Organized Sports Activities Research Articles

Who Plays and Who Doesn't? An Intersectional Examination of Disparities in Adolescent Sport and Physical Activity Lesson Participation

PurposeFew reports include more than 1–2 social identities when examining organized sport and physical activity (PA) participation among adolescents. We used a quantitative intersectional approach to examine disparities in adolescent sport and PA lesson participation. MethodsNinth and 11th grade 2022 Minnesota Student Survey participants (N = 62,940) self-reported social identities and team sport and PA lessons. Social identities included sex assigned at birth, gender modality, sexual identity, racial and ethnic identity, access to resources (i.e., economic status), weight status, and mental health/behavioral/emotional problems. We used Exhaustive Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detection to identify prevalence of participation among adolescents with different intersecting social identities. ResultsHalf of the sample played sports and one-quarter participated in PA lessons. Participation varied substantially at the intersections of social identities. Whereas participants in the highest prevalence sports participation groups were predominantly White, heterosexual, and had high resource access, participants in the lowest prevalence groups held multiple marginalized social identities: only 12.8% of adolescents with least access to resources who were questioning their gender identity and sexual identity, or who reported a sexual identity not listed, participated in sports. Regarding PA lessons, youth in the highest prevalence groups were predominantly heterosexual, had highest access to resources, and were youth of color; by comparison, most of the lowest prevalence groups comprised youth who had medium/low resource access and/or high body mass index, and often a diverse sexual, gender, or racial/ethnic identity. DiscussionMultiply marginalized adolescents are under-represented in sports and PA lessons. Organizations should address interlocking barriers to participation.

Promoting public playgrounds usage and children's physical activity with sports activities: A quasi-experimental study

This study aimed to evaluate the children's usage and their physical activity levels at playgrounds with (N = 4) and without (N = 4) organized sports activities, following a quasi-experimental study design. Direct observations were used to assess the playground usage and estimate the playground users' age category, sex, and physical activity intensity level. The results indicated that playgrounds with sports activities were associated with 53% more users at the time of the activities. However, this increase was only seen in boys. Furthermore, playgrounds with sport activities were not associated with different physical activity levels in children as compared to children on regular playgrounds.

MORAL AND EDUCATIONAL INFLUENCE OF CONVERGENCE OF CHRISTIANITY AND SPORTS ON PERSONALITY FORMATION

Target setting. The problem of the research is the lack of scientific works on the relationship between the socio-cultural phenomena of sports and Christianity. The topic of finding an educational ideal in a multicultural environment and in the conditions of the growth of individual opportunities for person self-identification needs to turn to the history and current features of sports and Christianity, which turn out to be important factors in the production of moral and educational potential for personality formation. Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. In the conceptual plan, the works of leading Ukrainian philosophers are important for solving the research tasks: V. Andrushchenko, V. Bondarenko, V. Yelenskyi, M. Ibragimov, A. Kyslyi, V. Kremen, O. Sagan, P. Saukha, L. Filipovych, Y. Chornomorets; teachers: M. Bulatova, S. Bubka, O. Vatseby, M. Vizytei, Zh. Kozina, I. Oleksyn, V. Platonova, E. Prystupy; foreign authors: Andrew Parker, David Asa Schwartz, Duke Taber, Earle F. Zeigler, Joseph Price, Kathleen M Armour, Kevin Lixey, Michael Novak, Nick J. Watson, Robert Higgs, Shirl Hoffman, Stuart Weir and others. The research objective. The purpose of the study is to analyze the factors of convergence the socio-cultural phenomena of sports and Christianity in the history of the development both thehuman culture and the modern understanding the possibility of the moral and educational influence of their relationship on the formation of personality. The statement of basic materials. It is considered the formation of organized sports activities, which arose on the basis of Olympic ideals in ancient Greece. Sports competitions had a deeply religious and cult character and contributed to the education of the individual. With the advent of Christianity, the relationship between sports and the Christian church acquired anthropological dimensions. Sports and Christianity appear as a natural result of the centuries-old history of mankind, as a multifunctional cultural phenomenon, where the physical and spiritual qualities of a person are most clearly manifested and the valuable assets of civilization are expressed, which in unity represent a powerful moral and educational resource in the formation of personality.

