1,721,187 research outputs found
Achieving positive physical activity behaviour change among women: does the couch to five k have a contribution to make?
No full textDespite evidence supporting the wide-ranging benefits of regular physical activity, participation among women could be better. In addition to existing formal interventions, a number of current less formal recreational running initiatives have proved increasingly popular as points of access to and engagement in physical activity across the population. These attract large numbers of participants, particularly among women. The development of a deeper and more detailed understanding of these initiatives presents an opportunity to influence physical activity behaviours and reduce inequalities in health. This thesis was based on two studies focused on one such initiative - the jogscotland couch to five k.
The jogscotland couch to five k demonstrates significant recruitment and participation numbers. However, there is no single clear overview or set of information relating to this initiative. Information is dispersed and disparate and is spread across a range of digital and paper-based sources. The purpose of the first of the two studies carried out in this research was to develop a clear description of the couch to five k, to identify its core elements and to map the behaviour change techniques evident in the programme.
The results from study 1 were generated by assembling and employing the deconstruction analysis model (DAM). DAM provided a method of organising and analysing the data gathered into a coherent and detailed description of the couch to five k. The positive characteristics of the programme were highlighted as its structure; participant and organiser information resources; and underpinning activities. The study also considered the potential of the programme to effect behaviour change, and behaviour change maintenance across different stages of physical activity participation. An impressive range of BCTs was identified, including several known to be effective in changing and maintaining physical activity behaviour were identified.
Study 2 built on and extended the findings of study 1. Firstly, it employed a qualitative approach to explore the initiative in operation as described by women participants in their own words in a series of one-to-one interviews. Secondly, it provided further insights into the BCTs located in the programme.
The experiences of 23 women participants taking part in one of three couch to five k groups in Fife prior to January 2020 were the focus of this work. The direct testimony of participants highlights the influences framing their experience. The findings point towards women maintaining physical activity participation when they are intrinsically motivated by factors such as satisfaction of their basic psychological needs at personal and group level. Participant experiences are influenced by a range of motivating factors (including physical and mental health), social support (from programme leaders and peers), and aspects of the initiative environment (such as the clear programme structure, positive ambience, and personal safety).
Several of the influences identified shift in importance as participants progress through the stages of participation with, for example, achieving physical health most obvious as a motivating factor in the early stages. Social support and aspects of the environment are also more influential at the initiation stage of participation, becoming less important as the participation progresses. Several influences such as the overall supportive environment provided remain important throughout. This is characterised by factors such as a sense of mental well-being, feelings of safety, clarity of the organisation of the programme and a non-judgemental group ambience.
Analysis of the direct accounts of the women involved allowed further mapping of the BCTs evidenced in the programme by study 1. These included a significant range of BCTs identified as effective in achieving behaviour change and behaviour change maintenance including action planning, instruction on how to perform behaviour, social support, and graded tasks. These were evident throughout the women’s experiences of the couch to five k.
Study 2 also illustrated that maintenance of physical activity was influenced significantly by legacy factors from the couch to five k, such as a developed identity as a runner, running safely with good technique and identifying routes and challenges.
A small number of those interviewed had ceased activity. The three participants who did not complete the couch to five k expressed feelings of amotivation towards their skills and abilities and their feelings toward the group. A further two women did not maintain participation in physical activity at post six months the couch to five k relating their late departure to Covid-19 illness and issues.
The couch to five k has considerable potential as an informal physical activity initiative. It attracts significant numbers of women. This research highlights that it is based on effective component parts likely to achieve positive behaviour change and behaviour change maintenance. The programme is supportive and motivates, supports, and encourages those taking part
Exploration of an innovative approach to physical education (better movers and thinkers) on children’s coordination and cognition
Full text linkIn Scotland, Health and Well-Being (HWB) has become a core area in school curricula
following the introduction of Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence in 2004. Physical
Education (PE) is one of the subjects within HWB, which places it within a prominent
position to positively influence children’s decisions to live a healthy and active lifestyle.
Scottish Government guidelines indicate that each child aged 3 – 11 years should receive
2 hours of PE each week and children aged 12 – 18 years should receive 2 periods of PE
each week. The percentage of schools achieving 2 hours/2 periods each week is
encouraging with 99% of primary schools and 93% of secondary schools in 2015. Some
head teachers might have had concerns that increasing the time spent in PE would
detrimentally affect academic attainment and achievement in other curricula areas such
as numeracy and literacy. Evidence does not support these concerns; some studies
showed no detrimental effect whilst other studies identified a beneficial effect as a result
of increased time spent in PE. However, the understanding of how these positive effects
were mediated remains unclear. The literature considers physical activity (PA) as a
potential mediator with more recent studies evaluating the impact of physical activity
(PA) on academic achievement and attainment.
