The impact of sport and active recreation injuries on physical activity levels at 12 months post-injury

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of serious sport and active recreation injury on 12-month physical activity levels. Adults admitted to hospital with sport and active recreation-related injuries, and captured by the Victorian Orthopaedic Trauma Outcomes Registry were recruited to the study. Changes between preinjury and 12 month post-injury physical activity was assessed using the short International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Independent demographic, injury, and hospital variables were assessed for associations with changes in physical activity levels, using multivariate linear regression. A total of 324 patients were recruited, of which 98% were followed up at 12 months. Mean short IPAQ scores decreased from 7650 METS (95% CI: 7180, 8120) preinjury to 3880 METS; (95% CI: 3530, 4250) post-injury, independent of functional recovery. Education level and occupation group were the only variables independently associated with changes in physical activity levels post-injury. These results highlighted that sport and active recreation injuries lead to significant reductions in physical activity levels. Hence, the prevention of sport and active recreation injuries is important when considering promotion of activity at a population level.

Podcasting and pedagogy

This chapter explores the engagement of tertiary students in interviewing “green” experts. Using Engeström’s expansive activity model, the study finds that integrating podcasting into a course with strong links to other activities and resources helped students assimilate and develop the concepts of the course. The project promotes functionalist values of independent, experimental learning and deep engagement with learning material, it invokes authentic field experience, accommodates different learning styles and it provides considerable motivation.

The study suggests that mobile learning embodies the means to change relationships between learner and expert and that such connecting is a key attribute of contemporary subjective association and recontextualization. The chapter provides a brief review of the literature on podcasting in education, followed by the teaching and learning context and the application of Engeström’s “expansive activity model” (1994, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2010). I describe the student group undertaking the exercises in a Level 5 Sociology course, and the project (which subsequently extended into a later course: “The Sustainable Business Environment”, because many of the podcast students had pre-enrolled in that course).

The paper discusses the methodological approach that was used, offering two strands of analysis: students’ use of the podcasts and how the latter were placed in their learning about sustainable development. The discussion section elaborates the model and offers suggestions for advancing the educational use of podcasts. Last, I offer some thoughts on how Engeström’s model might be extended in education to develop not just new objects, but also the new use of objects.

Incorporating the aesthetic dimension into pedagogy

One of the dimensions of learning experiences, which is not often given much attention outside of the creative arts, is the aesthetic dimension. In this paper we report on a study we conducted which explores the importance of learning through aesthetic experiences as identified by Dewey. While there is literature available which engages with the significance of such experiences (Hinchliffe, 2011; Nakamura, 2009) there is little which explores the nexus between this and specific practices in classrooms. Through examining pedagogical practices and beliefs of some exemplary teachers (as identified by their community), our study uncovered some approaches which offer alternate considerations for pedagogy. These have the potential to further enrich the sometimes static nature of the ‘official’ curriculum (Apple, 2000) as often assumed by pre-service teachers who attempt to deliver it through experiences.

Longitudinal relations of perceived availability of neighborhood sport facilities with physical activity in adolescents: an analysis of potential moderators

Background
Little is known about the longitudinal relations of environment attributes and leisure-time physical activity (PA) in adolescents, and the moderating effects of individual characteristics. This study examined the longitudinal association of the perceived availability of neighborhood sport facilities with leisure-time PA, and the potential moderating effects of age, past PA behavior, and weight status in adolescents.

Methods
Among 20,933 follow-up subjects (60.9% of 34,369 baseline subjects), 9993 from 32 Hong Kong secondary schools were successfully matched with baseline (mean duration 16 months; SD 1.7) and had complete information. At baseline and follow-up, respondents reported their leisure-time PA, weight, height, and the presence of sport facilities in the neighborhood.

Results
Increased perceived availability of sport facilities from baseline to follow-up predicted more leisure-time PA at follow-up (β = 1.029; 95% CI: 1.011–1.047) overall. This effect was modified by baseline PA, with a significant effect observed only among those who had engaged in leisure-time PA more than 3 times a week.

Conclusions
Increasing awareness of neighborhood sport facilities or building more such facilities may help active adolescents maintain or increase their leisure-time PA. However, more comprehensive multilevel interventions that aim at enhancing potential social, personal, and environmental PA-related factors may be needed to motivate inactive adolescents.

Adolescents’ physical activity : competition between perceived neighborhood sport facilities and home media resources

Objective. To examine the independent, competing, and interactive effects of perceived availability of specific types of media in the home and neighborhood sport facilities on adolescents’ leisure-time physical activity (PA).

Methods. Survey data from 34 369 students in 42 Hong Kong secondary schools were collected (2006–07). Respondents reported moderate-to-vigorous leisure-time PA, presence of sport facilities in the neighborhood and of media equipment in the home. Being sufficiently physically active was defined as engaging in at least 30 minutes of non-school leisure-time PA on a daily basis. Logistic regression and post-estimation linear combinations of regression coefficients were used to examine the independent and competing effects of sport facilities and media equipment on leisure-time PA.

Results. Perceived availability of sport facilities was positively (ORboys = 1.17; ORgirls = 1.26), and that of computer/Internet negatively (ORboys = 0.48; ORgirls = 0.41), associated with being sufficiently active. A significant positive association between video game console and being sufficiently active was found in girls (ORgirls = 1.19) but not in boys. Compared with adolescents without sport facilities and media equipment, those who reported sport facilities only were more likely to be physically active (ORboys = 1.26; ORgirls = 1.34), while those who additionally reported computer/Internet were less likely to be physically active (ORboys = 0.60; ORgirls = 0.54).

Conclusions. Perceived availability of sport facilities in the neighborhood may positively impact on adolescents’ level of physical activity. However, having computer/Internet may cancel out the effects of active opportunities in the neighborhood. This suggests that physical activity programs for adolescents need to consider limiting the access to computer-mediated communication as an important intervention component.

Commentary: Ending the ban on recreational substance use in sport: and then what?

 As London 2012 starts to become a distant memory, and Sochi 2014 becomes a near reality, it is timely that Waddington, Christiansen, Gleaves, Hoberman, and Moller (2013) and Henne, Koh, and McDermott (2013) have brought to the fore the inconsistencies within the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA's) policies regarding drug use in sport. These inconsistencies are not new; Smith and Stewart (2008) highlighted the inconsistencies and ambiguities of WADA policy, but nothing has changed in this time. Why a substance is placed on the banned list is an important discussion that should be occurring; however, this discussion should not be occurring in the isolation of the sporting world.