Effect of public square dancing combined with serotonin reuptake inhibitors on persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) in middle-aged and older women.

Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) is a functional vestibular disorder that causes chronic dizziness and limits daily activities. Although pharmacology, vestibular rehabilitation, and cognitive behavioral therapy have been proposed to have some efficacy, they have certain limitations. Some patients with PPPD report that public square dancing can effectively relieve the symptoms of dizziness and instability, and their mood improves. To evaluate the effects of combining public square dancing with serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs/SNRIs) on the subjective sensations of dizziness, balance enhancement, anxiety, and depressive symptom regulation in middle-aged and older women with PPPD. In this trial, 124 patients diagnosed with PPPD were enrolled. Among them, 64 patients were randomly assigned to the experimental group (EG), where they received square dance training combined with serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The remaining 60 cases were randomly assigned to the control group (CG), where they received only serotonin reuptake inhibitors and did not participate in organized sports activities, allowing them freedom in their daily lives. Data from the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Active-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC), and Vestibular Disorder Activities of Daily Living Scale (VADL) were collected and compared at the beginning, 3 months, and 6 months of the trial to evaluate the effect of public square dancing on middle-aged and older women with PPPD. There were no significant differences between the EG and CG before the trial. Compared with baseline measures, DHI, HADS, ABC, and VADL scores improved as the experiment progressed, and the improvements were more pronounced in the EG. Public square dancing combined with serotonin reuptake inhibitors has a positive impact on the subjective sensations of dizziness, balance enhancement, anxiety, and depressive symptom regulation in middle-aged and older women with PPPD.

Adherence to the WHO recommendation of three weekly days of vigorous intensity activities in children: an accelerometry study of vigorous physical activity bouts.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children and adolescents incorporate vigorous intensity activities (VIAs) at least three days a week. This recommendation has not been sufficiently studied using objective methods, such as accelerometry. Physical education classes and extracurricular sports activities are optimal opportunities for compliance with this recommendation. To identify VIAs through bouts of vigorous physical activity (VPA-Bouts) evaluated with accelerometry and, with this, to know the compliance with the recommendation on VIAs. A cross-sectional study of the habitual physical activity of 353 children (8-9 years old) was carried out using accelerometry and participation in organized extracurricular sports activities was asked through a questionnaire. School days with and without physical education class, weekends, and the average weekly day were identified, as well as school time and out-of-school time. A VPA-Bout was defined as an interval of at least 60 minutes with a proportion of VPA of at least 16.7% in boys and 12.5% in girls (10.0 and 7.5 minutes/hour of VPA, respectively). The average daily time in organized extracurricular sports activities declared by questionnaire and the average daily duration of the VPA-Bouts evaluated with accelerometers in the extracurricular period was 21.3 (SD 19.8) and 23.9 (SD 31.2) minutes, respectively, in boys, whereas, in girls it was 20.2 (SD 17.4) and 11.0 (SD 16.9) minutes, respectively. In school time including a physical education class, there was a higher proportion of VPA-Bouts than without these classes (with: 28.6%, without: 2.1%, p < 0.001). Children who reported at least three weekly hours of organized extracurricular sports activities accumulated a higher proportion of school afternoons with VPA-Bouts than those with fewer weekly hours of this type of activities (≥3 hours/week: 27.5%, <3 hours/week: 9.3%, p < 0.001). On the weekend, boys who reported at least three weekly hours of organized extracurricular sports activities performed more VPA-Bouts than those participating in less weekly hours, while in girls no significant differences were observed (weekend; boys, ≥3 hours/week: 26.0%, <3 hours/week: 9.0%, p < 0.001; girls: 8.3%, 8.0%, p = 0.917). Compliance with the recommendation to incorporate VIAs at least three days a week was 23.8%. Children who reported at least three weekly hours of extracurricular sports activities achieved higher compliance than those who reported fewer extracurricular activities (≥3 hours/week: 35.1%, <3 hours/week: 12.7%, p < 0.001). Additionally, boys showed higher compliance rates than girls (boys: 32.9%, girls: 15.3%, p < 0.001). One in every four children met the WHO recommendation to incorporate VIAs at least three days a week, as evaluated by accelerometry. Physical education classes and extracurricular organized sports activities contributed to compliance with this recommendation.

