policy examples aligned with PA-EPI benchmarks.
Together, these contributions showcase how policy evaluation, co-creation, and benchmarking, grounded in evidence and equity, can guide more effective, inclusive, and systemically sustainable actions to increase physical activity and reduce health disparities across populations. This symposium will share learning from the research team across seven European countries with an emphasis on discussion, reflection, and self-evaluation in relation to the future of physical activity policy
S20-3: Physical Activity Policy Implementation: Development of IMPAQTs List of Best Practice Exemplars
Get PDFPurpose: The ‘IMproving Physical Activity policies and their impact on health eQuiTy’ (IMPAQT) project aims to strengthen physical activity (PA) policymaking across countries by undertaking policy assessment and benchmarking. To enable policy benchmarking, Best Practice Exemplars (BPEs) are required. BPEs are short, informative descriptions not only of physical activity policies themselves, but also include evidence of implementation of the policy in different countries globally. The BPEs map onto the 45 indicators of the PA-EPI (known as Good Practice Statements, or GPSs), a tool that IMPAQT will use to perform policy assessments.
Methods: BPE sourcing is undertaken using several complementary methods: searches of scientific literature or policy literature, internet keyword searches, consultation with relevant experts or accessing targeted websites. Identified candidates are then standardised using IMPAQT’s reporting guidelines, with supplementary searches conducted to ensure key implementation details are captured. Reporting guidelines include: fit to the GPS, evidence of equity consideration, evidence of reach or adoption, evidence of sustained budget, and evidence of IMPAQT. Appraisal will be undertaken by the IMPAQT Steering Committee, using an online questionnaire, reducing the number to a final list of BPEs. Finally, candidates are appraised against these guidelines, resulting in a refined list of well-documented physical activity policies.
Results: 117 BPE candidates covering all 45 PA-EPI GPSs have been produced by IMPAQT so far. This preliminary list includes BPEs from 27 different countries from across the globe, including examples from both national and subnational levels of government.
Conclusions: The list of BPE candidates reflects the variety of policies that have been implemented globally to promote physical activity. It is anticipated that IMPAQTs work in assembling and sharing the list of BPEs will promote policy learning for both researchers and policymakers by showcasing best practice and promoting high standards of policy enactment. These effects are more likely to be realised if mechanisms are put in place to ensure the continuous updating of this best practice database.
Support/Funding Source: The IMPAQT project received funding from Ireland, Health Research Board; Poland, National Centre for Research and Development; Germany, Federal Ministry of Education and Research; The Netherlands, The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development; Romania, Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding; Lithuania, Research Council of Lithuania, under the umbrella of the Partnership Fostering a European Research Area for Health (ERA4Health) (GA N° 101095426 of the EU Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme).
Keywords: PA-EPI, benchmarking, policy implementation, international comparison, standardisatio
S22-1: From Screening to Strength – How the STEADI Algorithm and vAdBeCeDa Movement Programme Can Prevent Falls in Older Adults
Get PDFPurpose: This study evaluates the integration of the CDC’s STEADI algorithm into Slovenia’s primary healthcare system, combined with the vAdBeCeDa movement programme, to address the growing incidence of falls among adults aged 65 and over. The main aim is to assess whether this combined approach can effectively reduce fall risk and improve vitality and independence in older adults, offering an innovative, systematic application of a proven fall-prevention algorithm alongside a physical activity intervention.
Methods: This quantitative, mixed-methods study used an implementation design to integrate the STEADI algorithm within Slovenia’s Integrated Prevention Strategies, delivered via Health Promotion Centres (HPCs) and community health nursing. Participants were screened using the STEADI 3-Question (3KQ) and 12-Question (12KQ) assessments, Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and home safety checklists. At-risk individuals were referred to the vAdBeCeDa programme, targeting strength, balance, and mobility improvements. Data were collected through two clinical studies: 1) A validation study assessing the reliability and predictive value of the 3KQ screening tool, and 2) An effectiveness study measuring functional outcomes after the vAdBeCeDa intervention. Statistical analyses assessed screening reliability, participant characteristics, and intervention outcomes.
Results: The STEADI 3KQ demonstrated high sensitivity (88.1%–100%) and moderate specificity (53.4%–81.8%) for detecting fall risk. Its weak but significant correlation with the TUG test (ρ = 0.391, p = 0.0006) and superior ROC performance (p = 0.001) support its reliability (Berends et al., 2024). The vAdBeCeDa programme led to an 18.8% reduction in errors on the BESS test, showing significant improvements in balance and postural control among participants (Tomažin et al., 2024).
Conclusions: The integration of fall screening and physical activity strategies has proven effective in preventing falls and enhancing functional fitness in older adults. This approach provides a scalable, cost-effective model for other countries aiming to strengthen active ageing policies and geriatric care services.
Support/Funding Source: Funded by the Ministry of Health of Slovenia and the European Union – NextGenerationEU.
Keywords: Falls prevention, older adults, physical activity, screening, health promotio
An Exploration of Attitudes, Preferences, Experiences, and Health Behaviours Associated With Participation in Physical Activity Among Community-Dwelling First-Generation Older Black Africans in the United Kingdom
Get PDFPurpose: First-generation older migrants in high income countries are more likely to be less physically active than non-migrants. However, there is a lack of literature on barriers and enablers to participation in physical activity for community-dwelling first-generation older Black Africans in the United Kingdom (UK). The aim of this research was to explore the attitudes, preferences, experiences, and health behaviours associated with participation in physical activity among community-dwelling first-generation older Black Africans in the UK.
