The relationship between extracurricular sports participation and subjective well-being in junior high school students: a moderated mediation model.

Objective: To investigate the direct effect of extracurricular sports participation on subjective well-being among junior high school students, and the mediating role of emotion regulation and moderating role of physical education (PE) class participation. Methods: Using data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), we analyzed the extracurricular sports participation, emotion regulation, subjective well-being, and PE class participation of 113,203 junior high school students. Results: After controlling for country, gender, and health status, extracurricular sports participation significantly predicts subjective well-being. Emotion regulation mediates the relationship between extracurricular sports participation and subjective well-being. Both the direct effect of extracurricular sports participation on subjective well-being and the mediating effect of emotion regulation are moderated by PE class participation. The effect is stronger among students with high PE class participation compared to those with low participation. Conclusion: There is a moderated mediation effect between extracurricular sports participation and subjective well-being among junior high school students. Emotion regulation mediates this relationship, while PE class participation enhances the impact of emotion regulation on subjective well-being.

The effects of a blended learning model on the physical fitness of Chinese university students: a cluster randomized controlled trial in basketball education.

OBJECTIVE: The university period is a critical stage of personal development, and improving the physical fitness of university students is crucial to their academic performance, quality of life, and future. However, in recent years, the physical fitness level of Chinese university students has shown a decreasing trend. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a blended learning model on the physical fitness of Chinese university students through a 16-week intervention. METHODS: A total of 78 first-year students from a public university in Henan Province were recruited for this study via a cluster randomized controlled trial (CRCT) design. The participants were divided into an experimental group (blended learning) and a control group (traditional learning). The intervention lasted for 16 weeks, and physical fitness indices such as body mass index (BMI), lung capacity, sit and reach, pull-ups/sit-ups, standing long jumps, 50-meter runs, and 1000/800-meter runs were measured before and after the intervention. Statistical analyses were conducted via generalized estimating equation (GEE) modeling, with the significance level set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: Both learning models significantly improved students' physical fitness after 16 weeks. However, the blended learning model resulted in more significant improvements in lung capacity, sit and reach, pull-ups/sit-ups, standing long jumps, and 50-meter runs (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of BMI or 1000/800-meter run. CONCLUSIONS: The 16-week blended learning model effectively promoted physical fitness among university students, especially in terms of their lung capacity, flexibility, strength and speed.

Aligning extracurricular school activities with physical literacy: pilot evaluation through self-study of practice.

Introduction: Although several important documents of education and health promotion on the international level favor practices geared toward physical literacy (PL), not all countries have yet gained experience with this holistic concept. Therefore, numerous stakeholders and practitioners who intend to align their interventional activities with PL will soon face the situation that there are no recommendations for their specific culture and language for how to design such programs. Given that such recommendations are also lacking for Germany, the goal of the present study within the uncontrolled pilot cycles of the PLACE study was (a) to describe the process of a female pedagogue (27 years old, previously unexperienced with PL) initially familiarizing herself with the PL concept and its implementation opportunities for the school setting, and (b) to retrace the process of developing and refining a PL-driven intervention for extracurricular physical education (60-90 min) of children in grades three and four at primary schools in Bremen. Methods: Adopting a self-study design, this endeavor emphasized continuous reflexivity involving: (a) session protocols; (b) biweekly discussions with another coach; (c) weekly discussions between scientists and stakeholders of youth development ("multi-perspective panel"); (d) weekly observations and impressions during field work; and (e) summative group interviews with children (n = 17, age range: 8-9 years, 17.6% boys). Written documents underwent qualitative content analysis with inductively generated categories. Results: Despite explicit links between the theoretical PL domains and the intervention content, the character of how PL informed the intervention level was dominated by the stance and atmosphere implemented by the deliverer (e.g., participatory attitude, open mindset). Accordingly, the team revised the intervention primarily on the levels of organization (temporal schedule and sequences), instruction, and materials. After initial stages of didactically "surviving" within classes, the deliverer could increasingly integrate tasks of cognitive engagement and provide choice for students enabling individual autonomy for nurturing a person-centered approach. Discussion: This study encourages teachers and stakeholders of physical education to seek exchange with scholars or other practitioners while simultaneously demonstrating patience in comprehensively internalizing PL and efficiently translating the concept into routines in line with individual's quality standards.