Interpersonal violence against children in sport in the Italian context: prevalence research

The current article presents the results of the first comprehensive prevalence study focusing on interpersonal violence against children in the context of sports in Italy. Utilizing a dedicated online questionnaire, our survey encompassed a cohort of over 1.400 adults who had engaged in organized sports activities before reaching the age of 18. The inquiry sought to elicit information regarding their experiences with childhood psychological, physical, and sexual violence within the sporting milieu. The survey outcomes revealed noteworthy statistics, with 30% of all respondents reporting incidents of psychological violence, 18% disclosing experiences of physical violence, 14% reported neglect and 14% indicating encounters with sexual violence during their participation in sports. Some of this data and their discussion has already been included in the Change the Game project's final research report. These findings can be used as a fundamental foundation for monitoring and assessing current and future protective measures in the context of sports in Italy.

Prisoners' Educational Experiences in Five Different Prison Sports Programmes: A Research Note.

Organized sports programmes offer manifold opportunities for learning and personal development. Prisoners in organized sports programmes could profit from these educational opportunities, which could eventually support their process of reintegration into society. However, research on the educational experiences of imprisoned individuals during organized sports activities is scarce. Using quantitative survey data (N = 568 adult male prisoners) collected within the scope of the Hessian Prison Sports Study in Hesse, Germany, the present study examines educational experiences that are instigated through participation in five different prison sports programmes (fitness, racket, and team sports, running groups, and strength training). The results show that participants reported few educational experiences. The most common experiences reported were learning to exert effort and acquiring health-related knowledge. The findings reveal distinct patterns for specific sports programmes. For instance, team sports more frequently address cooperation skills and fairness. This paper advocates for more attention to the educational potential of sports in prison settings, where sports outcomes should be better aligned with the desired educational outcomes.

Physical activity in relation to motor performance, exercise capacity, sports participation, parental perceptions, and overprotection in school aged children with a critical congenital heart defect

ObjectiveTo depict objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), motor performance (MP), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), organized sports participation, parental perceptions of vulnerability and parenting style in children with a Critical Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD), and to explore whether these factors are associated with MVPA. Study designA prospective observational cohort study in 62 7–10 years old children with a CCHD. ResultsOn average, children with CCHD spent 64 min on MVPA per day (accelerometry), 61 % met the international WHO physical activity guideline. Only 12 % had >60 min of MVPA daily. Eighteen percent had a motor delay (movement-assessment-battery-for children-II) and 38 % showed a below average CRF (cardiopulmonary exercise test using the Godfrey ramp protocol). Seventy-seven percent participated in organized sports activities at least once a week. Twenty-one percent of the parents are classified as overprotective (parent protection scale) and 7.3 % consider their child as being vulnerable (child vulnerability scale). A significant positive association was found between MVPA and MP (rs = 0.359), CRF(V̇O2peak/ml/kg: rs = 0.472 and Wpeak/kg: rs = 0.396) and sports participation (rs = 0.286). Children who were perceived as vulnerable by their parents showed a significantly lower MVPA (rs = −0.302). No significant associations were found between mean MVPA and parental overprotection. ConclusionEven though the majority of school aged children with a CCHD is sufficiently active, counseling parents regarding the importance of sufficient MVPA and sports participation, especially in parents who consider their child being vulnerable, could be useful. Since motor delays can be detected at an early age, motor development could be an important target to improve exercise capacity and sports participation to prevent inactivity in children with a CCHD.

The characteristics of organized sport and physical activity initiatives for older adults in Sweden.

