scholarly journals Aquatic Exercise Programs for Children and Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go?

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. Gorter ◽  
S. J. Currie

Aquatic exercise programs may be a beneficial form of therapy for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP), particularly for those with significant movement limitations where land-based physical activity is difficult. The most recently published systematic review (2005) on aquatic interventions in children with CP found supportive but insufficient evidence on its effectiveness. The aim of this paper is to review recently published literature since 2005 with a focus on aquatic exercise for children with CP. In total, six new studies were published with a main focus on aerobic aquatic interventions in higher functioning children and adolescents with CP. Swimming is one of the most frequently reported physical activities in children and adolescents with CP. Therefore, information on its safety and benefits is highly needed, for those with more severe CP in particular. Research design issues are discussed to help guide future research and practice.

World ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-61
Author(s):  
Pouya Molaei ◽  
Liyaning Tang ◽  
Mary Hardie

The walkability of urban areas is an important criterion related to the level of physical activity and public health of citizens. This research aims to measure this parameter in Golsar town located in Rasht, Iran. Two methods were used in this research: Street connectivity and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The principal variables of street connectivity were measured in four districts of Golsar by Geographic Information System (GIS) to rank each one. Then, the acquired results were compared by the average walking time of the respondents of the questionnaire. The comparison explicitly indicated that there is a strong positive correlation between the measures of street connectivity and people’s tendency to walk. As well, District 1 had the highest value of connectivity and the highest average time for walking amongst the four districts. This supports the contention that walkability and the level of outdoor physical activities of people in each district are undoubtedly under the influence of the variables of street connectivity. Nevertheless, the evaluation of other indexes such as proximity, land use mix, safety, and density in Golsar, in future research. can expand our perception of the walkability of this region.


2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (22) ◽  
pp. 1321-1331
Author(s):  
Peijie Chen ◽  
Dengfeng Wang ◽  
Hongbing Shen ◽  
Lijuan Yu ◽  
Qian Gao ◽  
...  

China is experiencing significant public health challenges related to social and demographic transitions and lifestyle transformations following unprecedented economic reforms four decades ago. Of particular public health concern is the fourfold increase in overweight and obesity rates in the nation’s youth population, coupled with the low prevalence of adolescents meeting recommended levels of physical activity. Improving the overall health of China’s more than 170 million children and adolescents has become a national priority. However, advancing nationwide health initiatives and physical activity promotion in this population has been hampered by the lack of a population-specific and culturally relevant consensus on recommendations for achieving these ends. To address this deficiency and inform policies to achieve Healthy China 2030 goals, a panel of Chinese experts, complemented by international professionals, developed this consensus statement. The consensus was achieved through an iterative process that began with a literature search from electronic databases; in-depth reviews, conducted by a steering committee, of the resulting articles; and panel group evaluations and discussions in the form of email correspondence, conference calls and written communications. Ultimately, the panel agreed on 10 major themes with strong scientific evidence that, in children and adolescents aged 6–17, participating in moderate to vigorous physical activities led to multiple positive health outcomes. Our consensus statement also (1) highlights major challenges in promoting physical activity, (2) identifies future research that addresses current knowledge gaps, and (3) provides recommendations for teachers, education experts, parents and policymakers for promoting physical activity among Chinese school-aged children and adolescents. This consensus statement aligns with international efforts to develop global physical activity guidelines to promote physical activity and health and prevent lifestyle-related diseases in children and adolescents. More importantly, it provides a foundation for developing culturally appropriate and effective physical activity interventions, health promotion strategies and policy initiatives to improve the health of Chinese children and adolescents.


Author(s):  
Jinfeng Huang ◽  
Chunjie Du ◽  
Jianjin Liu ◽  
Guangxin Tan

This paper aimed to discuss the intervention effects of physical activities on children and adolescents with autism with a meta-analysis so as to serve as a reference to further relevant research on the same topic. As for research methods, by searching in CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), WanFang data, VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and other databases, this study collected randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the intervention of physical activities on children and adolescents with autism and used Review Manager 5.3 software to process and analyze the outcome indicators of the literature. As for the result, a total of 12 papers and 492 research targets were selected. The results of the meta-analysis show that physical activity had a significant positive impact on social interaction ability, communication ability, motor skills, and autism degree of autistic children as well as the social skills and communication skills of autistic adolescents. On the other hand, physical activity had no significant effect on the stereotyped behavior of autistic children and adolescents. In conclusion, physical activity intervention is beneficial to children and adolescents with autism, and continuous physical activity intervention can produce greater intervention effect.


2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorraine J. Phillips ◽  
Marcia Flesner

This qualitative study investigated individual and situational factors influencing physical activity (PA) practices of elders in residential-care/assisted-living (RC/ AL) communities. This article describes the results of focus-group interviews involving 47 residents across 6 RC/AL settings. Thematic analysis revealed 6 themes: staying active, past PA experiences, value of PA, barriers to PA, strategies to facilitate PA, and support needs to promote PA. Staying active meant walking indoors and out, attending chair-exercise programs, performing professionally prescribed home exercises, and using available exercise equipment. Past PA experiences shaped current preferences and practices. Participants agreed that exercise helped maintain physical functioning but recounted cognitive and situational barriers to PA. Lack of dedicated exercise space and short corridors hampered efforts to stay active. Participants wished for individualized home exercise programs and supervised exercise sessions. Future research should examine the extent to which the physical environment and PA programming in RC/AL communities affect elders’ PA.