Development and validation of a questionnaire to assess the implementation of physical education programs in Chinese junior high schools.

BACKGROUND: Students' physical fitness has always been the focus of attention of the Chinese government, and the school as an important way to improve students' physical fitness, there are many studies on the current status of the implementation of physical education in schools, and there are many studies that use self-made questionnaires to investigate the implementation of physical education in schools, but most of the studies do not adequately validate the self-made questionnaires, so the purpose of this study was to develop a questionnaire to assess the level of implementation of physical education programmes in Chinese junior secondary schools and to test its reliability and validity. METHOD: The content of the questionnaire was developed based on the content of Annex 1 of the Assessment Measures for Physical Education in Primary and Secondary Schools issued by the Ministry of Education of China in 2014 and was modified based on feedback from the expert panel and pre-test participants. The questionnaire was initially tested for validity by 5 expert reviewers, and then we collected data information from 350 participants and conducted exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to explore the factor structure of the initial version. One week later, 40 of the 350 participants were randomly selected to assess test-retest reliability. RESULTS: The I-CVI and KAPPA value analysis results of the expert review results show that the questionnaire has extremely high reliability and consistency among experts. EFA results indicate that the five dimensions of this questionnaire are highly reliable. In the test-retest reliability, the Pearson correlation coefficients of the initial test data and the retest data of each dimension are all greater than 0.7, and the significance probability values are all less than 0.05, reaching the significance level, the results show that the questionnaire has good stability. CONCLUSIONS: This study concluded that the 5 dimensions and 38 items of this questionnaire had high reliability and validity and could be used as a preliminary tool to measure the implementation level of physical education programs in junior high schools in China. However, future research should explore the potential need for adjustment to suit different regions and cultures.

APAQ at Forty: Publication Trends.

The purpose of the present study was to analyze Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly (APAQ) publications over the journal's fourth decade (2014-2023) and compare them with previous documentary analyses of the first 3 decades. Consistent with prior documentary analyses, publications were coded and analyzed based on the use of theory, research participants, topic, whether the study was an intervention, first-author country affiliation, and research method. The total number of published research papers increased substantially (n = 61) from the third to the fourth decade. Similar to prior documentary analyses, most of the research was quantitative (n = 140; 57.5%), followed by qualitative research (n = 96; 39.5%). There were far more qualitative-research publications in the fourth decade compared with the third decade (n = 34). This may reflect the continued acceptance and growth of qualitative research compared with 10-20 years ago. It may also reflect the value of rich in-depth exploratory research using small samples. Additional trends included more review papers and meta-analyses, possibly reflecting the increased knowledge base in particular areas requiring synthesis. The diversity of topics also increased, with papers on dignity, classification, coaching, and the Paralympics playing more prominent roles. The number of international publications also grew substantially. In brief, the current paper outlines both similarities and differences in APAQ's published research over the 4 decades of its existence.

Dimensionality of instructional quality in physical education. Obtaining students' perceptions using bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling and multilevel confirmatory factor analysis.