There is a common understanding that sport and physical activity can be important to address healthy aging. There are individual-level recommendations about how much physical activity people of different ages should engage in to gain health benefits, but at the same time there are no recommendations for how organizations should organize physical activities to suit as many people as possible for as long as possible. The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics of sport and physical activity initiatives that older adults participate in. Different ongoing sport and physical activity initiatives that involve older adults were investigated regarding their focus, organization, intensity and organizer, and in relation to their costs, booking opportunities and recruitment. The study was conducted with a cross-sectional design using the Salutogenic Physical Activity Health Resources Questionnaire (SPAHRQ). The study included 27 different initiatives with 372 participants (60% women) ranging from 60 to 96 years of age. A health-promoting, salutogenic settings-based approach, and specifically the concepts drop-in, drop-through and drop-over were used in discussing recommendations for the organization of sport and physical activity for older adults. The main findings were that who organizes the sport and physical activity initiative seems to affect the characteristics of how it is organized and what characterizes the participants in it. Despite the differing characters of sport and physical activity initiatives, the majority of older adults are recruited by internal contacts like friends and family. Which older adults participate in which initiatives is explained mostly by the age and gender of the participants. In conclusion, to attract as many older adults as possible, organizations should work with lowering the thresholds, as well as within and between, organizations, and raise the threshold for dropping out of sports and physical activity.

Organized Sports Activities Are Safe for Children With Sickle Cell Disease: A Pilot Intervention Study.

Historically, children with sickle cell disease (SCD) are advised to refrain from sports activities, based on the assumption that physical exercise can trigger vaso-occlusive episodes. This pilot intervention study examined the safety (ie, no vaso-occlusive episodes) of a 10-week organized sports program for children with SCD. Eight children with SCD (5 boys/3 girls), aged 7 to 12 years old, received 10 training sessions (each 90min) once a week. Training sessions were performed by a professional soccer club under the supervision of a medical team from the Wilhelmina Children's Hospital. During the study period, one child experienced a vaso-occlusive crisis, which could not be directly related to the organized sports program. None of the other children experienced vaso-occlusive episodes. The results of this study indicate that children with SCD can participate safely in moderate-intensity organized sports activities when personalized medical background and practical training information is shared with the trainer beforehand. All children continued their sports participation after the study period.

Expectation-based types of voluntary sports clubs in regional sports federations.

Sports federations as non-profit organizations play a crucial role for organized sports activities of the population. However, one key responsibility of sports federations is providing needs-based support services to affiliated member sports clubs. Due to limited resources and simultaneously increasing heterogeneous expectations from their member sports clubs, designing an appropriate service portfolio poses increasing difficulties for sports federations. This study addresses these challenges by analyzing member clubs' expectations and identifying distinct expectation types to enable more individually designed services. To analyze the expectations of member clubs (n = 354), the explorative case study was carried out in a regional sports federation in Germany. The findings reveal that member clubs' expectations can be represented using six reliable factors. The subsequent cluster analysis indicates four different expectation-based club types with heterogenous profiles. Based on the z-standardized factor values, the identified club types were labelled as follows: (1) "People Promoters" (32%), (2) "Undemanding" (22%), (3) "Competition-oriented Self-administrators" (23%) and (4) "Demanding Communicators" (23%). The extracted clusters were also reflected and validated by other structural and organizational characteristics of the sports clubs. The extracted types provide a first empirical step to identify different expectation schemes regarding services of sports federations. These schemes enable managers of sports federations to professionalize their service portfolios and, at the same time, to design services contributing to the development of sports clubs in a more targeted manner.

Cognitive Functions of Youth Water Polo Players

Some previous studies suggested that children’s engagement in sports has been associated with the improvement of cognitive functions, especially working memory, visual-spatial memory, motor coordination and cognitive flexibility. The aim of this study was to compare cognitive functions between female and male youth water polo players and the control subjects – school children of the same chronological age who did not participate in organized sports activity. There were 23 female (14.65±1.11 years old) and 23 male (14.52±0.51 years old) water polo players (WP), members of Croatian National team enrolled in this study for cognitive testing (Stroop test). The control group consisted of 8 female (14.75±0.89 years old) and 18 male (14.28±0.89 years old) school students who did not participate in organized sports activity. There were no significant differences in psychomotor speed (Stroop Off), while youth water polo players showed better response inhibition (Stroop On) (WP 65.33±9.09 s vs. control subjects 72.78±11.97 s, P=0.030) and psychomotor ability (OnTime minus OffTime) (WP 7.22±5.18 s vs. control subjects 14.13±9.22 s) (P&lt;0.001) than control subjects. The findings of this study suggest that children who participate in high-level water polo develop better cognitive flexibility than school students who do not participate in organized sports activity.