A clearer understanding about which approaches to PE and PA are most effective in
positively influencing children’s learning would be of value aligned with the knowledge
of student’s experiences and perceptions of PE. The aim of this thesis was to evaluate if
a novel approach to PE known as ‘Better Movers and Thinkers (BMT)’ could positively
influence children’s coordination and cognition and to evaluate student’s experiences of
this approach. Three studies were planned to explore this aim.
Study one involved a feasibility study being undertaken with students who were in their
sixth year of education (n = 46) within two primary schools from one local authority to
evaluate the feasibility of running BMT as an intervention within school. The study
involved pre- and post-testing of two quantitative outcome measures; the Movement
Assessment Battery for Children – 2nd Edition and the Lucid Assessment for Schools
System as well as collecting qualitative data from the students and class teachers using
focus groups and semi-structured interviews to obtain an understanding of their
experiences following a 16-week intervention phase.
Academic skills were assessed using the Lucid Assessment System for Schools 8 – 11
and physical testing was undertaken using balance and coordination subtests from the
Movement Assessment Battery for Children (2nd Edition). Quantitative results revealed
significant increased score changes between pre- and post-test conditions in the areas of
phonological skills (p = .042), segmentation skills (p = .014) and working memory (p =
.040) in favour of the intervention condition. Analysis of qualitative data from a sample
of students from the intervention condition (n = 8) and their class teacher indicated good
acceptability of BMT as an alternative approach to PE. The results and reflections from
study one informed the design of study two.
In response to study one, more specific measures of cognition were used as the nature of
the academic skills testing was limited in this area. Similarly, the physical testing did not
specifically measure coordination and new physical subtests were added to the outcome
variable. Further PA habits were included as an additional outcome measure to control
for the effects of student activity levels. Finally, the addition of a follow-up testing phase
helped to evaluate if changes did occur between pre- and post-testing similar to study one,
would these changes be maintained over time.
The aim of study two was to identify what impact BMT had on children’s coordination
and cognition. The study involved 6 schools from within the same local authority, 3
acting as the control condition schools (C-schools) and 3 as the intervention condition
schools (I-Schools). The schools were selected at random by the Quality Improvement
Officer (QIO) within the local authority. There were a number of potential schools and
the QIO chose schools based on two criteria: their proximity with one another ensuring
that catchment areas would be similar in regard to local history, geography and socioeconomic
variables and schools where it would be feasible to run the research. Once the
schools were identified, their names were placed within opaque-sealed envelopes and a
person external to the study chose 3 schools and allocated them to the intervention
condition leaving the other 3 as the control condition. Students (n = 150) were all in their
sixth year of primary education attending mainstream public school. Study two involved
four phases; pre-test, a 16-week intervention phase, post-testing, and, 6-month follow-up
testing. Physical activity habits were assessed using the ‘Physical Activity Habits
Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C),’ coordination was assessed using four patterns of
locomotion (crawling on the stomach, creeping on hands and knees, marching and
skipping) and cognition was assessed using the ‘Cognitive Assessment System (CAS).’
Overall findings from study two suggested significant intervention effects in coordination
(p = .001) and cognition (p = .001) with no significant effects for physical activity habits
(p = .200). Semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted in each of the 6
schools. Grounded theory was used to identify emergent themes and categories to
evaluate student perceptions of their PE experiences following completion of the
intervention phase. Analysis identified that BMT provided different experiences
compared with traditional approaches to PE suggesting that key aspects of BMT should
be incorporated into the delivery of PE lessons to build on current good practice. These
aspects include the direct focus on developing the children’s ability to move and think
simultaneously and, directly targeting the development of Executive Function (EF) skills.