Background: In research on instructional quality, the generic model of the three basic dimensions is an established framework, which postulates that the three dimensions of classroom management, student support and cognitive activation represent quality characteristics of instruction that can be generalized across subjects. However, there are hardly any studies that examine if the three basic dimensions model could represent a suitable approach to measure instructional quality in physical education. Based on an extended model of the basic dimensions, a measurement model of instructional quality for physical education is presented, which integrates different theoretical approaches from the fields of educational and psychological research as well as different subfields of sports science in order to test the factorial structure of the corresponding measurement model. Methods: 1,047 students from 72 seventh to ninth grade classes from different German-speaking Swiss cantons participated in the study. The conceptualization of the instrument is based on a hybrid approach that integrates generic and subject-specific characteristics. The simultaneous analysis at the individual and class level using MCFA was supplemented by more complex methodological techniques within the relatively new B-ESEM framework at the individual level. Results: The postulated five-factor structure was initially tested using ICM-CFA and showed a good model fit (e.g., χ2/df = 2.32, RMSEA = 0.03, CFI = 0.97, TLI = 0.97, SRMR = 0.04). MCFA revealed a differential factorial structure at both levels of analysis with five factors at the individual level and four factors at the class level (e.g., χ2/df = 2.23, RMSEA = 0.03, CFI = 0.96, TLI = 0.96, SRMR within = 0.04, SRMR between = 0.10). ESEM and B-ESEM outperformed the ICM-CFA and showed an excellent model fit (B-ESEM: χ2/df = 1.19, RMSEA = 0.01, CFI = 1.00, TLI = 1.00, SRMR = 0.01). Inter-factor correlations and factor loadings are largely in line with expectations, indicating arguments for construct validity. Discussion: The study represents a substantial contribution in linking physical education and the generic research on instructional quality. Overall, strong arguments for the factorial structure of the measurement model were demonstrated. The study can be interpreted as a first step in a multi-step procedure in terms of further validity arguments.

[Determinants of health behaviors of physical education teachers and students]. / Determinanty zachowan zdrowotnych nauczycieli oraz studentów wychowania fizycznego.

BACKGROUND: The level of health behavior of physical education teachers and people preparing to perform this profession is important from the point of view of the need to play the role of a health promoter - an authority in the promotion of health culture. The aim of the study was to assess the level of teachers' health behaviors of physical education teachers and students, as well as to search for their determinants. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The research covered 127 teachers and 173 physical education students. Standardized questionnaire tools were used to assess the level of health behaviors (Juczynski Health Behavior Inventory) and physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire). RESULTS: Teachers demonstrate a higher level of health behaviors than students. Most respondents achieved an average level of the general health behavior index (HBI) (53.1% of teachers, 52.3% of students), while a high level - 26.8% of teachers, 19.8% of students and a low level - 19.9% of teachers and 27.7% of students. Female gender and teaching profession are significant predictors of HBI. Physical activity, both its current level and the level undertaken in the past, as well as the body mass index (BMI) do not determine HBI. In the regression model, physical activity is significantly associated with male gender, past sports activity and a lower BMI level. CONCLUSIONS: Research indicates neglect in the general area of health behaviors among men, while among women, physical activity needs to be more widely popularized. The teacher education system should be more focused on the development of self-development competencies in the context of health-promoting behaviors. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2024;75(4).

Design and implementation of college students' physical education teaching information management system by data mining technology.

This study intends to improve the efficiency of physical education teaching management, accelerate the normal teaching process, and meet the modern management requirements that traditional teaching management methods cannot meet. Based on data mining technology, this study designs a college student physical education teaching information management system, and makes a detailed design of each functional module. The main task of this study is to investigate how to effectively integrate data mining techniques with existing university student physical education teaching databases. Then, this study finds useful data information from massive data information to provide information support for university student physical education teaching. In order to effectively mine the relevant information of the data, the student evaluation module in the system is designed based on decision trees, and the teacher-student related data analysis module in the system is designed based on association rules. The research results indicate that 1039 records and 8205 student records are extracted from the teaching management database as mining objects. Rule 1: The support rate for "a professor's degree is a doctoral degree" is 20.4 %, indicating that there are 20.4 % of records in the teacher database that "the title is a professor and a doctoral degree"; the confidence level of Rule 1 is 78.2 %, indicating that 78.2 % of professors have a doctoral degree. Through the analysis of the rules that evaluate teaching as good, it can be found that the three attributes of professional title, education level, and teaching experience are the most important relevant factors affecting teaching effectiveness. Research has shown that the longer and richer the teaching experience, the stronger the teaching ability. Secondly, the mining results obtained through data mining techniques are analyzed. The maximum difference between the original algorithm's support mining results and the true values is 0.08, while the maximum difference between the improved algorithm's support mining results and the true values is 0.01. Compared to the original algorithm, the improved algorithm's mining results are accurate and effective. The application of data mining ideas in this system has laid a solid foundation for the development of physical education and teaching. Moreover, a three-layer system architecture model is adopted to better adapt to the development of school physical education, which is beneficial for later system maintenance and greatly reduces the work pressure of teachers. The system has been successfully launched and running in universities, and it is in good working condition.