The interplay between parental behaviors and adolescents' sports-related values in understanding adolescents' dropout of organized sports activities

Using short-term longitudinal data, the primary goal of the present study was to examine the interplay between adolescents’ sports-related intrapersonal (e.g., sports values) and interpersonal factors (e.g., perceived parental involvement) in relation to sports dropout. A secondary goal was to explore the direction of effects in the association between intra- and interpersonal factors. A total of 420 adolescents (39% girls, Mage = 14.06; SDage = 0.33) responded to a set of survey questions over two consecutive years. Results from structural equation modeling suggested that parental involvement predicted adolescents’ dropout one year later, via sports values. Further, the results suggested that the direction of influence is mainly from parents to adolescents. Overall, the findings indicate that adolescents whose parents attend their practices and games perceive sports activities as fun, important and useful; as a result, adolescents are less likely to dropout. The findings offer an improved understanding of how parents’ behaviors may influence adolescents’ dropout of organized sports.

Cross-Sectional Analysis of Family Factors Associated with Lifestyle Habits in a Sample of Italian Primary School Children: The I-MOVE Project

The acquisition of healthy dietary and exercise habits during childhood is essential for maintaining these behaviors during adulthood. In early childhood, parents have a profound influence on a child's lifestyle pursuits, serving as both role models and decision-makers. The present study examines family factors as potential contributors to healthy lifestyle habits and their child's overall diet quality among a sample of primary school children. A secondary aim is to evaluate several aspects of diet quality using the Mediterranean adaptation of the Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I). This cross-sectional study involved 106 children enrolled in a primary school located in Imola, Italy. Data were collected from October to December 2019 using an interactive tool used to assess parent characteristics, children's lifestyle, food frequency (ZOOM-8 questionnaire), and actigraph accelerometers to capture children's physical activity and sedentary behavior. Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (expressed by KIDMED Index) was positively associated with fathers' educational level, parental sport participation, and the parent's overall nutritional knowledge. Higher mothers' educational level was inversely associated with children's leisure screen time. Parents' nutritional knowledge was positively related to children's average daily minutes of organized sport activities. The better score for DQI-I was for consumption adequacy, followed by variety and moderation. The lowest score was for overall balance. The present study reinforces the importance of family factors in young children's lifestyle choices, particularly their dietary, leisure time, and exercise habits.

Perceived advantages and disadvantages of organized sport and exercise activities in a Greek refugee camp: A qualitative approach

Human made conflicts and natural disasters led to a doubling of forced displacement in the past 10 years (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 2022). Forcibly displaced people are generally challenged with severe mental and physical strains before, during and after their flight. Whereas forcibly displaced people show high levels of resilience (Dangmann et al., 2021), their risk of mental health struggles is markedly increased (Mesa-Vieira et al., 2022). The objective of this study was to explore the perception of regular participation in a co-designed and tailored sport and exercise intervention among adults living in a Greek refugee camp. The methodological approach relied on ethnography including informal discussions and participative observations. Data was collected and documented daily in a research diary over a period of eight months. Additionally, debrief meetings with the coaches (4 women and 4 men) were held regularly. These insights built the basis for a critical understanding and interpretation of 13 focus group discussions (n = 49, 19 women) and 38 self-recorded testimonies (17 women). Focus group discussions were conducted after a 10-week physical activity intervention period. The same participants were asked, after a 10-week follow-up, to provide a self-recorded testimony. Overall, 58 (55.8%) of the participants took part in the physical activities on a regular basis. Regular participation benefitted domains of psychological well-being, social cohesion, personal competencies, change in behavior and physiological health. However, some of the same domains were likewise negatively affected for certain participants, namely social cohesion and physiological health. The results indicate that organized sport and exercise activities have the potential to positively impact the living conditions of adults living in a Greek refugee camp. However, participation is not imperatively beneficial and only a specific target population can be addressed.&#x0D; References&#x0D; Dangmann, C., Solberg, Ø., Myhrene Steffenak, A. K., Høye, S., &amp; Andersen, P. N. (2021). Syrian refugee youth resettled in Norway: Mechanisms of resilience influencing health-related quality of life and mental distress. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, Article 711451. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.711451&#x0D; Mesa-Vieira, C., Haas, A. D., Buitrago-Garcia, D., Roa-Diaz, Z. M., Minder, B., Gamba, M., Salvador, D., Gomez, D., Lewis, M., Gonzalez-Jaramillo, W. C., Pahud de Mortanges, A., Buttia, C., Muka, T., Trujillo, N., &amp; Franco, O. H. (2022). Mental health of migrants with pre-migration exposure to armed conflict: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Public Health, 7(5), e469-e481. https://doi:10.1016/S2468-2667(22)00061-5&#x0D; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (2022). Global Trends. Forced Displacement in 2021. Retrieved from https://www.unhcr.org/publications/brochures/62a9d1494/global-trends-report-2021.html

