Urbanisation and sport participation in townships in China

Urbanisation as a phenomenon is a complex social process which can be quite difficult to define and understand. In recent years, urbanisation in China has developed at an ever increasing rate. Urban population rates have now surpassed 50% (figure from 2011). Based on the growing importance placed on the increasing number of urbanised/urbanising townships, the issue of people’s lives within the townships has also become an important feature in regard to the impact that urbanisation is having upon China. Clearly this links China’s urban development to the transformation of sport participation in China. This research aims to examine what the reality of the sport participation on-the-ground is within six selective townships in China and examine the reasons for the reality through the lens of figurational theory. In order to do so, some features of Norbert Elias’s figurational theory (involvement and detachment, power) are employed as the theoretical framework. Two townships in Lüliang of Shanxi province, two townships in Jincheng of Shanxi Province and two townships in Huizhou of Guangdong province were selected in order to answer these key questions. The three cities which the townships are located are in different stages of urbanisation. Semi-structured interview were conducted. The current situation were described from the aspects of age, gender, occupation and income aspects and the transformation of sport participation. This research concludes that the current sport participation situation within these six townships is due to the influences stemming from several aspects: sport policy and sport organisation; economy condition, culture, urbanisation, and self-requirement and individual interest towards sport. This power forms a network of interdependency which also aids our understanding of the current sport participation within these six selected Chinese townships.

Assessment of data quality in a multi-centre cross-sectional study of participation and quality of life of children with cerebral palsy

Background: SPARCLE is a cross-sectional survey in nine European regions, examining the relationship of the environment of children with cerebral palsy to their participation and quality of life. The objective of this report is to assess data quality, in particular heterogeneity between regions, family and item non-response and potential for bias. Methods: 1,174 children aged 8–12 years were selected from eight population-based registers of children with cerebral palsy; one further centre recruited 75 children from multiple sources. Families were visited by trained researchers who administered psychometric questionnaires. Logistic regression was used to assess factors related to family non-response and self-completion of questionnaires by children. Results: 431/1,174 (37%) families identified from registers did not respond: 146 (12%) were not traced; of the 1,028 traced families, 250 (24%) declined to participate and 35 (3%) were not approached. Families whose disabled children could walk unaided were more likely to decline to participate. 818 children entered the study of which 500 (61%) self-reported their quality of life; children with low IQ, seizures or inability to walk were less likely to self-report. There was substantial heterogeneity between regions in response rates and socio-demographic characteristics of families but not in age or gender of children. Item non-response was 2% for children and ranged from 0.4% to 5% for questionnaires completed by parents. Conclusion: While the proportion of untraced families was higher than in similar surveys, the refusal rate was comparable. To reduce bias, all analyses should allow for region, walking ability, age and socio-demographic characteristics. The 75 children in the region without a population based register are unlikely to introduce bias

Participation factors in optional high school health and physical education

Student enrolment rates in optional health and physical education (HPE) classes have been steadily declining, to the point where most Ontario students stop taking HPE after completion of their one required credit, typically taken in grade nine. This study looked at factors that could contribute to HPE enrolment, sampling 227 grade ten students from five schools. These factors included selfefficacy (SE), perceived autonomy support (PAS), task value (TV), motivational regulation (autonomous, AR; controlled, CR), HPE grade average and body size discrepancy (BSD). Qualitative information was also gathered from students regarding likes and dislikes ofHPE, as well as reasons for their HPE enrolment choice. Cronbach Alpha values of each scale fell within acceptable values. ANOVA analysis revealed differences between enrolment groups in SE, TV, AR, HPE grade average, and BSD (p < .05). Reasons students reported for not taking HPE included a dislike of health classes, scheduling challenges, not needing HPE for future endeavors, concerns about social self-presentation, and a dislike of sports and/or competition. This research shows important differences between students and their HPE class choices and calls for a re-evaluation of how HPE classes are structured, advertised and scheduled by high school practitioners. Future works should look toward what other factors could be at play in students' decisions for or against optional HPE and how those factors interact with the constructs that were found to be of significance in this study. Keywords: Health and physical education, high school students, participation.