Methods: Twelve people (6 females) aged 44–62 years from the target population were interviewed using a topic guide based on the findings of a scoping review and the Behaviour Change Wheel framework. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed manually before being imported into NVivo software. Thematic analysis was conducted by generating codes and mapping them against the COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour) model and the TDF (Theoretical Domains Framework).
Results: Around two-thirds of participants self-reported not meeting the UK’s Chief Medical Officers physical activity recommendations, which were explained by the following diverse and intertwined factors: 1. Psychological capability: knowledge – all participants self-reported lacking awareness about the guidelines on physical activity; 2. Social opportunity: social norms – physical activity facilities and settings in the United Kingdom were reported as culturally inappropriate; 3. Physical opportunity: Environmental contexts and resources – lack of money to afford gym, lack of time, and safety concerns in physical activity settings in public places; and 4. Reflective motivation: goal priority – life commitments, including needing to work for money and family responsibilities, were considered more important than doing regular physical activity. On the other hand, the key enablers to physical activity among participants appeared to be reinforced (automatic motivation) by cues to action (illnesses such as diabetes) and routines (walking being imbedded in activities of daily living such as the workplace, commuting to work and shopping, and household activities).
Conclusion: The findings of this research will support future work to co-produce physical activity interventions to reduce insufficient physical activity levels in the community-dwelling first-generation older Black Africans in the U
Changes in Loyalty to Physical Activity and Inactivity From Childhood to Adolescence
Get PDFPurpose: Loyalty to behaviour can be defined as a consistent preference for a specific way of acting, maintained over time. Physical activity (PA) and inactivity behaviours established in childhood and adolescence may persist in adulthood and affect health throughout the life cycle. The purpose of the present study is to monitor behavioural loyalty among children and adolescents.
Methods: Data were collected from three Finnish School-Age Physical Activity studies (2016, 2018, and 2022) involving 4,631 students in 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th grades, aged 7–15 years. Participants wore hip-worn accelerometers for seven consecutive days. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was analysed using the mean amplitude deviation, smoothed with a 1 minute exponential moving average. Each school or non-school day was classified as active if it included at least 60 minutes of MVPA, and inactive otherwise. The analysis was done in two independent categories, loyalty to physical activity (LtPA) and loyalty to physical inactivity (LtPI). The day was classified as LtPA if an active day was followed by another active day and as LtPI if an inactive day was followed by another inactive day. Active-inactive and inactive-active pairs are not reported here.
Results: On school days, LtPA showed a decreasing pattern with an increasing grade. The proportion of days classified as LtPA was 97%, 94%, 92%, 79%, and 70% for grades from 1st to 9th. A similar downwards pattern was observed on non-school days, although the proportions were lower: 88%, 79%, 70%, 62%, and 49%. In contrast, LtPI increased with an increasing grade level. On school days, the proportion of days LtPI were 21%, 26%, 24%, 46%, and 51%. The proportions were higher on non-school days with values of 41%, 43%, 56%, 63%, and 76%.
Conclusion: On school days, there is a large drop in LtPA and a corresponding increase in LtPI between 5th and 7th grade. On non-school days, the harmful trend was observed across all grade levels. These findings suggest that PA promotion efforts during school days should be especially targeted at 7th grade students. On non-school days, the PA promotion should begin already for 1st grade students
Do People With Coronary Heart Disease Desire More Physical Activity and Advice From Their General Practitioners in This Regard? A German Cross-Sectional Population Survey (OptiCor Study)
Get PDFPurpose: Physical activity (PA) is important in coronary heart disease (CHD) management. General practitioners (GPs) can support CHD patients in improving their PA behaviour by offering advice on PA. However, it remains unclear whether people with CHD actually desire to increase their PA or to receive GP advice on this topic. This study explores the prevalence of these preferences and associations with person characteristics in the population of Germany.
Methods: We conducted a nationwide, face-to-face cross-sectional survey of 1,119 individuals (≥35 years) with self-reported CHD, assessing their desire (1) to increase PA and (2) to receive GP advice on PA. Logistic regression models were used to examine associations between these preferences and person characteristics including age, gender, educational level, household income, migration background, residential region, PA level, and body mass index. For outcome (2), desire to increase PA was included as an additional covariate.
Results: Overall, 44.0% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 41.1–46.9) expressed a desire to be more or more regularly physically active, while 51.0% (95% CI = 48.1–54.0) did not (no response: 5.0%). Higher (vs lower) education (odds ratio (OR) = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.09–2.01), higher (vs lower) income (OR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.05–1.39), and urban (vs rural) residence (OR = 1.81; 95% CI = 1.28–2.57) were associated with a greater likelihood of desiring more PA.
A desire for GP advice on PA was reported by 27.9% (95% CI = 25.3–30.6), while 71.2% (95% CI = 68.5–73.8) did not (no response: 0.9%). Medium (OR = 1.58; 95% CI = 1.17–2.15) and higher (vs lower) educational level (OR = 1.49; 95% CI = 1.06–2.08), urban (vs rural) residence (OR = 1.77; 95% CI = 1.22–2.57), and a desire (vs no desire) for more PA (OR = 3.36; 95% CI = 2.54–4.46) were associated with a greater likelihood of desiring GP advice on PA.
Conclusion: Almost half of people with CHD in Germany desire to be more or more regularly physically active. About one third wish to receive GP advice on this topic. Some groups – particularly those who already wish to be more active – express the desire for GP advice on PA significantly more often. PA should be proactively addressed not only in GP consultations, but also in other healthcare settings.
Support/Funding Source: German Ministry of Education and Research (01GY2103)