Odnos između motoričkih kompetencija, sastava tijela, jakosti stiska šake i bavljenja sportom među islandskim adolescentima

Motor competence can affect participation in sports and physical activity among adolescents. The aim of the current study was to investigate the relationship between motor competence, body composition, handgrip strength (HGS) and sports par¬ticipation in 13-16 years old adolescents, as well as to examine gender differences. Data for 177 boys and 153 girls were collected and analysed. Body composition was assessed by measuring height, weight, waist circumference, body fat percentage (FAT%), and calculating body mass index (BMI). Motor competence was determined by using the Movement Assessment Battery test (MABC-2) which consists of eight tasks that measure aiming and catching, balance, and manual dexterity. Handgrip strength was assessed by using hand dynamometer and the question about sports participation was retained from a detailed questionnaire for the current study. The results of the study show that girls have better motor competence in the 13-, 14- and 15-year-old age groups (13 years girls: 10.3, boys: 8.7; 14 years girls: 10.3, boys: 9.2; 15 years girls: 10.1, boys: 8.6, respectively), but there was no significant difference between the genders in the 16-year-old age group (girls: 9.6, boys: 9.0, respectively). HGS had a positive correlation with FAT% (r=0.5, p&amp;lt;0.05) and waist circumference in 13- year-old girls (r=0.5, p&amp;lt;0.05), BMI in boys age of 16 (r=0.3, p&amp;lt;0.05), and FAT% (r=0.4, p&amp;lt;0.05) and MABC-2 in girls 16-years old (r=0.6, p&amp;lt;0.05). Participation in organized sports activities was the most important factor when predicting motor competence in 13- to 16-year-old adolescents (t=3.7, p&amp;lt;0.05). Future studies should consider the development of gender differences from a long-term perspective, and in that sense, longitudinal studies could give better explanations.

Predicting VO2max in Children and Adolescents Aged between 6 and 17 Using Physiological Characteristics and Participation in Sport Activities: A Cross-Sectional Study Comparing Different Regression Models Stratified by Gender.

The aim of this study is to use different regression models to capture the association between cardiorespiratory fitness VO2max (measured in mL/kg/min) and somatometric characteristics and sports activities and making better predictions. multiple linear regression (MLR), quantile regression (QR), ridge regression (RR), support vector regression (SVR) with three different kernels, artificial neural networks (ANNs), and boosted regression trees (RTs) were compared to explain and predict VO2max and to choose the best performance model. The sample consisted of 4908 children (2314 males and 2594 females) aged between 6 and 17. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by the 20 m maximal multistage shuttle run test and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) was calculated. Welch t-tests, Mann-Whitney-U tests, X2 tests, and ANOVA tests were performed. The performance measures were root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and coefficient of determination (R2). All analyses were stratified by gender. A comparison of the statistical indices for both the predicted and actual data indicated that in boys, the MLR model outperformed all other models in all indices, followed by the linear SVR model. In girls, the MLR model performed better than the other models in R2 but was outperformed by SVR-RBF in terms of RMSE and MAE. The overweight and obesity categories in both sexes (p &lt; 0.001) and maternal prepregnancy obesity in girls had a significant negative effect on VO2max. Age, weekly football training, track and field, basketball, and swimming had different positive effects based on gender. The MLR model showed remarkable performance against all other models and was competitive with the SVR models. In addition, this study's data showed that changes in cardiorespiratory fitness were dependent, to a different extent based on gender, on BMI category, weight, height, age, and participation in some organized sports activities. Predictors that are not considered modifiable, such as gender, can be used to guide targeted interventions and policies.