Blended learning in physical education: application and motivation.

Background: The aim of the research was to evaluate outdoor aerobic sport activities (OASA) in the physical education (PE) of university students using wearables and their potential to personalize the learning process and enhance motivation. Methods: In total, 368 university students participated. The OASA structure and the key points of application in PE were described. Descriptive statistics of the training units (n = 3,680) were processed. The students recorded their training data in the Strava app (10 sessions per semester), and the data were shared in the online sport community created on the Strava platform. Motivation was evaluated using a questionnaire. The focus was both on intrinsic motivation and extrinsic "ICT" motivation, based on Strava app features and tools. Results: The most preferred outdoor aerobic sport activities were running (58%), cycling (13%), and walking (16%). The results provided insight into motivation and performance analysis. Students' motivation to participate in OASA was mainly in health concerns, such as staying in shape (94%), staying healthy (90%), and psychological concerns, such as having fun (88%), improving state of mind (88%), or relieving stress (83%). In achievement concerns, the motivation was a personal challenge (72%), while competing with others was ranked lowest (32%). The Strava app was a motivating tool for students to record, monitor, and analyze their individual activities and feel "connectedness" to the online sport community. 70% of students were motivated by the non-competitive character of PE, which gave them a personalized opportunity to train without being compared to others. Discussion: The OASA management, with the use of blended learning methods and the Strava app, uses a motivational approach to create, support, and maintain students' healthy habits of physical activity through PE lessons. The need for students to be motivated to exercise can be confirmed in the analysis of the statistical descriptive parameters of running, cycling, and walking. There was a tendency for students to complete only the minimum required distance/time (not more). On the other hand, students enjoyed the training, and 99% of students confirmed that they would enroll again. That fact underlined the importance of motivating students with an effective learning strategy and giving support and guidance.

Revitalising traditional Indian games: inclusive game adaptations for children with cerebral palsy.

BACKGROUND: Children with cerebral palsy (CP) present unique challenges to physical activity due to various factors. Despite the benefits of inclusive approaches and adapted physical education, low- and middle-income countries face specific barriers including environmental, equipment, personal, policy, social and professional barriers. Traditional Indian games, with their cultural significance and potential therapeutic benefits, offer a promising avenue for inclusive adaptations. At present we couldn't find any studies that explore's the method of adaptation of traditional Indian games for children with cerebral palsy of varying functional levels. PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to explore the adaptation of traditional Indian games for children with CP of varying functional levels. METHODS: Traditional Indian games were identified through ethnographic qualitative research, and adapted using the Delphi process involving experts from various fields. A total of 10 traditional games were selected based on their health benefits using an operationalised conceptual model. The CHANGE IT model of adapted physical activity was used to systematically adapt each game. Validation of the model was then performed on children with CP [a smaller sample size, n = 10] with different levels of functioning. RESULTS: The games varied in playing positions, surfaces and phases. Modifications included changes in game rules, play environment, equipment and time duration. The study validation through informal interview among the parents of CP children revealed that adapted traditional game protocol shown improvements in their children's activity levels and participation. CONCLUSIONS: While this is a preliminary exploration, no firm conclusion can be drawn. The model presented in this study lays the foundation for future randomised controlled trials to validate the effects of adapted traditional Indian games on children with cerebral palsy of different functional levels.

