Results from New Zealand's 2014 report card on physical activity for children and youth

BACKGROUND: This brief report provides grades for the 2014 New Zealand Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth. The Report Card presents a review of current evidence across 9 key indicators, including physical activity (PA), organized sport and free play, sedentary behavior, and community and government initiatives across New Zealand. METHODS: Nationally representative survey data were collated by researchers at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, between June and December 2013. The grade for each indicator is based on the percentage of children and youth meeting a defined benchmark: A is 81%-100%; B is 61%-80%; C is 41%-60%, D is 21%-40%; F is 0%-20%; INC is incomplete data. RESULTS: Overall PA received a score of B, as did Organized Sport Participation and Active Play. PA participation in School Environment scored slightly less with a score of B-. Sedentary Behaviors, Family and Peers, and Community and Built Environment scored a grade of C. Active transportation received a score of C-. An inconclusive grade was given for the Government indicator due to a lack of established international criteria for assessment. CONCLUSIONS: PA participation in New Zealand is satisfactory, but could improve. However, sedentary behavior is high. Of particular concern is the age-related decline in PA participation, particularly among adolescent females, and the increase in sedentary behavior.

Validating the multimedia activity recall for children and adolescents in a large New Zealand sample

The aim of the study was to validate the self-report Multimedia Activity Recall for Children and Adolescents (MARCA) against accelerometry for the assessment of physical activity in New Zealand children. Participants (n = 716, 10-18 years) recalled 3-4 days of activity using the MARCA and underwent a partially overlapping 7-day accelerometry protocol during a national survey. Spearman correlation coefficients (ρ) assessed the association between accelerometer-derived counts per minute and MARCA-derived physical activity level and time in locomotion. Both data sources estimated time spent in light and moderate-vigorous physical activity. Association and agreement between methods for light physical activity and moderate-vigorous physical activity was assessed using correlations and Bland-Altman plots respectively, and paired t-tests conducted. Accelerometer-derived activity counts were moderately correlated with both MARCA-derived physical activity level and locomotion (ρ = 0.38, P < 0.0001). The correlation between methods was -0.14 for light physical activity and 0.28 for moderate-vigorous physical activity (P < 0.0001). The MARCA overestimated moderate-vigorous physical activity compared with accelerometry (120 min, P < 0.0001), which increased as moderate-vigorous physical activity time increased. Some sex and ethnicity (Māori [indigenous] versus non-Māori) differences were observed. Overall, the MARCA indicated moderate validity for assessment of physical activity level, locomotion and moderate-vigorous physical activity and poor validity for assessment of light physical activity. This was comparable to other self-report tools. The MARCA has utility for future large-scale research.

Objectively measured sedentary behaviour and health and development in children and adolescents: systematic review and meta-analysis

Sedentary behaviour has emerged as a unique determinant of health in adults. Studies in children and adolescents have been less consistent. We reviewed the evidence to determine if the total volume and patterns (i.e. breaks and bouts) of objectively measured sedentary behaviour were associated with adverse health outcomes in young people, independent of moderate-intensity to vigorous-intensity physical activity. Four electronic databases (EMBASE MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, PubMed and Scopus) were searched (up to 12 November 2015) to retrieve studies among 2- to 18-year-olds, which used cross-sectional, longitudinal or experimental designs, and examined associations with health outcomes (adiposity, cardio-metabolic, fitness, respiratory, bone/musculoskeletal, psychosocial, cognition/academic achievement, gross motor development and other outcomes). Based on 88 eligible observational studies, level of evidence grading and quantitative meta-analyses indicated that there is limited available evidence that the total volume or patterns of sedentary behaviour are associated with health in children and adolescents when accounting for moderate-intensity to vigorous-intensity physical activity or focusing on studies with low risk of bias. Quality evidence from studies with robust designs and methods, objective measures of sitting, examining associations for various health outcomes, is needed to better understand if the overall volume or patterns of sedentary behaviour are independent determinants of health in children and adolescents.

