Children's Sports Research Articles

Brian R. Kann, MD, FACS, FASCRS

Dr. Brian R. Kann is the chief, Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery at the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and a member of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA. He also serves as the program director of the Colon and Rectal Surgery Residency Program at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Brian was born in Mount Holly, NJ, and attended Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. After graduation, he received his medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania/Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, and did an internship in general surgery at Cooper Hospital/University Medicine Center, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (UMDNJ-RWJMS), Camden, NJ. This was followed by a residency in general surgery at Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center, UMDNJ/RWJMS, Camden, which included a year of research. After this, Brian completed a residency in colon and rectal surgery at the Alton Ochsner Clinic Foundation Hospital in New Orleans, LA. Brian started his career in the Divisions of General and Colorectal Surgery at Cooper University Hospital, Camden, and progressed to become the program director of the General Surgery Residency Program. In June 2010, he moved to Philadelphia where he assumed his current positions. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery and Colon and Rectal Surgery. Brian remains an active clinician and manages many patients with Crohn disease. He is an assistant professor of clinical surgery, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and teaches residents on a daily basis. He is an active participant in multiple surgical societies including the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. Brian's contributions to the medical literature include 19 peer-reviewed manuscripts and 2 book chapters. He has made multiple presentations at national meetings. Brian, his wife Nicole, and children Elyse and Ethan live in Swedeshoro, NJ. When not working, Brian enjoys coaching his children's sports team, working out, traveling, and resting for the philadelphia Phillies. Crohn disease remains a challenge for colon and rectal surgeons and our patients. Brian and his colleagues have produced a superb and enjoyable issue on several important aspects of Crohn disease. On behalf of the readers and staff of Clinics of Colon and Rectal Surgery, I sincerely thank Dr. Brian R. Kann for serving as the guest editor.

Assessing parental impact on the sports participation of children: A socio-economic analysis of the UK

This study examines the effects of parental attitudes on children's physical activity. A measure of parental attitude (their sport participation when being young) that is independent of the child's behaviour is needed. Using data from the sixth wave of the Taking Part Survey (n =14,002 adults and n =1116 children), a matching estimator analysis is conducted. The results reveal that there are substantial intergenerational transfers of behaviours, in particular for male adults and male children. Furthermore, while an effect is observed for female adults and male children, female children's sport participation is only marginally influenced by female adult's physical activity when growing up. The results imply that promoting sport to the younger generation seems to be a fruitful strategy in creating a sporting habit and promoting sport participation when being older. However, there are challenges to be overcome in promoting female participation.

Fields of play: an ethnography of children's sports

Acknowledgements 1. Encountering the Fields of Play 2. What Kids Really Need: The Systematizing of Sport in Canada 3. Becoming Sport Parents 4. Organizing and Coaching Community Sports 5. Becoming Athletes and Players 6. Pulling Together and Apart in Community Sports 7. Sporting Dreams 8. How the Game is Played Bibliography Index

What young people say about physical activity: the Children's Sport Participation and Physical Activity (CSPPA) study

The Children's Sport Participation and Physical Activity (CSPPA) study is a unique multi-centre/discipline study undertaken by three Irish institutions, Dublin City University, University of Limerick and University College Cork. The study sought to assess participation in physical activity, physical education and sport (PAPES) among 10–18 year olds in Ireland. This paper shares what Irish children and young people convey, using their own voices, about their sport and physical activity (PA) experiences and how such experiences may result in their feeling included or excluded in PAPES. Eighteen focus groups (FG) with 124 boys and girls elicited descriptive data from students and were conducted with homogeneous groups of 6–8 boys and girls aged 12–18 years (selected for convenience) identified as male/female, primary/post-primary and generally active/inactive. Five themes (‘being with friends’, ‘variety in activity content’, ‘experiencing fun’, ‘time constraints’ and ‘opportunity to be outside’) ran across the three PAPES opportunities for young people. Overall data revealed that these young people have a positive attitude towards PA which does not diminish as they age despite activity levels decreasing. Other choices of activity participation (e.g. debate, music), or more focused activities took the place of previous choices as young people came to realise what they most enjoyed. If we are to encourage and provide opportunities for young people to choose active lifestyles, it is important that we address what these young people report affects their involvement in PA across a number of contexts. Two such developments within Irish school and community contexts are discussed: Active School Flag initiative and Senior Cycle Physical Education framework.