The antecedents to participation in learning activities among support staff at a college in Ontario

Les tendances de la participation à la formation des adultes au Canada n’ont pas évolué depuis des décennies, malgré les nouvelles influences économiques qui ont stimulé l’augmentation et la diversification permanente de la formation des employés et malgré les initiatives plus nombreuses en faveur de l’apprentissage des employés en milieu de travail. Il est donc nécessaire de ne plus se contenter d’étudier les prédicteurs de la formation déjà connus dans les profils des employés et des employeurs. Il est, en revanche, indispensable d’étudier les antécédents de la participation des employés à la formation, y compris les aspects et les étapes du processus qui la précède. Cette étude porte sur les antécédents de la participation des employés aux formations dans un important collège communautaire urbain en Ontario. Afin de préparer le recueil des données, un cadre théorique a été élaboré à partir du concept d’expression de la demande. Ce cadre implique l’existence d’un processus qui comporte plusieurs étapes, au cours desquelles plusieurs intervenants interagissent et dont la formation est susceptible d’être le résultat. Les résultats de l’enquête sur le profil d’apprentissage ont permis de conclure que le comportement des employés et de l’employeur est conforme aux modèles de prédicteurs existants et que les taux et les types de participation étaient similaires aux tendances nationales et internationales. L’analyse des entrevues d’un groupe d’employés atypiques, de leurs superviseurs, ainsi que de représentants du collège et du syndicat, a révélé d’importants thèmes clés : l’expression de la demande n’est pas structurée et elle est communiquée par plusieurs canaux, en excluant parfois les superviseurs. De plus, la place de l’auto évaluation est importante, ainsi que la phase de prise de décision. Ces thèmes ont souligné l’interaction de plusieurs intervenants dans le processus d’expression de la demande d’apprentissage et pendant la prise de décision. L’examen des attentes de chacun de ces intervenants au cours de ce processus nous a permis de découvrir un désir tacite chez les superviseurs et les employés, à savoir que la conversation soit à l’initiative de « l’autre ». Ces thèmes clés ont été ensuite abordés dans une discussion qui a révélé une discordance entre le profil de l’employeur et les profils des employés. Celle-ci se prête à la correction par l’employeur de son profil institutionnel pour l’harmoniser avec le profil dispositionnel des employés et optimiser ainsi vraisemblablement son offre de formation. Ils doivent, pour cela, appliquer un processus plus systématique et plus structuré, doté de meilleurs outils. La discussion a porté finalement sur les effets des motivations économiques sur la participation des employés et a permis de conclure que, bien que les employés ne semblent pas se méfier de l’offre de formation de l’employeur et que celle ci ne semble pas non plus les décourager, des questions de pouvoir sont bel et bien en jeu. Elles se sont principalement manifestées pendant le processus de prise de décision et, à cet égard, les superviseurs comme les employés reconnaissent qu’un processus plus structuré serait bénéfique, puisqu’il atténuerait les problèmes d’asymétrie et d’ambiguïté. Les constatations de cette étude sont pertinentes pour le secteur de la formation des adultes et de la formation en milieu de travail et, plus particulièrement, pour la méthodologie de recherche. Nous avons constaté l’avantage d’une méthodologie à deux volets, à l’écoute de l’employeur et des employés, afin de mieux comprendre la relation entre l’offre de formation et la participation à la formation. La définition des antécédents de la participation sous la forme d’un processus dans lequel plusieurs intervenants remplissent plusieurs rôles a permis de créer un modèle plus détaillé qui servira à la recherche future. Ce dernier a démontré qu’il est indispensable de reconnaître que la prise de décision constitue une étape à part entière, située entre l’expression de la demande et la participation à la formation. Ces constatations ont également révélé qu’il est véritablement indispensable que le secteur de la formation des adultes continue à traiter les questions reliées à la reconnaissance de la formation informelle. Ces conclusions et la discussion sur les constatations clés nous ont inspiré des recommandations à appliquer pour modifier les retombées du processus précédant la participation des employés à la formation. La majorité de ces recommandations ont trait à l’infrastructure de ce processus et ciblent donc principalement l’employeur. Certaines recommandations sont cependant destinées aux syndicats, aux superviseurs et aux employés qui peuvent aider l’employeur à remplir son rôle et favoriser la participation efficace de tous à ce processus. Les recommandations qui précédent impliquent que ce sont les antécédents de la formation qui gagneraient à être plus structurés et non la formation elle même. La structuration de l’infrastructure de l’apprentissage présente cependant des risques à elle seule. En liaison avec ce phénomène, une étude spécifique des effets de la nature, de la qualité et de l’asymétrie de la relation superviseur employé sur la participation des employés à la formation serait bénéfique. Mots clés : formation en entreprise, formation professionnelle continue, antécédents à la participation, employés de soutien