The findings from this thesis have implications for Continued Lifelong Professional
Learning (CLPL) for primary school teachers and for specialist PE teachers. The findings
may also influence course programmes within Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and
specialist PE training and for future PE programme design
Evaluating the impacts of new walking and cycling infrastructure on carbon dioxide emissions from motorized travel: A controlled longitudinal study
No full textWalking and cycling is widely assumed to substitute for at least some motorized travel and thereby reduce energy use and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. While the evidence suggests that a supportive built environment may be needed to promote walking and cycling, it is unclear whether and how interventions in the built environment that attract walkers and cyclists may reduce transport CO2 emissions. Our aim was therefore to evaluate the effects of providing new infrastructure for walking and cycling on CO2 emissions from motorized travel.A cohort of 1849 adults completed questionnaires at baseline (2010) and one-year follow-up (2011), before and after the construction of new high-quality routes provided as part of the Sustrans Connect2 programme in three UK municipalities. A second cohort of 1510 adults completed questionnaires at baseline and two-year follow-up (2012). The participants reported their past-week travel behaviour and car characteristics from which CO2 emissions by mode and purpose were derived using methods described previously. A set of exposure measures of proximity to and use of the new routes were derived.Overall transport CO2 emissions decreased slightly over the study period, consistent with a secular trend in the case study regions. As found previously the new infrastructure was well used at one- and two-year follow-up, and was associated with population-level increases in walking, cycling and physical activity at two-year follow-up. However, these effects did not translate into sizeable CO2 effects as neither living near the infrastructure nor using it predicted changes in CO2 emissions from motorized travel, either overall or disaggregated by journey purpose. This lack of a discernible effect on travel CO2 emissions are consistent with an interpretation that some of those living nearer the infrastructure may simply have changed where they walked or cycled, while others may have walked or cycled more but few, if any, may have substituted active for motorized modes of travel as a result of the interventions.While the findings to date cannot exclude the possibility of small effects of the new routes on CO2 emissions, a more comprehensive approach of a higher 'dosage' of active travel promotion linked with policies targeted at mode shift away from private motorized transport (such as urban car restraint and parking pricing, car sharing/pooling for travel to work, integrating bike sharing into public transport system) may be needed to achieve the substantial CO2 savings needed to meet climate change mitigation and energy security goals.</p
Evaluation of physical activity at Forest School
Full text linkWhile the health benefits of physical activity are commonly recognised, increasing
evidence indicates that significant percentages of children, particularly girls, are not
sufficiently physically active. Children spend a large proportion of their waking
day at school; however their opportunities to be physically active during the school
day, beyond the traditional PE lesson and break times, are limited. Increasing
children’s levels of physical activity during their time at school may be a key
approach to increasing children’s overall levels of physical activity. The aim of this
study was to evaluate the outdoor education programme ‘Forest School’ as a source
of school based physical activity. A review of existing research showed that there
had been no rigorous evaluation of physical activity during Forest School sessions.
A two phase mixed method design was used. The first phase used a repeated
measures controlled design to objectively measure the amount, intensity, duration
and frequency of the participants’ (n26 age 9-10) physical activity during Forest
School. The second phase used semi-structured paired interviews (n24 age 10-11) to
understand the subjective experience of the Forest School physical activity. The
study was conducted in the central belt of Scotland.
The results showed that during Forest School sessions the participants engaged in a
significantly greater total amount of physical activity, at a higher intensity, and
with a greater frequency of longer bouts, in comparison to the typical school days.
The children were also shown to reach the recommended hour of MVPA during the
Forest School sessions. The children reported enjoying and appreciating the
opportunity to be physically active in an environment they had little previous
experience of using. Existing barriers to physical activity in other contexts, in
particular bad weather and low motivation, did not appear to be relevant at Forest
School. The inequality in levels of physical activity and motivation to be physically
active, between males and females, was shown to typically be lower on the Forest
School days.
The findings suggest participation in Forest School resulted in greater quantities of
inclusive and enjoyable physical activity at higher intensities than otherwise
experienced at school
Development of the Digital Assessment of Precise Physical Activity (DAPPA) tool for older adults
Full text linkPhysical activity (PA) is central to maintaining health and wellbeing as we age. Valid, reliable measurement tools are vital for understanding, and evaluating PA. There are presently limited options for comprehensively, accurately and affordably measuring older adults’ PA at scale. We aimed to develop a digital PA measurement tool specifically for adults aged 65+ using a person-based approach. We collated evidence from target users, field experts and relevant literature to learn how older adults comprehend PA and would accept a digital tool. Findings suggest older adults’ PA is often integrated into their daily life activities and that commonly applied terminology (e.g. moderate and vigorous) can be difficult to interpret. We also found there is increasing familiarity with digital platforms amongst older adults, and that technological simplicity is valued. These findings informed the development of a digital tool that asks users to report their activities across key PA domains and dimensions from the previous 7-days. Users felt the tool easy to navigate and comprehensive in terms of activity reporting. However, real world usability testing revealed that users struggled with seven-day recall. Further work will address issues identified, including creating a single-day reporting option, before commencing work to validate this new tool
Assessing golf and health, and investigating how the evidence base can impact policy and practice
Full text linkGolf is a sport played by over 60 million people in over two-thirds of countries worldwide. This thesis contributes knowledge regarding what is known about golf and health, and what can be advised to maximise health benefits, and minimise the health dis-benefits of golf, and assesses the impact of this knowledge for the golf industry and policy makers. The first chapter describes the scientifically well-established longevity, physical and mental health benefits of regular physical activity, and provides background information on golf. Following this introductory chapter, this thesis first identifies, and then addresses some critical gaps in the literature on the associations between golf and health.