Bend it like Beckham! The Ethics of Genetically Testing Children for Athletic Potential

The recent boom of direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests, aimed at measuring children’s athletic potential, is the latest wave in the ‘pre-professionalization’ of children that has characterized, especially but not exclusively, the USA in the last 15 years or so. In this paper, I analyse the use of DTC genetic tests, sometimes coupled with more traditional methods of ‘talent scouting’, to assess a child’s predisposition to athletic performance. I first discuss the scientific evidence at the basis of these tests, and the parental decision in terms of education, and of investing in the children’s future, taken on the basis of the results of the tests. I then discuss how these parental practices impact on the children’s right to an open future, and on their developing sense of autonomy. I also consider the meaning and role of sports in childhood, and conclude that the use of DTC genetic tests to measure children’s athletic potential should be seen as a ‘wake up’ call for other problematic parental attitudes aimed at scouting and developing children’s talent.

Fractures in Children: Epidemiology and Activity-Specific Fracture Rates

Approximately one-third of pediatric fractures occur during sport or recreational activity. In this paper, we investigate the incidence and causes of pediatric fractures in our region and quantify the fracture rate per exposure time for the most common sport and recreational activities. We prospectively evaluated all children younger than sixteen years who presented to our institution with a new fracture within a twelve-month period. Exposure time to the most common childhood activities was measured by means of interviewing random parents from the study population. The main outcome measures were the annual fracture incidence in the population and fracture rates per 10,000 hours of exposure to various sports and recreational activities. A total of 1403 fractures were included. The overall annual incidence was 180.1 fractures per 10,000 children younger than sixteen years. The distal part of the radius was most often fractured (436 fractures, 31.1%). Snowboarding was associated with the highest activity-specific fracture rate, estimated to be 1.9 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16 to 2.60) fractures per 10,000 hours of exposure. In comparison, the fracture rate per 10,000 hours of exposure was 0.79 (CI, 0.42 to 1.09) for handball, 0.44 (CI, 0.35 to 0.52) for soccer, and 0.35 (CI, 0.23 to 0.47) for trampolining. The distal part of the radius is the most common fracture site in childhood. Fracture rates differ between various physical activities. The fracture rate for snowboarding was four times higher compared with that for other common childhood sport and recreational activities in our region.

Smoking, breastfeeding, physical inactivity, contact with animals, and size of the family influence the risk of inflammatory bowel disease: A Slovak case-control study.

The aetiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is not known but is likely to involve a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental risk factors. Smoking has been associated consistently with a higher risk of Crohn's disease (CD), while appendectomy and smoking appear to diminish the risk of ulcerative colitis (UC). The roles of other environmental factors are unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association of CD and UC with several environmental risk factors. This case-control study included 338 patients (190 CD, 148 UC) and 355 controls. All subjects completed a detailed questionnaire regarding breastfeeding duration, history of helminthic infections, allergic diseases, appendectomy, household size, housing type, contact with specific domestic animals, physical activity, and smoking. Associations between risk factors and CD and UC were investigated by univariate and multivariate analysis. On multivariate analysis, CD associated with smoking at diagnosis (odds ratio, OR, 3.7, 95% CI 2.2-6.2; p < 0.001), being breastfed for <6 months (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.7-4.4; p < 0.001), and less than two childhood sporting activities weekly (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.5-5.0; p < 0.001) and inversely associated with frequent contact with cats in childhood (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4-0.9; p < 0.03). UC associated with less than two sporting weekly activities in childhood (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1-3.5, p = 0.02), fewer household members in childhood (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.7-0.98, p = 0.03), and being breastfed for <6 months (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.02-2.8, p = 0.04). A composite environmental risk index for CD revealed that 47 and 14% of the controls and patients with CD had no risk factors, respectively, and that 14 and 38% of the controls and patients with CD had at least two risk factors, respectively. CD and UC associated with infrequent childhood sports activities and short breastfeeding. Furthermore, CD associated with smoking and infrequent contact with animals in childhood. UC associated with a smaller family size in childhood.