TEME ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 309
Author(s):  
Stefan Ninković ◽  
Stanislava Marić Jurišin ◽  
Borka Malčić

The aim of study was to investigate the effects of parents' perceptions of neighborhood safety on outdoor physical activities of preschool children. This was investigated based on a moderating role of a child's gender and parents' age. The results showed that the association of parents’ perceptions of neighborhood safety on outdoor physical activities of children depended of the child’s sex and the parents’ age. Boys whose parents were younger and who positively assessed the neighborhood safety were more inclined to outdoor physical activities. Female children whose parents were below the average age the perceived neighborhood safety hindered frequent outdoor playing. The paper discusses practical implications of the obtained results and recommendations for future research.


2021 ◽  
Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽  
Author(s):  
Mette Johansen ◽  
Helle M. Rasmussen ◽  
Katarina Lauruschkus ◽  
Britt Laugesen

Author(s):  
Maureen R. Weiss ◽  
Anthony J. Amorose ◽  
Lindsay E. Kipp

Sports and physical activities are ubiquitous achievement contexts for children and adolescents worldwide. Motivation to initiate, continue, and sustain physical activity involvement is important for ensuring positive developmental and healthy outcomes. In this chapter we synthesize and consolidate theory-driven knowledge about determinants and outcomes of youth motivation and participation in sport and physical activity. First, we discuss relevant theoretical frameworks for understanding youth motivation in the physical activity domain. Second, we review empirical research on social-contextual factors and individual differences related to youths’ desire to continue physical activity and opportunities for accruing the many benefits from such participation. Finally, based on our review of literature, we offer several avenues for future research that address gaps in the knowledge base about mechanisms of influence on youths’ motivation and participation in physical activity.


Author(s):  
Simon Kolb ◽  
Alexander Burchartz ◽  
Doris Oriwol ◽  
Steffen C. E. Schmidt ◽  
Alexander Woll ◽  
...  

Sufficient physical activity can help promote and maintain health, while its lack can jeopardize it. Since health and physical activity lay their foundation for later life in childhood and adolescence, it is important to examine this relationship from the beginning. Therefore, this scoping review aims to provide an overview of physical health indicators in children and adolescents in research on the effects of physical activity and sedentary behavior. We identified the indicators used to quantify or assess physical health and summarized the methods used to measure these indicators. We systematically searched Scopus, Pubmed, and Web of Science databases for systematic reviews. The search yielded 4595 records from which 32 records were included in the review. The measurements for physical health reported in the reviews contained measures of body composition, cardiometabolic biomarkers, physical fitness, harm/injury, or bone health. Body composition was the most used indicator to assess and evaluate physical health in children, whereas information on harm and injury was barely available. In future research longitudinal studies are mandatory to focus on the prospective relationships between physical activity or sedentary behavior, and physical health.


2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 173-177
Author(s):  
Helen Genova ◽  
Rosalia Dacosta-Aguayo ◽  
Yael Goverover ◽  
Angela Smith ◽  
Chris Bober ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Physical activity is known to be an effective way of managing multiple sclerosis (MS)–related symptoms. Furthermore, it has been reported that even a single bout of physical activity can yield improvements in mood in persons with MS. Aquatic exercise can be an effective and enjoyable physical activity in persons with MS. However, there is little research on the immediate effects of aquatic exercise on mood in people with MS. Thus, we assessed the acute effects of a single bout of aquatic exercise on mood. Methods: Eight adults with MS participated in a 45-minute aquatic exercise class as well as 45 minutes of a seated rest control condition. The Profile of Mood States questionnaire was given before and after each condition (rest and aquatic exercise). Repeated-measures analysis of variance and paired-samples t tests were used to examine whether aquatic exercise resulted in improvement in mood. Due to the small sample size, effect sizes were considered. Results: Moderate-to-large effect sizes indicated a condition × time interaction such that mood increased and fatigue decreased after a single bout of aquatic exercise compared with after rest. Conclusions: This proof-of-concept study suggests that mood symptoms are improved immediately after a short bout of aquatic exercise. Future research is needed to explore whether these effects are reliable and whether they can be sustained with more frequent bouts of aquatic exercise.


2020 ◽  
Vol 114 (5) ◽  
pp. 421-431
Author(s):  
Jing Qi ◽  
Wen Hong Xu ◽  
Li Juan Wang ◽  
Qi Di Li

Introduction: Physical activity is a key component of a healthy lifestyle for youths with visual impairments (i.e., blindness or low vision). This study aims to examine the habitual physical activity and sedentary time of Chinese children and adolescents with visual impairments and to determine whether age, gender, and body composition significantly influence their behavior. Methods: A purposeful sample method was utilized to recruit 137 Chinese youths with visual impairments from a special school for individuals with visual and hearing impairments. A total of 72 students with visual impairments (aged 7–17 years; M age = 13.4) participated in this study. ActiGraph GT3X accelerometers were used to measure the habitual physical activity and sedentary time. Results: Youths with visual impairments in this study spent an average of 287.86 (standard deviation [ SD] = 45.67) minutes of light physical activity, 146.79 ( SD = 56.95) minutes of moderate physical activity, 18.47 ( SD = 15.15) minutes of vigorous physical activity, 165.26 ( SD = 69.83) minutes of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity, and 979.51 ( SD = 109.10) minutes of sedentary time per day. Children with visual impairments in elementary school engaged in more habitual physical activity and had less sedentary time than did students in middle and high school. Differences in gender and body composition with regard to time spent being active or sedentary were insignificant. Discussion: Findings demonstrated that Chinese youths with visual impairments in this study had sufficient health-enhancing physical activity and were habitually active. Future research is needed to identify the factors that account for the high habitual physical activity levels of Chinese youths with visual impairments. Implications for practitioners: Transition planning for students with visual impairments to facilitate active habitual physical activity participation when children grow up is warranted.


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