A low-cost feasible method of physical promotion in children with cerebral palsy can be part of physical education curriculum. Secondary benefits are expected to include manuals for teaching the traditional games to children by schools, parents and rehabilitation workers. Clear guidelines in the manuals will assist other professionals to replicate this study in various other settings. The manual will list methods undertaken for documentation and steps for adaptation. Using these guidelines, it is anticipated that other games can be similarly analysed and manuals can be created.Rehabilitation workers and physical education teachers would benefit greatly from this study. Open courses on documentation and adaptation can be created and offered through "Swayam" the open learning portal of the University Grants Commission, India. This might reach a large number of people.Dissemination by means of conducting conferences, workshops and by providing the documentation to the regional cultural society and folklore museum may spread the effectiveness of this study to reach maximum areas throughout India.

Facilitating regular Physical Education for students with disability-PE teachers' views.

Introduction: The objective of this study is to describe how Physical Education (PE) teachers work to facilitate participation for students with disability in compulsory, mainstream inclusive, secondary school. Inclusive school-based Physical Education (PE) is an important context for students to share the benefits of physical activities with peers, especially for students with disability whose opportunities for participation in extracurricular physical activity are limited. Methods: Two focus group interviews were performed with eight experienced PE teachers who teach students with disability in regular PE. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the interviews. Two themes emerged, the importance of having a structured and welcoming environment and the need to adapt the PE environment. Results: Student mastery experiences is emphasized and achieved by teaching approaches encouraging peer collaboration before physical performance and competition. Key aspects to participation for students with disabilities are inclusive mindsets, proper preparation, and adaptations. Special arrangements when participation in-class is not possible require regular and close teacher-student communication and, when needed, additional support. Discussion: Experiences of participation are important matters for further advancement of equality and social inclusion for students with disability. Schools need to develop support structures to provide students with disability with "real-life" experiences that optimize participation.

(Re)Conceptualizing Sex and Gender in Physical Education through Social Role Theory.

The line between gender and sex has become increasingly muddled in recent scientific literature, including within physical education. Tensions surrounding this topic are ever-increasing and definitions of the two are rarely consistent. For improving conceptual clarity for research, we adopted the Social Role Theory to offer spaces for researchers to explore how these two terms differ and relate by laying out a cyclical framework of biological, sociological, and psychological components. Herein, we discuss the origins of the binary sex construct, anatomical brain/ cognition differences, and sex/gender role implications for education and physical education. In this conceptual paper, we confront the controversial topic in a content area that continues to be masculine-oriented with the purpose to conceptualize sex/gender in physical education research through clarifying the evolutionary bio-social spectrum. Offering a reconceptualization of gender as a multi-dimensional construct in physical education could inspire further curricular reform for the content to be more inclusive of all participants, learnable by all students regardless of sex and gender, and beneficial both mentally and physically to all learners.

Academic achievement and healthy lifestyle habits in primary school children: an interventional study.

Purposes: First, to examine the relationship between primary school children's academic achievement and healthy lifestyle habits. Second, to evaluate the effectiveness of two different 5-month physical education interventions (traditional physical education vs. coordinative physical education) on children's academic achievement. Third, to examine whether variations of anthropometric variables, fitness level, gross motor coordination, physical activity level, sedentary time, attentional performance, fruit and vegetable consumption, meal frequency and type of physical education intervention could predict children's academic achievement variations. Methods: Before and after the intervention, Italian language and mathematics skills, anthropometric variables (weight, height, body fat percentage, BMI), physical fitness (aerobic fitness, muscular strength, flexibility), gross motor coordination, attentional performance (processing speed, concentration performance, performance accuracy, attentional and inhibitory control), physical activity level, sedentary time and eating habits (meal frequency, fruit and vegetable consumption) were assessed in 161 Italian primary school children, randomly assigned to a traditional physical education group or to a coordinative physical education group. Results: Physical activity level, gross motor coordination and aerobic fitness moderately predicted mathematics skill (R2 = 17%). Moreover, physical activity level, aerobic fitness and muscular strength moderately predicted Italian language skill (R2 = 21%). Intervention type differently affected academic achievement. Specifically, Italian language and mathematics skills significantly improved only after traditional intervention. Fruit consumption increase was positively associated with the improvement in academic achievement. Coordinative physical education intervention was associated with a lower probability of improvement in Italian language and mathematical skills. Conclusion: Motor ability and lifestyle habits may have a positive influence on academic achievement in children. Unexpectedly, traditional physical education intervention resulted to be more effective on both Italian language and mathematical skills.