Identifying important and feasible policies and actions for health at community sports clubs: A consensus-generating approach

Children's high participation in organised sport in Australia makes sport an ideal setting for health promotion. This study aimed to generate consensus on priority health promotion objectives for community sports clubs, based on informed expert judgements. Delphi survey using three structured questionnaires. Forty-six health promotion, nutrition, physical activity and sport management/delivery professionals were approached to participate in the survey. Questionnaires used an iterative process to determine aspects of sports clubs deemed necessary for developing healthy sporting environments for children. Initially, participants were provided with a list of potential standards for a range of health promotion areas and asked to rate standards based on their importance and feasibility, and any barriers to implementation. Subsequently, participants were provided with information that summarised ratings for each standard to indicate convergence of the group, and asked to review and potentially revise their responses where they diverged. In a third round, participants ranked confirmed standards by priority. 26 professionals completed round 1, 21 completed round 2, and 18 completed round 3. The highest ranked standards related to responsible alcohol practices, availability of healthy food and drinks at sports canteens, smoke-free club facilities, restricting the sale and consumption of alcohol during junior sporting activities, and restricting unhealthy food and beverage company sponsorship. Identifying and prioritising health promotion areas that are relevant to children's sports clubs assists in focusing public health efforts and may guide future engagement of sports clubs. Approaches for providing informational and financial support to clubs to operationalise these standards are proposed.

Fields of Play: An Ethnography of Children's Sports by Noel Dyck (review)

Noel Dyck, Fields of Play: An Ethnography of Children's Sports. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2012. 224 pp.Given its widespread popularity and availability in discourse, sport appears relatively easy to study ethnographically. It can appear even easier if the author's interest in the topic arises from a fatherly investment in his child's soccer team, as Noel Dyck's does in Fields of Play. As Dyck shows in this study of community-oriented youth sports in Canada, however, discourses about youth sports are as contradictory as they are available, and they obscure as much as they reveal about how sports operate. When media portray youth sports, he observes, they generally stake out extreme positions, either proclaiming a zealous belief in the developmental importance of sport or condemning parents who become too invested in the sporting exploits of their children. To further complicate matters, sporting parents listen to this talk and respond to it as they try to determine for themselves the value of sport for their children. Producing an ethnography about youth sports, then, requires an anthropologist to take prevalent discourses about sport seriously, all the while accounting for practices and relations that resist easy categorization.Dyck handles this perilous terrain extremely well, and he navigates it by considering children's sports as a collection of temporal and spatial fields. This classic theory and methodology is well suited to the study of sport, and not only because it insists that discourses and practices be analyzed in the in which they mingle. There is also an intuitive fit between a theory that explores the interplay of actors, their various motivations, and their negotiations over the of social action, and sports, which often operate under similar conditions. Though Dyck makes this fit between theory and practice productive, one consequence of his choice is that the text sticks closely to the social fields he has chosen to study. The organizing rules of gender and class, for example, are primarily regarded as relevant only insofar as they shape the demographics of sports participation. This may explain why Dyck's analytical aspirations remain resolutely focused on sports as well-he primarily wants to discover how these sports operate. What do parents, children, coaches, and sports officials want from their involvement in youth sports? Why do they donate so much of their time and energy to supporting youth sporting organizations? Why do some parents and athletes quit immediately and others remain actively involved?Though Dyck considers these questions modest, he also recognizes (from observation as well as personal experience) that responses to them say something significant and complicated about the seriousness of youth sport in Canada. Though this is probably just as true for school sports as it is for community-organized ones, Dyck provides justification for his strict attention to community sports: because clubs are free of rigorous institutional constraints, they cater to a wider array of sporting interests than most schools, and have a greater dependence on parental volunteers as well. These parents, Dyck finds, become involved in sports for many reasons, but their desire for their children to develop properly and their eagerness to shape that development are undoubtedly the motivations that permeate this work. Dyck, to his credit, historicizes such motivations by noting that they rest on the assumption that childhood is a period of innocence and dependence. Though the influence of race and gender remain largely unexplored here, Dyck uses this observation to connect these parental motivations to the structuring forces of class (as wealthier parents have more time and resources to spend cultivating their children) and the moralizing discourses of the Canadian state (which often judges the health of families in terms of the behavior of their children). …

‘[We're on the right track, baby], we were born this way’! Exploring sports participation in Norway

