Eric van Beurden

Childhood Motor Skill Proficiency as a Predictor of Adolescent Physical Activity

PURPOSE Cross-sectional evidence has demonstrated the importance of motor skill proficiency to physical activity participation, but it is unknown whether skill proficiency predicts subsequent physical activity. METHODS In 2000, childrens proficiency in object control (kick, catch, throw) and locomotor (hop, side gallop, vertical jump) skills were assessed in a school intervention. In 2006/07, the physical activity of former participants was assessed using the Australian Physical Activity Recall Questionnaire. Linear regressions examined relationships between the reported time adolescents spent participating in moderate-to-vigorous or organized physical activity and their childhood skill proficiency, controlling for gender and school grade. A logistic regression examined the probability of participating in vigorous activity. RESULTS Of 481 original participants located, 297 (62%) consented and 276 (57%) were surveyed. All were in secondary school with females comprising 52% (144). Adolescent time in moderate-to-vigorous and organized activity was positively associated with childhood object control proficiency. Respective models accounted for 12.7% (p = .001), and 18.2% of the variation (p = .003). Object control proficient children became adolescents with a 10% to 20% higher chance of vigorous activity participation. CONCLUSIONS Object control proficient children were more likely to become active adolescents. Motor skill development should be a key strategy in childhood interventions aiming to promote long-term physical activity.

Perceived sports competence mediates the relationship between childhood motor skill proficiency and adolescent physical activity and fitness: a longitudinal assessment

BackgroundThe purpose of this paper was to investigate whether perceived sports competence mediates the relationship between childhood motor skill proficiency and subsequent adolescent physical activity and fitness.MethodsIn 2000, childrens motor skill proficiency was assessed as part of a school-based physical activity intervention. In 2006/07, participants were followed up as part of the Physical Activity and Skills Study and completed assessments for perceived sports competence (Physical Self-Perception Profile), physical activity (Adolescent Physical Activity Recall Questionnaire) and cardiorespiratory fitness (Multistage Fitness Test). Structural equation modelling techniques were used to determine whether perceived sports competence mediated between childhood object control skill proficiency (composite score of kick, catch and overhand throw), and subsequent adolescent self-reported time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness.ResultsOf 928 original intervention participants, 481 were located in 28 schools and 276 (57%) were assessed with at least one follow-up measure. Slightly more than half were female (52.4%) with a mean age of 16.4 years (range 14.2 to 18.3 yrs). Relevant assessments were completed by 250 (90.6%) students for the Physical Activity Model and 227 (82.3%) for the Fitness Model. Both hypothesised mediation models had a good fit to the observed data, with the Physical Activity Model accounting for 18% (R2 = 0.18) of physical activity variance and the Fitness Model accounting for 30% (R2 = 0.30) of fitness variance. Sex did not act as a moderator in either model.ConclusionDeveloping a high perceived sports competence through object control skill development in childhood is important for both boys and girls in determining adolescent physical activity participation and fitness. Our findings highlight the need for interventions to target and improve the perceived sports competence of youth.

Does childhood motor skill proficiency predict adolescent fitness

PURPOSE To determine whether childhood fundamental motor skill proficiency predicts subsequent adolescent cardiorespiratory fitness. METHODS In 2000, childrens proficiency in a battery of skills was assessed as part of an elementary school-based intervention. Participants were followed up during 2006/2007 as part of the Physical Activity and Skills Study, and cardiorespiratory fitness was measured using the Multistage Fitness Test. Linear regression was used to examine the relationship between childhood fundamental motor skill proficiency and adolescent cardiorespiratory fitness controlling for gender. Composite object control (kick, catch, throw) and locomotor skill (hop, side gallop, vertical jump) were constructed for analysis. A separate linear regression examined the ability of the sprint run to predict cardiorespiratory fitness. RESULTS Of the 928 original intervention participants, 481 were in 28 schools, 276 (57%) of whom were assessed. Two hundred and forty-four students (88.4%) completed the fitness test. One hundred and twenty-seven were females (52.1%), 60.1% of whom were in grade 10 and 39.0% were in grade 11. As children, almost all 244 completed each motor assessments, except for the sprint run (n = 154, 55.8%). The mean composite skill score in 2000 was 17.7 (SD 5.1). In 2006/2007, the mean number of laps on the Multistage Fitness Test was 50.5 (SD 24.4). Object control proficiency in childhood, adjusting for gender (P = 0.000), was associated with adolescent cardiorespiratory fitness (P = 0.012), accounting for 26% of fitness variation. CONCLUSION Children with good object control skills are more likely to become fit adolescents. Fundamental motor skill development in childhood may be an important component of interventions aiming to promote long-term fitness.