Gender, age, and educational-attainment differences in Australian adults' participation in vigorous sporting and fitness activities

Background: Participation in regular vigorous physical activity could confer health benefits additional to those derived from moderate-intensity physical activities that are currently the focus of public health strategies.
Methods: Sociodemographic differences in reported participation in vigorous sporting and fitness activities over the past 2 weeks were examined using cross-sectional data from an Australian urban population sample.
Results: Participation at least once in any form of vigorous physical activity and regular participation (six or more sessions) both decreased across successive age groups and from high to low levels of education. The most frequently reported types of vigorous physical activity were cycling (13.3%), jogging (10.1%), swimming (8.4%) for men; and, swimming (8.9%), cycling (8.8%) and aerobics (8.6%) for women.
Conclusion: Rates of regular participation in vigorous activities were low. Interventions might focus on ways to encourage younger adults to engage more regularly in these activities and to maintain participation through the lifespan.

Promoting physical activity participation among children and adolescents

With global increases in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents, there has never been a more urgent need for effective physical activity programs. The aim of this narrative review is to summarize the evidence of the effectiveness of interventions that report physical activity outcomes in children aged 4–12 years and adolescents aged 13–19 years. A systematic search of electronic databases identified 76 interventions. Most interventions were delivered via the school setting (57 interventions), nine through the family setting, six via primary care, and four in community- or Internet-based settings. Children's physical activity interventions that were most effective in the school setting included some focus on physical education, activity breaks, and family strategies. Interventions delivered in the family setting were not highly effective, but many were pilot studies. The use of motivationally tailored strategies and program delivery in the primary care setting showed promise among adolescents. Many studies had methodological and reporting flaws (e.g., no baseline data, poor study design, physical activity measures of unknown reliability and validity, and poor reporting of sample size, response rates, attrition/retention, compliance, year of intervention, and duration of intervention). Publications reporting the results of evaluations of intervention studies should follow the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials guidelines or, for nonrandomized studies, should follow the Transparent Reporting of Evaluations with Nonrandomized Designs guidelines. Further evidence of the effectiveness of interventions promoting young people's physical activity in family and community settings is needed.