Based on quantitative data from the Norwegian Statistisk Sentralbyrå (Statistics Norway) study of Mosjon, Friluftsliv og Kulturaktiviteter, this paper explores trends in Norwegians' participation in sports, with a focus on young people. Norway boasts particularly high levels of sports participation as well as sports club membership and young Norwegians are the quintessential sporting omnivores. Among other things, the Statistics Norway study reveals substantial increases in participation (among young people and females especially) during the period 1997–2007, a shift in the peak of participation to the late teenage years, a relatively high level of lifelong participants, a re-bound effect in the post-child rearing years and a growth in lifestyle sports. Young Norwegians grow up in a socio-economic context of relative equality between the sexes and high standards of living. An abundance of natural and artificial outdoor and indoor sporting facilities alongside a well-established voluntary sports club sector and an elementary school system that emphasizes physical exercise and recreation, as well as high levels of parental involvement, add to the favourable socio-economic conditions to create seemingly optimal circumstances for sports participation. All these reinforce the sporting and physical recreation cultures deeply embedded in Norwegian society and embodied by the very many middle-class parents in a country which, for the time being at least, remains relatively young in demographic terms. In terms of lessons to be learned for policy towards sports and physical education beyond Norway, there may be grounds for some optimism around parental involvement in children's sport as well as the potential appeal of lifestyle sports. That said, it is likely to be the greater socio-economic equalities in Scandinavian countries such as Norway that make them unrealistic benchmarks for sports participation elsewhere.

High Competitive Sports in Childhood – is there a Risk?

High Competitive Sports in Childhood – is there a Risk?

Hemophilia bleeding risk ‘low’ for childhood sports

Hemophilia bleeding risk ‘low’ for childhood sports

Organized Youth Sport and Parenting in Public and Private Spaces

This article examines the connection of organized youth sport to cultural beliefs, values and practices of contemporary parenting ideologies, specifically the idealization of intensive mothering and involved fathering. It explores how parenting ideologies are constructed by the discourses expressed by individuals in their everyday lives through their children's sport participation. Moreover, the analysis of the parental discourse illustrates how parenting goes beyond the home environment and becomes a public act that is observed by other parents, with these observations creating the basis of what is deemed to be a good parent. Emphasis is also placed on the gendered dimensions of meeting the expectations for being a good parent.

Moderating effects of team sports participation on the link between peer victimization and mental health problems

This study examined the moderating role of sports participation in the concurrent and longitudinal links of peer victimization with depressive symptoms and externalizing problems. The sample consisted of 1250 participants assessed between ages 7 and 10 years. Children's levels of peer victimization, depressive symptoms and externalizing problems were assessed by teachers. Mothers reported on children's sports participation. Regression analyses revealed that victimized children who often participated in team sports at age 8 years displayed significantly fewer depressive symptoms concurrently compared to victims who rarely participated in such activities. Participation in team sports also counteracted (via a main effect) the longitudinal effect of victimization on depression symptoms two years later. Moreover, victimized children who often participated in team sports showed significantly fewer externalizing problems at age 10 compared to children who rarely participated in such activities. This moderating effect of team sports was partly mediated by a decrease in victimization at age 10. Specifically, victimized children who were part of a sporting team at age 8 were less victimized two years later, which accounted for part of the decrease in externalizing problems at age 10. Similar benefits were not apparent when victimized children participated in individual sports. These results suggest that sports participation may be beneficial in regard to several aspects of development, specifically for children who suffer from peer victimization. However, potential benefits may vary depending on the type of sports played.

A family affair? Exploring the influence of childhood sport socialisation on young adults’ leisure-sport careers in north-west England

Based on interviews conducted with 19 young adults aged 30–35-years-old living in north-west England, this paper examines the features of childhood sport socialisation that typically precede high levels of leisure-sport participation in adulthood. The evidence suggests that the extent to which respondents were invested with different experiences of sport socialisation by their parents was influenced by financial and transport constraints, whether parents had themselves participated in sport, and the extent of parental encouragement. Those with the highest levels of adulthood participation tended to have two sports active parents who encouraged them to participate in leisure-sport, typically for enjoyment and the ‘love' of sport, and who experienced fewer financial and transport constraints than other parents. These respondents were also more likely, to have inherited sporting habituses and values from both parents who were in turn more able, and likely to purposively invest their offspring with different resources during childhood as an aspect of family-based leisure relationships. The evidence suggests, however, that each of the identified features of childhood sport socialisation are necessary, but not sufficient, conditions for promoting high levels of leisure-sport participation during adulthood. Finally, the article concludes that sport policies may help raise the overall level of participation among the population, but frequent, and perhaps more health promoting, participation may remain confined to a minority who benefited from the required kind of sports socialisation in their childhood families.

