Sources of Variance and Reliability of Objectively Monitored Physical Activity in Rural and Urban Northern Sotho-Speaking Blacks

OBJECTIVE. We investigated the sources of variance and reliability in an objective measure of physical activity for a 14-hour and 4-day monitoring period. Design. A convenience sample of rural (N=31) and urban (N=30) adult; Northern Sotho-speaking blacks was recruited. Physical activity was assessed for 8 consecutive days usinga uni-axial accelerometer. Physical activity indices were total counts; average counts; inactivity (500 counts) moderate-1 activity (500 - 1 951 counts); moderate-2+vigorous activity (.1 952 counts); and were expressed per hour or per day as required. RESULT. Accelerometry data from 41 subjects (23 males; 18 females) complied with selection requirements and were analysed for variance distribution and reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs)). For the 14-hour monitoring period variance was distributed as follows: intra-individual (71- 82); inter-individual (3 - 18) and hour-of-day (2 - 14). Attenuated ICCs ranged from 0.31 to 0.75 (median: 0.70). Variance for the 4-day monitoring period differed from the 14-hour monitoring period: inter-individual (47 - 58); intraindividual (43 - 51) and day-of-week (0 - 6.5). Attenuated ICCs ranged from 0.27 to 0.84 (median: 0.79). Irrespective of the monitoring period; total counts; average counts and moderate-2+vigorous activity tended to be the most reliable measures requiring the fewest number of monitoring periods. CONCLUSIONS. These findings provide an insight for understanding how variance is distributed in objectively measuredactivity patterns of a South African sample and show that reliable measures of adult physical activity behaviours require 18 - 128 hours and 3 - 44 days; depending on the monitoring period; physical activity index; residence status and sex

A Review of Cricket Injuries and the Effectiveness of Strategies to Prevent Cricket Injuries at all Levels

Objective. This review evaluates the scientific research on cricket injuries; including long-term injury surveillance studies; the consensus statement paper for injury surveillance; specific counter-measures to reduce the risk of cricket injuries and finally identifies areas of future concern. Results. The literature shows that three major cricketplaying countries; Australia; England and South Africa; have collected long-term injury data. While these sets of data show definite trends; it was not always possible tomake direct comparisons between data collected in various countries. As a result a consensus statement paper with regards to definitions and methods to calculate injuryrates; incidence and prevalence was developed. The first study using this newly accepted injury surveillance method showed injury patterns in West Indies domestic andnational cricket teams. There have been three primary studies carried out with regards to interventions aimed at reducing the risk of injury to fast bowlers. These includeda coaching interventions programme; the use of a bowling aid in an attempt to modify bowling technique and a study that evaluated the recommended bowling workloadsin young cricketers. The implications of the changes to the laws relating to the bowling action and the increased usage of the sliding stop in fielding are reviewed. Conclusion. From the review it is evident that there is a need to continue with injury surveillance; as well as a need to continue with and increase the number of studies that evaluate the efficacy of intervention strategies in order to reduce the risk of injury to cricketers

Nature and Proportion of Total Injuries at the Stellenbosch Rugby Football Club: a Comparason of the Years 1973 1975 with 2003 -2005A Review of Cricket Injuries and the Effectiveness of Strategies to Prevent Cricket Injuries at all Levels

Objective. The purpose of this study was to compare the nature and proportion of total injuries occurring at Stellenbosch Rugby Football Club in Stellenbosch; South Africa;between the years 1973 - 1975 and 2003 - 2005. Design. Retrospective; descriptive study. Main outcome measures. Injured rugby players from the Stellenbosch Rugby Football Club from the different time periods were included in the study. Results from the 1973 - 1975 time period were obtained from two previously published articles (Roy; 1974; Van Heerden; 1976); while data from the 2003 - 2005 time period were available through the Stellenbosch University Rugby Injury Database. Results. An increase in the proportion of head and facial injuries from 1973 - 1975 (21) to 2003 - 2005 (42) was found as well as a doubling in the proportion of concussions between the two time periods (12- 23). There was an overall decrease in total injuries between the two time periods. Conclusion. The findings highlight the high and increased proportion of head and facial injuries in the game of rugby at the Stellenbosch Rugby Football Club. This is a matter that should be further investigated

Augmentation of the acute phase response in vitamin C-supplemented ultramarathoners

Objective. To investigate the effects of vitamin C (VC) supplementation on the alterations in systemic markers of inflammation as a result of participation in a 90 km down run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban in 29 subjects who completed the 1999 Comrades Marathon. Interventions. Runners were divided into groups receiving 500 mg/day VC (VC500; N = 10); 1 500 mg/day VC (VC1500; N = 12) or placebo (P; N = 7) for 7 days before the race; on the day of the race; and for 2 days following completion. Main outcome measures. Each subject recorded dietary intake before; during and after the race and provided 35 ml blood samples 15 - 18 hours before the race; immediately post race; 24 hours post race and 48 hours post race. These were analysed for full blood count; vitamins A; C and E; glucose; C-reactive protein (CRP); amyloid A; interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) concentrations. All post race concentrations were adjusted for plasma volume changes. Results. Analyses of dietary intakes and blood glucose and anti-oxidant status on the day preceding the race and the day of the race excluded carbohydrate intake or plasma vitamins E and A as significant confounders in the study. Mean pre-race concentrations of serum vitamin C in VC500 and VC1500 groups (128 - 10.2 and 153 - 10.2 mol/l) were significantly higher (p 0.01) than in the P group (83 - 10.8 mol/l) and confirmed the additional dietary VC intake of both groups. Serum CRP concentrations were significantly higher (p 0.05) in the VC500 group than in the VC1500 and P groups. This finding was supported by similar trends in serum amyloid A; plasma IL-6 and IL-8. When the data from the two VC groups were pooled and the vitamin intake in the placebo (N 500 mg per day

Etude comparative du risque traumatique dento-maxillaire en pratique sportive au Senegal : a propos de 600 sportifs

"Les auteurs ont mene une etude comparative de prevalence des traumatismes bucco-dentaires dans la ""lutte avec frappe"" et dans certains sports d'equipe ou individuels comme le football; le basket ball; la boxe anglaise et la lutte libre. L'objectif de cette etude est d'informer; d'eduquer; de communiquer avec le milieu sportif senegalais; mais aussi de prevenir les risques potentiels du sport par le port de gouttieres de protection dento-maxillaires"