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Youth Sports Participation And Health Status In Early Adulthood: 12-Year Follow-Up
Get PDFExamining association between serial participation in youth organized sports (OS) and concurrent cardiometabolic risk factors, with long-term health status, will aid understanding the role of OS participation. Combining data from a prospective study and a follow-up survey, we aimed to determine association between youth OS participation and cardiometabolic risk factors with health and physical activity (PA) in young adulthood. Cardiometabolic risk factors were monitored yearly, and OS involvement through middle school, high school, and college, together with current status was recorded 12 years after the initial study began; 462 participants completed follow-up. Cardiometabolic risk factors included: body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, total, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides, fasting glucose and insulin. Participants continuing OS participation from middle to high school and/or college had significantly lower BMI/BMI z-scores [24.7 vs 27.4 (p<0.05) and 0.51 vs 0.82 (p<0.05), respectively] and significantly higher HDL [48.7 vs 45.4 (p=<0.05)] than those without OS participation after middle school. Waist circumference of females was significantly smaller in those who participated in OS from middle to high school and/or college (84.9cm) compared to those who had no OS (92.1cm), (p<0.05). Participants continuing OS from middle to high school and/or college reported significantly higher follow-up PA levels than those who had no OS after middle school (p<0.001). This study provides novel data showing serial participation in OS from middle to high school and/or college was associated with a superior cardiometabolic health profile in school and increased PA levels at 12-year follow-up
Risk Factors for Upper Limb Injury in Tennis Players: A Systematic Review
Get PDFStudies in tennis injuries have successfully identified the incident rate, the location, and the type of the injury. The majority of the studies have multiple perspectives (epidemiology, biomechanics, performance), however only a few studies were able to identify risk factors or mechanisms that contribute to tennis injuries. Until now, there has not been a systematic literature review that identifies risk factors for tennis injuries. The objective of this review was to identify and critically appraise the evidence related to risk factors for upper limb injury in tennis players. A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, using a research question developed by the Patient Problem, (or Population) Intervention, Comparison or Control, and Outcome (PICO) methodology. The quality of the studies included was moderate to low, indicating prolonged tennis (exposure to tennis), scapular dyskinesis, muscle fatigue, scapulothoracic properties, shoulder kinetics or kinematics, skill level, and technique as risk factors for upper limb injury in tennis players. In this review, it is evidenced that the majority of tennis injuries are associated with overuse and a chronic time course, however, tennis injuries do not arise from a linear combination of isolated and predictive factors. Therefore, the multifactorial and complex nature of tennis injuries has to be further examined. The necessity of more randomized control trial studies is highly recommended
The Structural Validity of the IKDC and its Relationship with Quality of Life Following ACL Reconstruction
Get PDFObjective: The purpose of this study was to (1) examine the structural validity of the International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Form (IKDC) in light of previously reported dimensionality issues, and (2) examine the relationships between the IKDC and patients’ knee-related quality of life 2-9 years after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.
Methods: A prospective research design was employed, wherein 319 patients (mean age = 29.07, SD = 9.03) completed the IKDC before surgery, 191 patients (mean age = 29.71, SD = 9.36) completed the IKDC at 6 months post-surgery, and 132 patients (mean age = 34.34, SD = 7.89) completed the IKDC and the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Quality of Life Survey (ACL-QOL) at 2-9 years post-surgery.
Results: Bayesian structural equation modeling analysis confirmed the two-factor structure (symptom & knee articulation and activity level) represented the most accurate conceptualisation of perceived knee function across the three time points. Moreover, findings revealed that of the two IKDC subscales preoperatively, ‘activity level’ was most strongly associated with long-term quality of life at 2-9 years following surgery, whereas 2-9 years postoperatively, ‘symptoms and knee articulation’ was most strongly associated with long-term quality of life.