Applied value of modern fitness technologies in improving the health and physical development of students.

OBJECTIVE: Aim: To study the impact of modern fitness technologies on the health and physical development of students in the learning process. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and Methods: The research involved 108 students (52 male and 56 female students), which formed the experimental (EG) and the control (CG) groups. The EG male students were engaged in such type of fitness technologies as Strenflex during physical education training sessions, and the EG female students - Dance Aerobics. Students' health was assessed by Stange and Genchi tests, Rufier and strength indices; and physical development - by the level of development of physical qualities. RESULTS: Results: It was found that Strenflex training sessions have a positive effect on all studied health indicators of male students (Stangea and Genchi tests, Rufie and strength indices), and Dance Aerobics training sessions are more effective in improving the functional capabilities of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, and less effective in developing the strength capabilities of female students. It has also been established that the most pronounced effect of the applied modern fitness technologies is on the development of strength qualities in men, endurance, and flexibility in men and women. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The effectiveness of modern fitness technologies in physical education in educational institutions to improve students' health and physical development has been proven. The level of health and physical development of students, formed in the process of conscious training, will contribute to their successful learning and life-sustaining activities, as well as to maintaining the necessary level of motor activity in the future.

Health-promoting effect for students from physical loads of speed and strength orientation.

OBJECTIVE: Aim: To investigate the impact of speed and strength physical loads on promoting health and reducing the biological age of student youth. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and Methods: The research involved 180 students aged 18-19. The first stage provided for the study of the indicators of the biological age of 120 students, and the second stage covered substantiation of the methodology for martial arts training sessions, based on physical loads of speed and strength orientation. To test its effectiveness, 60 students were involved (30 were in the experimental group (EG), 30 - in the control group (CG)). RESULTS: Results: The methodology for martial arts training sessions was developed and tested. In the dynamics of the experiment, there is a tendency to a decrease in the difference between the biological and the passport age, but these changes were unreliable in the CG, while a statistically significant decrease in this difference was recorded in the EG. In addition, there were significant changes in the EG in the following indicators: inspiratory breath holding (11.6 %), subjective health assessment (38.5 %), and static balancing (20.0 %). CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The use of physical loads of speed and strength orientation in the course of martial arts training has established a health-promoting effect and positive dynamics of the biological age indicators of student youth. The results of the research can be implemented in physical education and the process of sports improvement of students in higher educational institutions.

Barriers and Facilitators for Physical Activity Among Children and Youth With Autism-A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this scoping review was to systematically synthesize barriers and facilitators for physical activity (PA) among children and youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) across the socioecological model. METHODS: Five electronic databases were searched in March 2022 for studies examining barriers and facilitators for PA among children and youth with ASD. An updated search was performed in April 2024. The framework synthesis method was utilized, and the socioecological model was the chosen framework. RESULTS: Fifty-four studies published from 2008 to 2024 were included. Among the included studies, 57% included the perspectives of children and youth with ASD alone or together with proxies (eg, parents, teachers, and coaches), while 43% included only the perspectives of proxies. Barriers and facilitators on the intrapersonal and interpersonal levels were most substantial. The analysis led to 2 main categories of barriers and facilitators, those unique to children and youth with ASD, and those similar to what had been identified through research on children and youth, both typically developing and with other disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: This comprehensive scoping review shows the complexity of factors contributing to barriers and facilitators for PA among children and youth with ASD, and highlights both the factors unique to this population and more general factors affecting PA participation. The findings from this synthesis might be used to guide the development of inclusive PA in physical education, organized sports, and other community PA arenas.