Association Between Physical Activity Indicators and Human Development Index at a National Level: Information From Global Matrix 4.0 Physical Activity Report Cards for Children and Adolescents.

The aim of this study was to explore the associations between the 10 key indicators of the Global Matrix 4.0 project and human development index (HDI) at a national level according to sex, age, area of residence, and ability levels. Information from the 57 countries/localities included in the Global Matrix 4.0 project was compiled and presented according to the HDI of each country/locality for each of the 10 key indicators. Grades were assigned based on the benchmarks of the Global Matrix 4.0 project ranged between "A+" (best performance) and "F" (worst performance). The population subgroups of females, children, rural residents, with/without disabilities from countries/localities with higher HDI performed better in the organized sport and physical activity indicator than their peers from countries/localities with lower HDI. Children and adolescents living in rural areas of countries/localities with higher HDI showed better performance for active play, and children and adolescents living in urban areas of countries/localities with lower HDI showed better performance for the active transportation. Countries/localities with higher HDI showed better grades for sources of influence than the countries/localities with lower HDI. Physical activity patterns in some population subgroups of children and adolescents differed according to the development level of countries/localities.

Association between Club Sports Participation and Physical Fitness of 6–10-Year-Old Macedonian Children

Background. Physical inactivity is associated with poor physical fitness and weight gain. Organized sports activities can be a significant component in providing adequate fitness which, on its part, is an important aspect of general health and well-being. The purpose of the study was to establish the relationship between participation in organized sports activity and obesity as well as physical fitness of 6–10-year-old children from the region of the city of Skopje in the Republic of North Macedonia.&#x0D; Materials and methods. The height, weight, body mass composition, and various components of physical fitness were measured in 940 children (aged 8.98 ± 3.39). The sports participation and confounding variables, such as parents’ education and body weight as well as parents’ sports activities, were estimated through a questionnaire completed by parents. In order to achieve the study purpose, the study used the multinomial logistic regression analysis and the multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA).&#x0D; Results. Less-than-once-a-week sports participation was established in 41.1% of the children, once or twice a week – in 48.4%, and more often – in 10.5%. Obesity was established in 38.1% of the children. Children that had organized sports activity 1-2 times a week or more often showed a higher physical fitness level.&#x0D; Conclusions. Even though causality cannot be established, facilitation of organized sports activities may be a crucial aspect in public health efforts addressing the growing problems associated with overweight and obesity.

Family Relationships and Children's Sports: Therapeutic Considerations

According to the Hospital for Special Surgery, approximately 60 million children between the ages of 6 and 18 in the United States participate in organized sports activities every year. This involves approximately 75% of American families, with at least one child participating in an organized sports activity. The stated purposes of participation in organized sports activities are to assist children and teens in building skills, forming friendships, learning the value of teamwork, and possibly obtaining a scholarship to college. There are, however, related challenging issues. According to the Centers for Disease Control , the obesity rate for children and adolescents ages 2–19 living in the United States is 19.3%, affecting approximately 14.4 million children and adolescents. A sedentary lifestyle for children and teenagers contributes to this epidemic, while participation in sports is seen by many as protective. Challenges in participation, including increasing sports-related injuries, a 70% attrition rate by the time a child is 13 years of age, and programs overemphasizing winning are additional problems encountered in pre-teen and teen sports. The effect of pre-teen and teen participation in sports on family relationships is another potential source of stress and anxiety. This is the primary focus of this paper. The family relationships considered are the children, the parents, the couple, and the grandparents. Therapeutic suggestions and intervention considerations are then provided.