Children and television watching: a qualitative study of New Zealand parents' perceptions and views

BACKGROUND: Television (TV) viewing is one of the most pervasive sedentary pursuits among children and adolescents. Research studies have shown that higher TV viewing hours are associated with a number of negative effects such as being overweight and obese, attention and behavioural problems, and impaired academic performance. Most interventions to reduce time spent watching TV have been school-based and little is known about the strategies that families use to control TV watching time. METHODS: Six focus groups with Māori, Pacific and non-Māori non-Pacific parents were conducted to examine New Zealand parents' perceptions of their children's TV watching. Focus groups explored attitudes towards TV viewing, strategies used to reduce viewing, and opinion on two different electronic monitors that can be used to restrict TV viewing. Focus group discussions were transcribed and a content analysis was conducted. RESULTS: Parents described TV as playing a dominant role in their family's lives, and highlighted several barriers to reducing children's TV viewing, such as parents not willing to reduce their own TV watching, a lack of safe alternatives to TV and the need to use TV as a babysitting tool. Limiting access to TV, making TV viewing a reward and finding alternative activities were current strategies parents employed to limit TV viewing; however, the barriers highlighted by parents make implementing such strategies difficult. Attitudes towards electronic monitor use to reduce TV viewing were mixed, but suggest further investigation of these devices is needed. CONCLUSIONS: Electronic devices that restrict the amount and content of TV viewing have some potential to support interventions and merit further investigation. It is imperative for interventions aimed at reducing TV viewing to consider the role TV plays within a family context, ensuring parental perceptions around the benefits and barriers of reducing TV are accounted for.

Recent trends in research literature on game-based approaches to teaching and coaching games

As suggested by Curry and Light in chapter nine, the expanding output of research on games-based approaches (GBAs) over the past decade has not been reflected in expanding utilisation of GBAs in school-based physical education programmes and club-based sport coaching environments. Reasons for this lack of ‘uptake’ are varied and range from a lack of exposure to effective GBA professional development opportunities to the prolonged acceptance of a performative culture often embedded within physical education and youth sport programmes (Harvey and Jarrett, 2012; Dismore and Bailey, 2010). The literature on games teaching published since Oslin and Mitchell’s review of GBAs in 2006 continues to acknowledge the many benefits of using GBAs, but also acknowledges, and to a lesser extent addresses, the key challenges associated with the employment of learner-centred and GBA pedagogies. This chapter provides an overview of post-2005 research trends in the GBA literature to identify and discuss the prominent themes that arose from this meta-analysis.

Image vusion : image and video fusion

It is not uncommon in many image acquisition solutions to balance a trade off between obtaining high resolution images at very low frame rates or acquiring a burst of low resolution images at higher frame rates. This paper introduces a novel image fusion framework for producing a high resolution video by augmenting analysed motion in a low resolution video to a single high resolution image. Many application domains such as remote sensing, low radiation medical imaging and battlefield automation will benefit from this novel fusion framework. The results show that a captured high resolution 30 frames per second video can be produced with 95% cost reduction while maintaining 94% structural similarity.

Correlates of gross motor competence in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Gross motor competence confers health benefits, but levels in children and adolescents are low. While interventions can improve gross motor competence, it remains unclear which correlates should be targeted to ensure interventions are most effective, and for whom targeted and tailored interventions should be developed.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review was to identify the potential correlates of gross motor competence in typically developing children and adolescents (aged 3-18 years) using an ecological approach.

METHODS: Motor competence was defined as gross motor skill competency, encompassing fundamental movement skills and motor coordination, but excluding motor fitness. Studies needed to assess a summary score of at least one aspect of motor competence (i.e., object control, locomotor, stability, or motor coordination). A structured electronic literature search was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Six electronic databases (CINAHL Complete, ERIC, MEDLINE Complete, PsycINFO(®), Scopus and SPORTDiscus with Full Text) were searched from 1994 to 5 August 2014. Meta-analyses were conducted to determine the relationship between potential correlates and motor competency if at least three individual studies investigated the same correlate and also reported standardized regression coefficients.