Modeling response rates in surveys of female sexual difficulty and dysfunction

INTRODUCTION: Studies that address sensitive topics, such as female sexual difficulty and dysfunction, often achieve poor response rates that can bias  results. Factors that affect response rates to studies in this area are not well characterized.
AIM: To model the response rate in studies investigating the prevalence of female sexual difficulty and dysfunction.
METHODS: Databases were searched for English-language, prevalence studies using the search terms: sexual difficulties/dysfunction, woman/women/female, prevalence, and cross-sectional. Studies that did not report response rates or were clinic-based were excluded. A multiple linear regression model was constructed.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Published response rates.
RESULTS: A total of 1,380 publications were identified, and 54 of these met our inclusion criteria. Our model explained 58% of the variance in response rates of studies investigating the prevalence of difficulty with desire, arousal, orgasm, or sexual pain (R(2) = 0.581, P = 0.027). This model was based on study design variables, study year, location, and the reported prevalence of each type of sexual difficulty. More recent studies (beta = -1.05, P = 0.037) and studies that only included women over 50 years of age (beta = -31.11, P = 0.007) had lower response rates. The use of face-to-face interviews was associated with a higher response rate (beta = 20.51, P = 0.036). Studies that did not include questions regarding desire difficulties achieved higher response rates than those that did include questions on desire difficulty (beta = 23.70, P = 0.034).
CONCLUSION: Response rates in prevalence studies addressing female sexual difficulty and dysfunction are frequently low and have decreased by an average of just over 1% per anum since the late 60s. Participation may improve by conducting interviews in person. Studies that investigate a broad range of ages may be less representative of older women, due to a poorer response in older age groups. Lower response rates in studies that investigate desire difficulty suggest that sexual desire is a particularly sensitive topic.

Regional differences in business start-up rates in Australia : implications for future research and public policy

The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) project in Australia provided both data and theoretical framework for this investigation of regional differences in entrepreneurial activity within Australia and the factors that might underlie such differences.

This study found that entrepreneurial activity as measured by participation in business start-ups varied significantly between 11 defined regions of Australia. Factors found to be associated with high start-up activity were personal acquaintance with someone who had recently started a business (strong and statistically significant) and the perception of good opportunities for starting a business locally (indicative only). Participation rate by age range across region varied widely. Sample size precluded more in-depth analysis.

The study indicates a need for a research program designed to produce data and analysis that might be constructively shared by those who wish to foster entrepreneurship in Australia.

Multi-owner low-cost housing management in Malaysia : effects of owner-occupant characteristics and occupancy rates

Purpose – Homeownership is considered both economically and socially beneficial for homeowners. However, in the collective living arrangement, reaching a consensus with regard to the residential environment is difficult. The purpose of this paper is to identify factors that can reduce the conflict among the stakeholders in multi-owner low-cost housing in Malaysia.
Design/methodology/approach – This study tested three hypotheses examining whether the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of owner-occupants and occupancy rates affect owner-occupants' satisfaction with stakeholders' relationships. Data were collected through questionnaires from owner-occupants of multi-owner low-cost settlements in Selangor state. Data on housing characteristics were collected from chairpersons of the respective owners' organisations. The data were treated as parametric, and analysis of variance was conducted.
Findings – Four factors – number of children in the family, duration of residency, participation in social activities and participation in meetings – were found to affect owners-occupants' satisfaction with the stakeholders' relationships. The significant effect of occupancy rates was also indicated.
Practical implications – The Management Corporations (MCs) should encourage social relationships among residents. To avoid conflict, the costs and benefits of participation must be balanced. Policy makers should take two key aspects seriously: owner-managed strategy practices by the MCs and high rates of tenant-residents. A mechanism should be identified for assisting the MCs in housing management and for protecting the benefits of homeownership for owner-occupants.
Originality/value – Past studies on low-income household settlements examined public housing or low-income homeowners of single detached dwellings. This study adds to the existing body of knowledge by examining low-income homeowners in multi-owner low-cost settlements.

Factors influencing participation in a vascular disease prevention lifestyle program among participants in a cluster randomized trial

Background
Previous research suggests that lifestyle intervention for the prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are effective, however little is known about factors affecting participation in such programs. This study aims to explore factors influencing levels of participation in a lifestyle modification program conducted as part of a cluster randomized controlled trial of CVD prevention in primary care.