Older Persons' Perception of Risk of Falling: Implications for Fall-Prevention Campaigns

OBJECTIVES We examined older peoples attitudes about falls and implications for the design of fall-prevention awareness campaigns. METHODS We assessed data from (1) computer-assisted telephone surveys conducted in 2002 with Australians 60 years and older in Northern Rivers, New South Wales (site of a previous fall-prevention program; n=1601), and Wide Bay, Queensland (comparison community; n=1601), and (2) 8 focus groups (n=73). RESULTS Participants from the previous intervention site were less likely than were comparison participants to agree that falls are not preventable (odds ratio [OR]=0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.65, 0.90) and more likely to rate the prevention of falls a high priority (OR=1.31; 95% CI=1.09, 1.57). There was no difference between the groups for self-perceived risk of falls; more than 60% rated their risk as low. Those with a low perceived risk were more likely to be men, younger, partnered, and privately insured, and to report better health and no history of falls. Focus group data indicated that older people preferred messages that emphasized health and independence rather than falls. CONCLUSIONS Although older people accepted traditional fall-prevention messages, most viewed them as not personally relevant. Messages that promote health and independence may be more effective.

Six year follow-up of students who participated in a school-based physical activity intervention: a longitudinal cohort study.

BackgroundThe purpose of this paper was to evaluate the long-term impact of a childhood motor skill intervention on adolescent motor skills and physical activity.MethodsIn 2006, we undertook a follow-up of motor skill proficiency (catch, kick, throw, vertical jump, side gallop) and physical activity in adolescents who had participated in a one-year primary school intervention Move It Groove It (MIGI) in 2000. Logistic regression models were analysed for each skill to determine whether the probability of children in the intervention group achieving mastery or near mastery was either maintained or had increased in subsequent years, relative to controls. In these models the main predictor variable was intervention status, with adjustment for gender, grade, and skill level in 2000. A general linear model, controlling for gender and grade, examined whether former intervention students spent more time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity at follow-up than control students.ResultsHalf (52%, n = 481) of the 928 MIGI participants were located in 28 schools, with 276 (57%) assessed. 52% were female, 58% in Grade 10, 40% in Grade 11 and 54% were former intervention students. At follow-up, intervention students had improved their catch ability relative to controls and were five times more likely to be able to catch: ORcatch = 5.51, CI (1.95 – 15.55), but had lost their advantage in the throw and kick: ORthrow = .43, CI (.23 – .82), ORkick = .39, CI (.20 – .78). For the other skills, intervention students appeared to maintain their advantage: ORjump = 1.14, CI (.56 – 2.34), ORgallop = 1.24, CI (.55 – 2.79). Intervention students were no more active at follow-up.ConclusionSix years after the 12-month MIGI intervention, whilst intervention students had increased their advantage relative to controls in one skill, and appeared to maintain their advantage in two, they lost their advantage in two skills and were no more active than controls at follow up. More longitudinal research is needed to explore whether gains in motor skill proficiency in children can be sustained and to determine the intervention characteristics that translate to subsequent physical activity.

DESIGNING AN EVALUATION FOR A MULTIPLE-STRATEGY COMMUNITY INTERVENTION : THE NORTH COAST STAY ON YOUR FEET PROGRAM

Abstract: Evaluation of the North Coast Stay on Your Feet falls prevention program is described as a case study of a comprehensive evaluation design for multi‐strategic community interventions. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to evaluate the program at formative, process and outcome levels. Formative evaluation used literature review, focus groups, mail‐out and telephone survey methods to gather evidence from publications, older people, health workers, local business, media and government bodies. It included an analysis of demographic and hospital databases and identified incidence, causal pathways, knowledge, attitudes, behaviour, consequences and effectiveness of potential strategies. Process evaluation employed auditing, monitoring and telephone surveys to maintain an inventory of intervention activities and to track the reach of the program. Outcome evaluation involved a longitudinal study of intervention and control cohorts, surveyed before, during and after the intervention by telephone to monitor changes in knowledge, attitudes, risk and falls incidence. The survey instrument was designed for both formative and outcome evaluation, and analysis reflected the research design by incorporating repeat measures and adjusting for bias and confounding. Outcome validity was cross‐checked via hospital admission rates. A novel, integrated framework for presenting inputs, activities and outcomes from all stages of the program is described. This framework facilitated feedback to stakeholders and enabled subsequent rapid adjustment of the intervention. Rigorous evaluation combined with clear presentation of findings helped to engender intersectoral support and obtain funding grants for extended implementation and evaluation. It also helped Stay on Your Feet to become a model for other falls prevention programs within Australia and internationally.

