Socio-economic status and motor performance of children and adolescents.

The study examines the question to what extent children and adolescents differ in terms of motor performance in dependence of their socio-economic status (SES). A sample of 1389 students in Saarland (Germany) in various grades (1st grade: age 7.26 ± 0.38 years, 4th grade: 10.3 ± 0.4 years, 7th grade: 13.44 ± 0.49 years, 10th grade: 16.36 ± 0.69 years) has been examined. Their motor performance has been measured by means of 20-m sprint, standing long jump and a 6-minute run, and the SES by means of a parent survey. Based on the indicators school education, professional education, job position and household income, the SES was categorised in a three-step approach (low, middle, high). The influence on dependent variables was analysed by using multivariate analysis of variance. Students with a higher SES exhibit a higher motor performance compared with that of lower SES (results of the multivariate: Pillai's Trace = .05, F[6; 2526] = 12.56, p = .001; [Formula: see text]). In addition, the data for students of higher SES differ significantly from the data of a German reference sample (higher motor performance compared with standard values). In contrast, persons of lower SES do not differ from the reference sample, and those of middle SES differ only slightly from the reference sample. The results are relevant when considering specific prevention efforts concerning motor performance of certain groups. Especially those institutions and schools should be focused upon whose catchment area includes a high share of socially disadvantaged population groups.

Strength training adaptations after cold-water immersion.

Several studies analyzed the effectiveness of cold-water immersion (CWI) to support recovery after strenuous exercise, but the overall results seem to be conflicting. Most of these studies analyzed only short-term recovery effects, whereas the adaptational aspect has been widely neglected. Therefore, we analyzed the effects of repeated cooling after training sessions (CWI) on adaptations to strength training. Seventeen trained male students volunteered the study. After a 2-week familiarization period, a pretest (T1) of 1 repetition maximum (RM) and 12RM was conducted followed by the 5-week strength training period (within-subject design). After the posttest (T2) and a 2-week detraining period, a retention test (T3) was carried out. Directly after each training session, CWI was applied for 1 randomly assigned leg. Cooling consisted of 3 4-minute intervals with a 30-second rest period. The other leg was not cooled. A significant increase in 1RM and 12RM from baseline to T2 and T3 (p < 0.001), respectively, and a further significant increase in 12RM from T2 to T3 (p ≤ 0.05) were observed. In addition, a tendency for a large leg effect with higher values for the "control leg" in both parameters (p = 0.08 each) and a moderate time × leg interaction in favor of the control leg was found (1RM: p = 0.11; 12RM: p = 0.09). The percentage change differences between both conditions were 1.6% for the increase in 1RM from T1 to T2 and 2.0% from T1 to T3 in favor of the control leg. Long-term strength training adaptations in trained subjects can be negatively affected by CWI. However, effects were small, and the practical relevance relative to possible recovery effects needs to be considered in a sports practical setting.

Situated health promotion: reflections on implementing situated learning approaches in health promotion.

Handing down health knowledge and behavior patterns is a main objective of health promotion. Often, interventions do not bring about the intended change of behavior. This could be due, among other things, to the fact that the majority of intervention programs are not based on principles of instructional design to bridge the gap between knowledge and action. A situated design of health promotion measures is to be considered particularly suitable. That accounts for the fact that the acquisition and application of knowledge is an active construction process on the part of the individuals involved, and one that includes the possibility to improve the quality of learning processes in the area of health promotion, and thus increases the probability that acquired knowledge can be applied in real situations. In the context of the problem that most health promotion interventions frequently do not show the desired permanent behavioral changes of the participating individuals, from a pedagogical perspective, it is crucial that current didactic-methodological principles be taken into account. This, too, should be taken into account in connection with an empirical analysis of the reflections in this article. In the following paper, various suggestions for implementation are explained and discussed.