RESULTS: A total of 59 studies were identified from 22 different countries, published between 1995 and 2014. Studies reflected the full range of age groups. The most examined correlates were biological and demographic factors. Age (increasing) was a correlate of children's motor competence. Weight status (healthy), sex (male) and socioeconomic background (higher) were consistent correlates for certain aspects of motor competence only. Physical activity and sport participation constituted the majority of investigations in the behavioral attributes and skills category. Whilst we found physical activity to be a positive correlate of skill composite and motor coordination, we also found indeterminate evidence for physical activity being a correlate of object control or locomotor skill competence. Few studies investigated cognitive, emotional and psychological factors, cultural and social factors or physical environment factors as correlates of motor competence.

CONCLUSION: This systematic review is the first that has investigated correlates of gross motor competence in children and adolescents. A strength is that we categorized correlates according to the specific ways motor competence has been defined and operationalized (object control, motor coordination, etc.), which enables us to have an understanding of what correlates assist what types of motor competence. Indeed our findings do suggest that evidence for some correlates differs according to how motor competence is operationalized.

Women’s attitudes towards children and motherhood: a predictor of future childlessness?

Pronatalism expects and presumes that all women will be mothers, and stereotypes, stigmatises and excludes those who fail to conform. Yet, within the context of pronatalism, little is known about women without children’s attitudes towards motherhood, and their subsequent childbearing. This study aimed to determine if women’s attitudes towards children and motherhood predicted future motherhood status, using data from the Negotiating the Life Course Study. Women 18 years and over at Wave 1, who did not have children, were included in the analysis (n = 122). Logistic regression was used to predict motherhood status at Wave 4 based on attitudes at Wave 1. A positive attitude toward the importance of children in one’s life increased the likelihood of future motherhood, while believing children negatively impact on freedom increased the likelihood of not future childlessness. Findings also suggested that attitudes relating to the burden of children, or the impact of children on a woman’s career, are similar for those who do and do not become mothers. Women’s attitudes towards children and motherhood may be a poor predictor of future childlessness. This study counters some of the negative attitudinal stereotypes towards childless women in a pronatalist society.

Robustness comparison of clustering - based vs. non-clustering multi-label classifications for image and video annotations

This paper reports robustness comparison of clustering-based multi-label classification methods versus nonclustering counterparts for multi-concept associated image and video annotations. In the experimental setting of this paper, we adopted six popular multi-label classification Algorithms, two different base classifiers for problem transformation based multilabel classifications, and three different clustering algorithms for pre-clustering of the training data. We conducted experimental evaluation on two multi-label benchmark datasets: scene image data and mediamill video data. We also employed two multi-label classification evaluation metrics, namely, micro F1-measure and Hamming-loss to present the predictive performance of the classifications. The results reveal that different base classifiers and clustering methods contribute differently to the performance of the multi-label classifications. Overall, the pre-clustering methods improve the effectiveness of multi-label classifications in certain experimental settings. This provides vital information to users when deciding which multi-label classification method to choose for multiple-concept associated image and video annotations.

Validity of short food questionnaire items to measure intake in children and adolescents: a systematic review

BACKGROUND: Short food questions are appealing to measure dietary intakes. METHODS: A review of studies published between 2004 and 2016 was undertaken and these were included in the present study if they reported on a question or short item questionnaire (≤50 items, data presented as ≤30 food groups) measuring food intake or food-related habits, in children (aged 6 months to 18 years), and reported question validity or reliability. Thirty studies met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Most questions assessed foods or food groups (n = 29), with the most commonly assessed being fruit (n = 22) or vegetable intake (n = 23), dairy foods and discretionary foods (n = 20 studies each). Four studies assessed food habits, with the most common being breakfast and meal frequency (n = 4 studies). Twenty studies assessed reliability, and 25 studies determined accuracy and were most commonly compared against food records. Evaluation of question performance relied on statistical tests such as correlation. CONCLUSIONS: The present study has identified valid and reliable questions for the range of key food groups of interest to public health nutrition. Questions were more likely to be reliable than accurate, and relatively few questions were both reliable and accurate. Gaps in repeatable and valid short food questions have been identified that will provide direction for future tool development.