Conclusions: The IKDC provides clinicians with a convenient total score to assess patients’ perceived knee function, but its unidimensional factor structure is a poor representation of its items and fails to detect discrepancies in patients’ post-operative quality of life, such as the relative importance of perceived knee activity level before reconstructive surgery
Fielding specific walk/run patterns in English professional Cricket
Get PDFIncricket research,players are typically categorizedby role. However, players of a certain role, for instance fast bowlers may not consistently field in the same positionwhich leadsto inaccurate representations of the physical demands of fielding. To identify fielding specific movement demandsacross three cricket formats(4 multi-day, 6 one day, 4 T20),14 professional male cricketershadpositional movements determinedwith10Hz Optimeye S5 (Catapult, Melbourne, Australia) global positioningsystem (GPS)units. Players observed fielding in 35 common cricket locations were described as either being in a stationary catching, 30m ring or boundary position. Data were totalled inmovement velocities bands: Walking ( 25 km/h), and further classified intolow intensity running (walking and jogging) or high intensity running (HIR).The HIR running was significantly different for each fielding position within each game format. Boundary fielders covered the most HIR distance per hour (930 ± 1085 m/h) in One day compared to multi-day (889 ± 435 m/h) and Twenty20 (T20) (628 ± 438 m/h) formats. Similarly, 30m ringfieldersalso covered relatively greater distance in the One day format (594 ± 286 m/h) compared to multi-day and T20 formats (227± 345, 170 ± 165 m/h) respectively. The catching positions had similar hourly demands between Multi-day (370 ± 291 m/h) and One day (385 ± 342 m/h) formats. This study identifies that the boundary positions havethe greatestHIR demands across all three cricket formats. When setting a field,captains should be mindful not only of position-specific skill requirements, but also of movement speed, fitness characteristics and within-session recovery needs of players. This information is able to better inform cricket’s physical preparation coaches and tacticians
The Growth Satisfaction in Jobs among hospitality employees: The role of transformational leadership, interpersonal communication satisfaction and trust
No full textLeader follower communication and trust are the key factors that contribute to the employees’ growth satisfaction in job in the hospitality industry. Given the relevance of transformational leadership in the hospitality industry, this study explored whether transformational leadership influenced follower growth satisfaction in job through follower interpersonal communication satisfaction and trust. Data were collected from 159 hotel employees in India. The findings using the SPSS PROCESS macro with bootstrapping and RPackage revealed that follower interpersonal communication satisfaction and trust mediate the significant relationship between transformational leadership and follower growth satisfaction in job. The major implications are discussed in this study
Taking a long-term approach to the development of weightlifting ability in young athletes
Get PDFDespite previous misconceptions, youth participation in weightlifting is now recognizedas safe and beneficial when delivered, programed, and monitored by a qualifiedprofessional. This article explores teaching progressions to aid coaches periodizeweightlifting training for young or novice athletes, with consideration to the theoreticalconcepts underpinning long-term athletic development. It is hoped that the structuredand progressive guidelines presented in the current article will help coaches developthe weightlifting performance of their young athletes in a safe and effective manner
Understanding the Behaviours Employed by Parents to Support the Psychological Development of Elite Youth Tennis Players in England
Get PDFThe current study had two objectives: (1) to explore which psychological skills (e.g., self-talk and imagery) and characteristics (e.g., motivation and focus) (PSCs) parents deemed important for their children’s development, and (2) to investigate and understand the parental behaviours that supported the growth or development of these PSCs. A nine-month qualitative study comprising observations of and semi-structured interviews with 15 parents of 11 British male elite youth tennis players (8-15 years of age) took place. Results suggested that parents were sceptical of the development of psychological skills due to (1) a perceived inability to support the development effectively, (2) a misconception of psychological skills, and (3) concerns about unnecessary pressure. Despite this, parents reported the use of four behaviours in an effort to develop psychological characteristics within their children, including (1) talking about valuable psychological characteristics, (2) intentionally creating learning opportunities, (3) enabling athletes to go the extra mile, and (4) fostering developmentally beneficial peer relationships. Although well intended, these behaviours were usually informed by intermittent self-education, sometimes resulting in unwanted consequences such as the establishment of performance orientated climates. The results of this study add to the youth sport literature by providing insight into sport parents’ perceptions of PSCs, as well as the behaviours they employed to support their children’s psychological development. Additionally, it reinforces the need for more formalised parental education opportunities to support parents’ positive involvement in their children’s sporting lives
Tall trees; weak roots? A model of barriers to English language proficiency confronting displaced medical healthcare professionals
Get PDFAlthough language assessments for medical professionals in the UK are changing, there is
still a need for them to demonstrate their proficiency in English before working in the
National Health Service (NHS). When providing English for Specific Purposes (ESP)
courses for retraining refugee doctors, we need to consider all the potential barriers that
every language learner faces, as well as professional barriers that may challenge them as a
specific group. The following article examines the linguistic (and psycholinguistic) barriers
that confront this intelligent, motivated and diligent group of people, and puts forward a
model that teachers, course planners and material designers may use for their English
language training
A Qualitative Exploration of Two Risk Calculators Using Video-Recorded NHS Health Check Consultations
Get PDFBackground: The aim of the study was to explore practitioner-patient interactions and patient responses when using QRISK®2 or JBS3 cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk calculators. Data were from video-recorded NHS Health Check (NHSHC) consultations captured as part of the UK RIsk COmmunication (RICO) study; a qualitative study of video-recorded NHSHC consultations from 12 general practices in the West Midlands, UK. Participants were those eligible for NHSHC based on national criteria (40-74 years old, no existing diagnoses for cardiovascular-related conditions, not on statins), and practitioners, who delivered the NHSHC.