Methods
This concurrent mixed methods study used data from the intervention arm of a cluster RCT which recruited 30 practices through two rural and three urban primary care organizations. Practices were randomly allocated to intervention (n = 16) and control (n = 14) groups. In each practice up to 160 eligible patients aged between 40 and 64 years old, were invited to participate. Intervention practice staff were trained in lifestyle assessment and counseling and referred high risk patients to a lifestyle modification program (LMP) consisting of two individual and six group sessions over a nine month period. Data included a patient survey, clinical audit, practice survey on capacity for preventive care, referral and attendance records at the LMP and qualitative interviews with Intervention Officers facilitating the LMP. Multi-level logistic regression modelling was used to examine independent predictors of attendance at the LMP, supplemented with qualitative data from interviews with Intervention Officers facilitating the program.

Results
A total of 197 individuals were referred to the LMP (63% of those eligible). Over a third of patients (36.5%) referred to the LMP did not attend any sessions, with 59.4% attending at least half of the planned sessions. The only independent predictors of attendance at the program were employment status - not working (OR: 2.39 95% CI 1.15-4.94) and having high psychological distress (OR: 2.17 95% CI: 1.10-4.30). Qualitative data revealed that physical access to the program was a barrier, while GP/practice endorsement of the program and flexibility in program delivery facilitated attendance.

Conclusion
Barriers to attendance at a LMP for CVD prevention related mainly to external factors including work commitments and poor physical access to the programs rather than an individuals’ health risk profile or readiness to change. Improving physical access and offering flexibility in program delivery may enhance future attendance. Finally, associations between psychological distress and attendance rates warrant further investigation.

The association between sports participation, alcohol use and aggression and violence: a systematic review

Objectives
To review the current research on alcohol-related violence and sports participation.

Methods
The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were used to identify relevant studies for inclusion. A search of six databases (EBSCOhost) was conducted.

Results
A total of 6890 studies was were identified in the initial search. Of these, 11 studies met the inclusion criteria. The majority of the studies were from the US (n = 10) and focused on collegiate athletes (n = 7), adolescents (n = 3), professional/former professional athletes (n = 1).

Conclusion
The reviewed research indicates higher rates of alcohol use and violence in athlete populations when compared against non-athlete populations. Masculinity, violent social identity and antisocial norms connected to certain sports stand out as potential factors that may impact the association between sport and violence in athlete populations.

Enterprise localization practices and their implication for knowledge management in foreign participation in the Chinese construction sector

Foreign firms active in the Chinese construction industry find themselves in a competitive environment unlike the environments in which they operate back home. Adaptations are therefore required in order that firms retain competitive leverage while integrating into the circumstances of the Chinese market. Since these firms primarily compete on superior knowledge capabilities it is instructive to understand how adaptations both serve to transfer propriety capabilities to China while adapting to the knowledge characteristics of the Chinese market into which those capabilities are transplanted. Five localizing parameters across which adaptations take place are identified in this paper and rates of localization are tabulated for 60 foreign firms active in the Chinese construction industry. Revealed localizing behaviors are then analyzed in the light of existing literature for explanatory power. It is concluded that in order to be strategically competitive firms must not only retain knowledge differentials, but that the knowledge must be coded and disseminated in a manner suited to the environment in which it is to be utilized.