"It's just everywhere!" Children and parents discuss the marketing of sports wagering in Australia

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how children and adults recall the content and promotional channels for sports wagering marketing. METHODS: A mixed methods study of 152 parent/child (8-16 years) dyads was conducted at AFL (Australian Football League), NRL (National Rugby League), and soccer sporting sites in New South Wales and Victoria, Australia. Questions related to the frequency of viewing AFL and NRL matches, sports wagering promotions and perceptions of the normalisation of wagering in sport. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyse data. RESULTS: Children recruited from NRL (n=75, 96.2%) and AFL (n=46, 92.0%) sites were significantly more likely to have recalled having ever seen a promotion for sports wagering as compared to children from Soccer sites (n=18, 75.0%) (p<0.05). Children and adults identified seeing sports wagering promotions in similar environments, most commonly on television, and at stadiums. Three-quarters of children (75.0%) and the majority of adults (90.0%) perceived that sports wagering was becoming a normal part of sport. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: This research shows that children engaged in particular sports have high awareness of wagering marketing, particularly as seen on television or at sporting matches. Regulation should comprehensively address the placement, quantity and content of wagering marketing aligned with sport to prevent current and/or future gambling harm.

Critical perspectives, enabling classrooms and digital games: challenges for teachers and researchers working with games-based learning

There is significant interest in the potential of digital games for Twenty first century pedagogy and curriculum in schools. However, developing an informed and granular understanding of the challenges facing 'everyday' teachers in introducing work with digital games in a range of schools, across diverse subject areas, age groups and system requirements, is not straightforward. This paper reports on the initial stages of a three-year research project investigating the introduction and use of games in a variety of contexts, and discusses some of the challenges entailed in introducing teacher participants to working with games in critical and productive ways.

Dietary sodium intake and overweight and obesity in children and adults: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity in children and adults is a major public health concern. Emerging evidence suggests dietary sodium intake may be associated with obesity. This systematic review and meta-analysis will aim to (i) assess the relation between dietary sodium intake and measures of adiposity in children and adults and (ii) examine the relation between sodium intake and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption, which is a known risk factor for obesity. METHODS/DESIGN: An electronic search will be conducted using Medline Complete, CINAHL, Scopus, Embase and Cochrane central register of controlled trials (CENTRAL). The search strategy will identify published peer-reviewed articles that report on dietary sodium and either a marker of adiposity or SSB consumption. Only human studies (ages >1 year) in English will be included, and no limits will be placed on publication date. No restrictions will be placed on the method of sodium intake assessment. Cross-sectional, prospective studies, and randomised controlled trials with a duration of ≥ 3 months will be included. Studies with participants with renal disease, cancer, type 1 diabetes or heart failure or who are pregnant will be excluded. To assess the quality of studies, the Cochrane's Collaboration tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials will be used for randomised controlled trials (RCTs), and the modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale will be used for cross-sectional and prospective studies. Meta-analysis will be used to assess the relation of sodium intake with two primary outcomes: (i) BMI and body weight in adults and BMI z-score in children and (ii) weight category (i.e. healthy weight vs. overweight/obese). For any outcomes in which meta-analysis is not possible, we will present data as a systematic review. Findings will be grouped and reported separately for children and adolescents (ages 1-17 years) and adults (ages >18 years). DISCUSSION: This review and meta-analysis will provide insight into the relation between dietary sodium intake and overweight and obesity. This information can be used to inform public health policies which target population sodium consumption.