Method: NHSHCs were video-recorded. 128 consultations were transcribed and analysed using deductive thematic analysis and coded using a template based around Protection Motivation Theory.
Results: Key themes used to frame the analysis were Cognitive Appraisal (Threat Appraisal, and Coping Appraisal), and Coping Modes (Adaptive, and Maladaptive). Analysis showed little evidence of CVD risk communication, particularly in consultations using QRISK®2. Practitioners often missed opportunities to check patient understanding and encourage risk- reducing behaviour, regardless of the risk calculator used resulting in practitioner verbal dominance. JBS3 appeared to better promote opportunities to initiate risk-factor discussion, and Heart Age and visual representation of risk were more easily understood and impactful than 10-year percentage risk. However, a lack of effective CVD risk discussion in both risk calculator groups increased the likelihood of a maladaptive coping response.
Conclusions: The analysis demonstrates the importance of effective, shared practitioner-patient discussion to enable adaptive coping responses to CVD risk information, and highlights a need for effective and evidence-based practitioner training
Antibacterial and Antivirulence Activity of Manuka Honey against Genetically Diverse Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Strains
Get PDFStaphylococcus pseudintermedius causes opportunistic infections in dogs. It also has significant zoonotic potential, with the emergence of multidrug resistance leading to difficulty treating both animal and human infections. Manuka honey has previously been reported to inhibit many bacterial pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and is successfully utilized in both clinical and veterinary practice. Here, we evaluated the ability of manuka honey to inhibit strains of S. pseudintermedius grown alone and in combination with antibiotics, as well as its capacity to modulate virulence within multiple S. pseudintermedius isolates. All 18 of the genetically diverse S. pseudintermedius strains sequenced and tested were inhibited by ≤12% (wt/vol) medical-grade manuka honey, although tolerance to five clinically relevant antibiotics was observed. The susceptibility of the isolates to four of these antibiotics was significantly increased (P ≤ 0.05) when combined with sublethal concentrations of honey, although sensitivity to oxacillin was decreased. Virulence factor (DNase, protease, and hemolysin) activity was also significantly reduced (P ≤ 0.05) in over half of isolates when cultured with sublethal concentrations of honey (13, 9, and 10 isolates, respectively). These findings highlight the potential for manuka honey to be utilized against S. pseudintermedius infections.
IMPORTANCE Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is an important member of the skin microbial community in animals and can cause opportunistic infections in both pets and their owners. The high incidence of antimicrobial resistance in S. pseudintermedius highlights that this opportunistic zoonotic pathogen can cause infections which require prolonged and intensive treatment to resolve. Manuka honey has proven efficacy against many bacterial pathogens and is an accepted topical treatment for infections in both veterinary and clinical practice, and so it is a particularly appropriate antimicrobial for use with zoonotic pathogens such as S. pseudintermedius. Here, we demonstrate that not only is manuka honey highly potent against novel multidrug-resistant S. pseudintermedius isolates, it also acts synergistically with clinically relevant antibiotics. In addition, manuka honey modulates S. pseudintermedius virulence activity, even at subinhibitory concentrations. In a clinical setting, these attributes may assist in controlling infection, allowing a more rapid resolution and reducing antibiotic use