The second chapter of the thesis presents a scoping review assessing the relationships between golf and health. Three hundred and one studies met inclusion criteria for the scoping review. The studies showed that golf can provide moderate intensity physical activity and is associated with health benefits that include improved cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic profiles, and improved wellness. There is limited evidence relating to mental health, while regarding longevity there was some evidence for benefits of golf, but more robust studies are required. No measures of physical activity obtained by golf spectators had been reported.
The third chapter of the thesis addresses one of the evidence gaps identified by the scoping review, this is the area with least existing evidence, and relates to physical activity (PA) obtained by spectators. An initial cross-sectional study of n=339 spectators at a 4-day 2016 UK golf tournament used pedometers and surveys to investigate PA behaviours and attitudes. Findings highlighted that obtaining exercise/PA can be a motivator to attend, and that spectators can engage in health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) while at the event with 82.9% obtaining the recommended daily step count while spectating. A follow up study of n=135 spectators who responded to an online questionnaire three months post intervention showed that a 40.4% of spectators do self-report an increase in PA during the 3 months post intervention at a golf tournament. These are important findings as golf spectating has high global participation and potential for impact is therefore high. However, it is not yet clear if the results from these two novel studies are generalisable.
Having conducted the scoping review, I identified the absence of coherent scientific advice to/for players, the golf industry, and policy makers. I aimed to address this in the fourth chapter of the thesis and describe the modified Delphi methods used to engage leaders at the intersection of health, sport, policy and golf to build a cross-sectoral consensus statement relating to golf and health. Consensus findings, and their implications for players, the golf industry and facilities and policy makers are described.
Measuring the uptake, use and impact of research is imperative to demonstrate value to funders and employers, and to highlight and support further knowledge translation and decision-making efforts. The fifth chapter provides a novel Research Impact tool and utilises the established Research Contribution Framework to explore and explain the uptake, use and impact of the studies in this thesis. There is clear evidence that the work contained in this thesis has had wide uptake and use.
Chapter 6 provides discussion of the thesis overall, analysing key findings, reflecting on strengths and weaknesses of the work, and making recommendations for policy, practice and future research. This thesis has assessed current knowledge regarding golf and health, conducted original research to address knowledge gaps, provided guidance to key stakeholders, and evaluated the uptake, use and impact of our work. The best available evidence highlights physical health, well-being and probable longevity benefits for golf participants. Health enhancing physical activity can also be achieved by spectators at professional golf tournaments. There is evidence of strong uptake and use of the research in this thesis. If practical recommendations contained in this thesis to i) golfers and potential golfers ii) the golf industry and facilities iii) policy makers iv) the scientific community, are adopted, this will contribute to increased inclusivity, and improved health through golf
A trial of exercise therapy for women having treatment for breast cancer
No full textThis trial looked at the benefit of exercise therapy for women having treatment for early stage breast cancer. Doctors and breast care nurses hoped that exercise would help improve quality of life and reduce feelings of fatigue, anxiety and depression for women having treatment for early stage breast cancer. A small pilot study had showed promising results, but a larger trial was needed to get more reliable results. This trial recruited women who were having either chemotherapy or radiotherapy after surgery for early stage breast cancer. The research team looked at how the treatment affected people physically, mentally and emotionally. The aim of the trial was to find out if it is helpful for women to follow an exercise programme while they are having treatment for breast cancer
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
An applied ecological framework for evaluating infrastructure to promote walking and cycling: the iConnect study
No full textImproving infrastructure for walking and cycling is increasingly recommended as a means to promote physical activity, prevent obesity, and reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions. However, limited evidence from intervention studies exists to support this approach. Drawing on classic epidemiological methods, psychological and ecological models of behavior change, and the principles of realistic evaluation, we have developed an applied ecological framework by which current theories about the behavioral effects of environmental change may be tested in heterogeneous and complex intervention settings. Our framework guides study design and analysis by specifying the most important data to be collected and relations to be tested to confirm or refute specific hypotheses and thereby refine the underlying theorie
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