Patient participation in nursing care on medical wards: An integrative review

BACKGROUND: Patient participation is a way for patients to engage in their nursing care. In view of the possible link between patient participation and safety, there is a need for an updated review to assess patient participation in nursing care. OBJECTIVES: To investigate patients' and nurses' perceptions of and behaviours towards patient participation in nursing care in the context of hospital medical wards. DESIGN: Integrative review. DATA SOURCES: Three search strategies were employed in August 2013; a computerised database search of Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Library, Medline and PsychINFO; reference lists were hand-searched; and forward citation searching was executed. REVIEW METHODS: After reviewing the studies, extracting study data and completing summary tables the methodological quality was assessed using the Mixed-Methods Assessment Tool by two reviewers. Reviewers met then to discuss discrepancies as well as the overall strengths and limitations of the studies. Discrepancies were overcome through consensus or a third reviewer adjudicated the issue. Within and across study analysis and synthesis of the findings sections was undertaken using thematic synthesis. RESULTS: Eight studies met inclusion criteria. Four themes were identified - enacting participation, challenges to participation, promoting participation and types of participation. Most studies included were conducted in Europe. The majority of studies used qualitative methodologies, with all studies sampling patients; nurses were included in three studies. Data were largely collected using self-reported perceptions; two studies included observational data. Methodological issues included a lack of reflexivity, un-validated data collection tools, sampling issues and low response rates. CONCLUSIONS: On medical wards, patients and nurses desire, perceive or enact patient participation passively. Challenging factors for patient participation include patients' willingness, nurses' approach and confusion around expectations and roles. Information-sharing was identified as an activity that promotes patient participation, suggesting nurses encourage active communication with patients in practice. Involving patients in assessment and care planning may also enhance patient participation. For education, enhancing nurses' understanding of the attributes of patient participation, as well as patient-centred care approaches may be beneficial for medical ward nurses. From here, researchers need to examine ways to overcome the barriers to patient participation; further nurse participants and observational data is required on medical wards.

Patients' perceptions of participation in nursing care on medical wards

BACKGROUND: Patient participation benefits the patient and is a core concept of patient-centred care. Patients believe in their ability to prevent errors; thus, they may play a vital role in combating adverse event rates in hospitals. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore hospitalised medical patients' perceptions of participating in nursing care, including the barriers and facilitators for this activity. RESEARCH METHODS: This interpretive study was conducted on four medical wards, in two hospitals. Purposeful maximum variation sampling was operationalised to recruit patients that differed in areas such as age, gender and mobility status. In-depth semi-structured audiotaped interviews were undertaken and analysed using inductive content analysis. RESULTS: Twenty patients participated in the study. Four categories were uncovered in the data. First, valuing participation showed patients' willingness to participate, viewing it as a worthwhile task. Second, exchanging intelligence was a way of participating where patients' knowledge was built and shared with health professionals. Third, on the lookout was a type of participation where patients monitored their care, showing an attentive approach towards their own safety. Fourth, power imbalance was characterised by patients feeling their opportunities for participation were restricted. CONCLUSIONS: Patients were motivated to participate and valued participation. Cultivating this motivation may be crucial to patient empowerment and practices of safety monitoring, a fundamental strategy to addressing patient safety issues in hospitals. Engaging nurse-patient relationships, inclusive of knowledge sharing, is required in practice to empower patients to participate. Educating patients on the consequences of non-participation may motivate them, while nurses may benefit from training on patient-centred approaches. Future research should address ways to increase patient motivation and opportunities to participate.

Administration of beta(2)-adrenergic agonists during the peri-implantation period does not improve implantation or pregnancy rates in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles

Purpose: the objective of the present investigation was to determine implantation and pregnancy rates in patients undergoing ICSI and treated with beta(2)-adrenergic agonists, considering the uterine-relaxing action of these agents.Methods: A total of 225 women undergoing ICSI at the Center for Human Reproduction, Sinha Junqueira Maternity Foundation, entered the study. Patient participation in each group was random, by drawing lots, using a randomization table previously elaborated for the study (2:2:1). The group I (90 women) received 10 mg of terbutaline daily for 15 days starting on the day of oocyte retrieval; group II (90 women) received 20 mg of ritodrine daily during the same period of time as group I; group III (45 patients) received no treatment and was used as control. The evaluation was interrupted in 3 patients of group I and in 30 patients of group II because of a high incidence of side effects.Results: Pregnancy, implantation, and miscarriage rates were not significantly different (p>0.05) between the three groups: 29.88%, 13.25%, and 26.9% for group I; 33.33%, 17.5%, and 10.0% for group II; 28.88%, 15.07%, and 15.38% for group III, respectively.Conclusions: the results of this study do not support the routine use of beta(2)-adrenergic agonists during the peri-implantation period in assisted reproductive technology cycles.