Interrater Objectivity for Field-Based Fundamental Motor Skill Assessment

In the past 10 years, a growing body of evidence has linked fundamental motor skills (FMS) proficiency to physical activity participation (Booth et al., 1997; Booth et al., 2006; Okely, 1999; Okely, Booth, & Patterson, 2001; van Beurden et al., 2003; Wrotniak, Epstein, Dorn, Jones, & Kondilis, 2006). With FMS proficiency becoming more significant for understanding factors that may influence young people’s physical activity, instruments and testing methods used in such research must be valid and reliable. Motor skill assessments on children and adolescents tend to be either process or product oriented. Process assessments (e.g., TGMD-2; Ulrich, 2000) are concerned with how the skill is performed (Burton & Miller, 1998), whereas product assessments (e.g., Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency; Bruininks, 1978a, 1978b; or The Movement Assessment Battery for Children M-ABC; Henderson & Sugden, 1992) are based on the skill execution outcome, such as time, distance, or successful attempts (Burton & Miller, 1998). In studies of motor skill proficiency and physical activity, researchers have used both process (Booth et al., 1997; Booth et al., 2006; Okely et al., 2001; van Beurden et al., 2003) and product assessments (Fisher et al., 2005; McKenzie, Sallis, Broyles, Zive, & Nader, 2002; Wrotniak et al., 2006). While both modes are useful in judging the physical competences of children and adolescents, process assessments have the advantage of allowing accurate identification of specific skill components that may need improving (Ulrich, 2000). An important aspect in studies concerning FMS proficiency is interrater objectivity (or interrater reliability), defined as the consistency or agreement in scores obtained from two or more raters (Goodwin, 2001; Posner, Sampson, Caplan, Ward, & Cheney, 1990). In a training setting, interrater objectivity is commonly determined as the relative number of times raters agree with an “expert” rating of skill proficiency (used as a gold standard for comparisons). However, during observation in a field setting, multiple raters may assess FMS proficiency without comparison to an expert rating, so the overall reliability of the raters is key. Additionally, examining the reliability of specific FMSs may help determine which skills are difficult to assess in the field. The Move It Groove It (MIGI) study used the Get Skilled: Get Active process-oriented motor skill assessment (New South Wales Department of Education and Training, 2000) to observe FMSs in a school setting and reported an overall kappa of .61 (van Beurden et al., 2003; van Beurden, Zask, Barnett, & Dietrich, 2002). Interrater reliability was determined during field observation periods on 48 scoring sets for every rater pair (10 raters total); results for each skill were not reported. Other motor skill studies (Booth et al., 1997; Booth et al., 2006; (New South Wales Department of Education and Training, 2000 Okely, 1999; Okely et al., 2001) used Get Skilled: Get Active protocol, but none reported interrater objectivity assessments. The purpose of the current study was to determine interrater objectivity for six FMS using the processoriented motor assessment tool Get Skilled: Get Active by live observation in a school field setting with adolescents. This study was part of a larger project known as the Physical Activity and Skills Study (PASS). Interrater Objectivity for Field-Based Fundamental Motor Skill Assessment

Adolescents’ perception of the relationship between movement skills, physical activity and sport

Movement skill competence is important to organised youth physical activity participation, but it is unclear how adolescents view this relationship. The primary aim of this study was to explore adolescents’ perception of the relationship between movement skills, physical activity and sport, and whether their perceptions differed according to extent of participation in organised physical activities. We recruited 33 (17 male) Grade 11 and 12 students (aged 16 to 18) from two secondary schools in Australia. Focus groups were allocated according to whether or not students participated in organised physical activity, where ‘organised activity’ was defined as activity which involved regular classes, training or competition, was reasonably structured or formal, or had a teacher, instructor or coach. There were three all-male ‘organised’ groups, one mixed-gender ‘organised’ group and one all-female ‘not-organised’ group. Students were asked about their attitudes towards physical activity and sport, the relationship between childhood skill proficiency and later physical activity and their perceptions of the appropriate time taken to learn movement skills. Group discussions lasted for approximately 50 minutes, were recorded and were then transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were read using a constant comparison method, in which quotes were continually compared to other quotes. A thematic analysis was conducted in which the transcripts were analysed inductively. Participation in organised sport had no bearing on opinions regarding whether lack of childhood skill development would negatively impact latter participation. It did, however, subtly influence opinions regarding whether skill could be successfully acquired later in life. When asked whether not having well-developed skills as a child would negatively impact on participation in sport/physical activity later in life, the response was mixed, but this was not related to their involvement in organised sport or activities. Students who believed early skill proficiency related to subsequent activity thought this was due to skill ability and motivation. An alternate view was that subsequent activity did not need to be based on skill proficiency; also, one’s environment might change, resulting in differing opportunities/constraints. Students felt skills could be learnt at any time in life (dependent on motivation), but that learning skills at a younger age would be easier and that skills learnt later would not be as developed. Fear of failure was identified as a barrier to learning when older. We conclude that motivation towards participation in sport and physical activity is affected by adolescents’ perception of their own movement skill ability. Therefore, developing children’s actual and perceived movement skills may help to increase adolescent physical activity. Since those with intrinsic achievement orientations were not as inclined towards organised activity, we may also need to provide physical activity options that resonate with intrinsic achievement motivations.

Falls prevention in rural general practice: what stands the test of time and where to from here?

Objective: General practitioner recall of the 1992–96 ‘Stay on Your Feet’ (SOYF) program and its influence on practice were surveyed five years post‐intervention to gauge sustainability of the SOYF General Practice (GP) component.

Preventing falls among older people : current practice and attitudes among community pharmacists

Objective: Falls among older people are a major cause of injury and death in Australia. Urgent action is required if we are to stem the ‘epidemic’ increase in falls as our population ages. This paper describes current practice and attitudes of community pharmacists in Northern Rivers, New South Wales, in relation to preventing falls.