An examination of the relationship between enjoyment, physical education, physical activity and health in Irish adolescents

Enjoyment of physical activity (EPA) is positively correlated with activity, yet little is known of its relationship with enjoyment of physical education (EPE). This study's purpose was to explore EPE and its relationship to EPA. Cross-sectional data (N=4122, average age 14.5±1.7 years, 48% male) were collected as part of the CSPPA study (Children's Sport Participation and Physical Activity). Adolescents completed a self-report questionnaire on physical activity behaviour and physical education. A sub-sample (n=902) completed a battery of physical health measures. Only 12% met the recommended physical activity guidelines (PAGL) for health. Few (10%) received the recommended minutes of physical education curriculum per week. Girls and older pupils received less physical education than boys and younger peers. Physical education classes were dominated by games, particularly for boys. EPE was positively correlated to EPA, and decreased as minutes of physical education decreased. Adolescents with high EPE and EPA were most likely to meet the PAGL. High EPE was correlated to a better health profile. If the factors that influence EPE are prevalent in physical education, then these youth are more likely to be happier, healthier and active beyond the school gates.

Views of children and parents on limiting unhealthy food, drink and alcohol sponsorship of elite and children's sports.

To determine parents' and children's attitudes towards food, beverage and alcohol sponsorship of elite and children's sports and the acceptability of policies and alternative funding models to limit this sponsorship. Telephone surveys were conducted with parents in February-May 2011. One child from each household was invited to complete an online survey. Surveys assessed parents' perceptions about the influence of sponsorship on children and support for limiting sponsorship, and children's awareness of and attitudes towards sponsors. Randomly sampled households in New South Wales, Australia. Parents (n 825) and children aged 10–16 years (n = 243). Three-quarters of parents supported the introduction of policies to restrict unhealthy food, beverage and alcohol sponsorship of children's and elite sports. More parents (81 %) supported the introduction of alternative funding models to allow these companies to sponsor sport provided there was no visible branding. Two-thirds of children recalled sponsors of their favourite elite sports team/athlete, with 428 sponsors recalled. Of these, 11 % were food/beverage companies and 3 % were alcohol-related. For 39 % of sponsors, children reported feeling better about the company after it had sponsored a team/athlete. Australian parents support restrictions on unhealthy food, beverage and alcohol sport sponsorship. Children's positive associations regarding sponsors are likely to be linked to brand preferences and usage.

A spatial sufficiency and accessibility analysis for urban green spaces: a case study for Burdur, Turkey.

The aim of this study is to probe adequacy level of service of children's play areas, quarter-neighbourhood parks and sport facilities that effectuate green spaces on quarter-neighbourhood level in the terms of spatial sufficiency and accessibility sampling in the field of Burdur city. In the study, the method based on the evaluation of quantitative data, gained from field-detection studies and, air photo, available map of 1/1.000 scale Burdur city, was followed in terms of spatial sufficiency and accessibility potentialities. At the end of the study, it was designated that Burdur city form shows uneven distribution in terms of spatial sufficiency and accessibility potentialities of children playgrounds, quarter-neighbourhood parks and sport facilities that effectuate green space occupation on quarter/neighbourhood unit levels and is insufficient in the sense of spatial standards.

The ECG in the Preparticipation Screening for Competitive Sports in Children and Adolescents – is it Necessary?

The ECG in the Preparticipation Screening for Competitive Sports in Children and Adolescents – is it Necessary?

Development of a cohesion inventory for children's sport teams.

The purpose of the present study was to develop an inventory designed to measure cohesion in children’s (ages 9 –12) sport teams. In order to carry out this task, a three-phase research program was undertaken. Phase 1 involved the use of focus groups with 35 (nmales 14, nfemales 21) children, open-ended questionnaires with 132 (nmales 63, nfemales 69) children, and a literature review in order to better understand children’s perceptions of the concept of cohesion. Phase 2 involved using information gathered from Phase 1 in order to develop potential items and determine their content validity. In Phase 3, factorial validity was established using confirmatory factor analyses with an independent heterogeneous sample (n 298) of child sport participants. The result is the final version of the Child Sport Cohesion Questionnaire (CSCQ) containing 16 items that assess both task and social cohesion.