Cancer Awareness, Cause Recognition, and Sources of Information Among Japanese Students: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Nationwide Survey.

OBJECTIVES: Cancer education has been promoted under the Basic Plan for Cancer Education in Japan. We conducted a repeated cross-sectional survey of Japanese students to determine changes in attitudes regarding cancer over time. METHODS: A nationwide survey of fifth-grade elementary students was conducted in February 2013. A repeated cross-sectional survey was conducted following previous studies with second-year high school students in February 2019, as second-year high school students in 2019 corresponded to the generation of fifth-grade students in 2013. The self-administered, multiple-choice questionnaire inquired about the awareness of cancer and its causes and sources of cancer information. Statistical analyses were performed by calculating the percentage of selections and 95% confidence intervals for each question. RESULTS: The differences between values in 2019 and 2013 were examined. Responses were received from 94 schools (44.1%) in 2013 and 114 schools (52.8%) in 2019. After excluding incomplete responses, valid responses from 2213 and 3822 respondents, respectively, were analyzed. Desirable changes over time were observed in awareness. Increasing age was associated with a rise in misperceptions and a decline in desirable rather than undesirable perceptions of the causes of cancer. The Internet was a common source of information among high school students, followed by health education at school. CONCLUSION: Cancer education in schools should aim to counteract misconceptions and promote positive, evidence-based information. Improving perceptions of cancer screening could increase intentions of undergoing screening. Additionally, presenting cancer information using social networking sites could help promote cancer prevention among junior high and high school students.

Sex-specific associations of muscular fitness with overall academic performance and specific school subjects in adolescents: the EHDLA study.

Introduction: Overalll, muscular fitness and academic performance are two variables widely studied in the literature. However, evidence on the relationship between muscular fitness and specific school subjects (e.g., physical education), as well as their differences by sex, is scarce. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the associations between muscular fitness and overall academic performance and between muscular fitness and specific subjects (i.e., language, math, foreign language, and physical education) in a sample of secondary Spanish school students. Methods: For the present study, a sample of 766 students (45% boys, aged 12-17 years). From the Eating Healthy and Daily Life Activities (EHDLA) study was used. The Assessing the Levels of Physical Activity and Fitness (ALPHA-FIT) battery was used to determine handgrip strength and lower body muscular strength. The performance of the different school subjects was provided by the school centers. Results: Overall, for both boys and girls, higher muscular fitness was associated with greater academic results, with the greatest differences in physical education. However, only significant differences were identified for girls. Discussion and conclusion: Global muscular fitness is important for contributing to cognitive development, both in physical education and in the rest of the subjects of the educational curriculum for adolescents. At the same time, although the association appears to follow the same trend for both sexes, the results seem more evident for girls.

A Psychometric Evaluation of the Achievement Emotion Questionnaire - Short Version in the Context of Italian Physical Education.

Emotional states are fundamentally related to cognitive processes such as attention, perception, memory and learning, and they play a very important role in helping to assess daily challenges. Thus, we need tools that measure emotions in the context of Physical Education. In this study, we adapted and tested the factor structure of the Achievement Emotion Questionnaire - Short Version (AEQ-SV) in the Italian physical education context. We administered the AEQ-SV to 867 participants (M age = 16.43 years, SD = 1.23) enrolled in Italian physical education classes to analyze the questionnaire's psychometric properties using Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM), an internal reliability analysis, and a criterion validity analysis. The AEQ-SV subscales consisted of eight emotions and 32 items. Reliability analyses revealed acceptable fit indices and adequate temporal stability. Linear regression analysis showed that positive emotions positively predicted academic performance, while negative emotions negatively predicted academic performance. These results are in line with research on the original scale, and these data support the use of the AEQ-SV in the Italian educational context.

Danza contemporánea y expresión corporal en la Educación Física inclusiva: una estrategia para estudiantes con múltiples discapacidades

La necesidad de buscar alternativas que permitan la inclusión de los estudiantes con diferentes discapacidades en la práctica de la Educación Física induce a que se utilice la danza contemporánea como expresión corporal, pues impacta en el desarrollo y mejora la calidad de vida, en lo físico y psicológico, al expresarse emociones y sentimientos a través del movimiento. El trabajo que se presenta tiene como finalidad diseñar una estrategia de inclusión para estudiantes con discapacidades múltiples donde la Educación Física utilice la danza contemporánea como expresión corporal en las aulas especializadas, en la unidad educativa "Dolores Cacuango" de la parroquia Pascuales, Guayas-Guayaquil. Para el estudio se aplicaron métodos científicos como la revisión documental, la entrevista, la encuesta y la observación para recopilar información acerca de los estudiantes con diferentes discapacidades, y de los docentes involucrados en las clases de Educación Física y su combinación con la danza contemporánea. Como resultados, se diseña una estrategia de inclusión para estudiantes con discapacidades múltiples donde la Educación Física utiliza la danza contemporánea como expresión corporal. Se concluyó que las dinámicas de las actividades danzarías propuestas en la estrategia, se fundamentaron sobre bases científicas, y en correspondencia con la relación entre actividad física, condición física y salud, para fortalecer los músculos, mejorar el equilibrio, la coordinación del movimiento, la inclusión a la sociedad, y el compartir un mismo proyecto humano.

A necessidade de buscar alternativas que permitam a inclusão de alunos com diferentes deficiências na prática da Educação Física leva à utilização da dança contemporânea como expressão corporal, uma vez que impacta o desenvolvimento e melhora a qualidade de vida, física e psicológica, quando as emoções e os sentimentos são expressos através do movimento. O objetivo do trabalho apresentado é desenhar uma estratégia de inclusão de alunos com deficiência múltipla onde a Educação Física utiliza a dança contemporânea como expressão corporal em salas de aula especializadas, na unidade educacional "Dolores Cacuango" da freguesia de Pascuales, Guayas-Guayaquil. Para o estudo foram aplicados métodos científicos como revisão documental, entrevista, levantamento e observação para coletar informações sobre alunos com diferentes deficiências e professores envolvidos nas aulas de Educação Física e sua combinação com a dança contemporânea. Como resultado, desenha-se uma estratégia de inclusão para alunos com deficiência múltipla onde a Educação Física utiliza a dança contemporânea como expressão corporal. Concluiu-se que a dinâmica das atividades de dança propostas na estratégia foram baseadas em bases científicas, e em correspondência com a relação entre atividade física, condição física e saúde, para fortalecer os músculos, melhorar o equilíbrio, a coordenação do movimento, a inclusão na sociedade, e compartilhando o mesmo projeto humano.

The need to look for alternatives that allow the inclusion of students with different disabilities in the practice of Physical Education leads to the use of contemporary dance as body expression, since it impacts development and improves the quality of life, physically and psychologically, when emotions and feelings are expressed through movement. The purpose of the work presented is to design an inclusion strategy for students with multiple disabilities where Physical Education uses contemporary dance as body expression in specialized classrooms, in the "Dolores Cacuango " educational unit of the Pascuales parish, Guayas-Guayaquil. For the study, scientific methods such as documentary review, interviews, surveys and observations were applied to collect information about students with different disabilities, and teachers involved in Physical Education classes and their combination with contemporary dance. As results, an inclusion strategy is designed for students with multiple disabilities where Physical Education uses contemporary dance as body expression. It was concluded that the dynamics of the dance activities proposed in the strategy were based on scientific bases, and in correspondence with the relationship between physical activity, physical condition and health, to strengthen muscles, improve balance, coordination of movement, inclusion in society, and sharing the same human project.