Kaarlo Laine

Adolescents’ physical activity at recess and actions to promote a physically active school day in four Finnish schools

The national Finnish Schools on the Move programme support schools with their individual plans to promote school-based physical activity (PA). We examined the changes in adolescents’ recess and overall PA in four lower secondary schools and described the school actions to promote students’ PA and the local contact persons’ perceptions of the effects. Recess and overall PA were assessed four times by anonymous questionnaires from students in grades 7–9 (n = 789) in 2010–12, and local contact persons (n = 7) provided information on school actions with diaries, interviews and surveys. Student data were analysed with descriptive statistics and chi-square tests, and school actions data were analysed with quantitative content analysis. The proportion of students who participated in physical activities at recess at least sometimes increased from 30% to 49% in physically active play and from 33% to 42% in ball games, mostly due to improvements in males’ participation. Females’ participation in recess activities increased in two schools with gender-specific physical activities or facilities. Overall PA levels declined slightly. Organized recess activities, student recess activators and equipment provision and sports facilities development were considered to have affected students’ PA positively. Solutions for getting females more physically active in the school setting are needed.

Recess physical activity and school-related social factors in Finnish primary and lower secondary schools: cross-sectional associations.

BackgroundParticipation in physical activities provides students with opportunities for social interaction and social skills development. The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations of students’ recess physical activity with school-related social factors.MethodsData were collected in 19 schools countrywide in autumn 2010, and 1463 students from grades 4 and 5 (primary school) and from grades 7 and 8 (lower secondary school) completed an anonymous questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to investigate whether self-reported physical activity at recess was associated with peer relationships at school, relatedness to school and school climate. Analyses were adjusted for self-reported overall physical activity and conducted for primary and lower secondary schools. Multi-group analysis was used to test sex differences among the associations.ResultsIn primary school, physical activity at recess was positively associated with peer relationships at school (boys: b = 0.17, p = 0.007 and girls: b = 0.21, p <0.001), relatedness to school (boys: b = 0.18, p = 0.002 and girls: b = 0.24, p <0.001) and school climate (girls: b = 0.17, p = 0.001), after adjusting for overall physical activity. In lower secondary school, physical activity at recess was positively associated with peer relationships at school (boys: b = 0.09, p = 0.006 and girls: b = 0.12, p = 0.010) but not with other school-related social factors. No sex differences were observed in these associations.ConclusionsOur results suggest that students’ participation in physical activities during school recess is positively associated with students’ school-related social factors. In the future, it would be worthwhile to study how physical activity at recess should be organised in order to support the development of school-related social factors.

Changes in physical activity and sedentary time in the Finnish Schools on the Move program: a quasi‐experimental study

The aim of the Finnish Schools on the Move program is to create a more active and pleasant school day through physical activity (PA). In this quasi‐experimental design, we compared changes in moderate‐to‐vigorous‐intensity physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time (ST) during the school day and outside school hours for Grades 1–9 over two academic years in four program schools and two reference schools. Altogether 319 girls and boys aged 7–15 participated in the study between 2010 and 2012. MVPA and ST were measured four times over the 1.5‐year follow‐up period for seven consecutive days, using a hip‐worn ActiGraph accelerometer. Linear growth curve modeling was used to examine the effect of the program on MVPA and ST during follow‐up. School day MVPA increased (P = 0.010) and school day ST decreased (P = 0.008) in program primary schools (Grades 1–6) more compared with the reference schools. The effect sizes (Cohens d) for the difference in change (from the first to the last measurement) were small (d = 0.18 and d = −0.27, respectively). No differences in the changes of leisure‐time or whole‐day MVPA and ST between the program and reference schools were observed during follow‐up. In conclusion, the changes in school day MVPA and ST did not translate into positive effects across the whole day. More effective and longer promotion actions are needed for positive changes in PA and ST, especially in lower secondary schools and for all daily segments.

Associations of subjective social status with accelerometer-based physical activity and sedentary time among adolescents

ABSTRACT This study examined the associations of subjective social status (SSS) with physical activity (PA) and sedentary time (ST) among adolescents. The study population consisted of 420 Finnish adolescents aged 13 to 14 years. The adolescents reported their own SSS within their school (school SSS) and their family’s social position within society (society SSS) based on the youth version of the Subjective Social Status Scale. Adolescents’ moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) and ST were measured objectively by accelerometers and analyzed separately for the whole day and the school day. The associations between SSS and MVPA and ST outcomes were analyzed using multilevel modeling. School SSS was positively associated with whole-day MVPA and negatively associated with school-time ST. Society SSS was not significantly associated with objectively measured MVPA or ST. Both MVPA and ST are important behavioral determinants of health. As an important correlate of MVPA and ST, school SSS should be addressed by providers when discussing obesity risk and healthy behaviors with adolescents.

Bright spots, physical activity investments that work: the Finnish Schools on the Move programme

in English. http://www. liikkuvakoulu. fi/ sites/ default/ files/ liikkuvakoulu_ loppuraportti_ web. pdf 4 Prime Minister’s Office, Finland. Finland, a land of solutions. Government publications. 2015. http:// vnk. fi/ en/ publication? pubid= 6407 5 Haapala HL, Hirvensalo MH, Kulmala J, et al. Changes in physical activity and sedentary time in the Finnish Schools on the Move program: a quasi-experimental study. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2016;27. Epub ahead of

Differences in physical activity at recess and school-related social factors in four Finnish lower secondary schools

Abstract This study investigated the differences in physical activity (PA) at recess and school-related social factors, and described school PA promotion processes and staff experiences at four lower secondary schools from the Finnish Schools on the Move programme. Recess PA, peer relationships at school, relatedness to school, and school climate were assessed via surveys with eighth-grade students in spring 2011 (n = 385) and spring 2013 (n = 373). Local contact people in the school projects (n = 6), school staff (n = 83) and principals (n = 3) provided information on the PA promotion process via telephone interviews and surveys. Differences in student-level data in years 2011 and 2013 were analysed by gender using two-way ANOVA. Data on school processes were analysed using a combination of classification, narrative approach and content analysis. In two of the four schools, male students reported higher levels of recess PA in 2013 compared to 2011. In three schools, school-related social factors did not differ between 2011 and 2013. School cultures and routes towards a more physically active school day differed; the project was highly visible in all schools, but staff participation varied. More research is needed to determine the effective physically active strategies to promote positive social well-being and to enhance staff engagement.

Young athletes’ significant experiences in sport: critical sociological reflections on athlete development

Abstract The aim of this article is to provide a sociological perspective on athlete development by using the theoretical framework of socialization and life course. Significant experiences are used as an interpretational tool to study young athletes’ perceptions of their socialization process. The research data, which were collected at a sports upper secondary school, consist of life historical interviews with 26 young athletes aged 14–17 years. Through content analysis, their significant experiences in sports were divided into four categories and then analyzed further in relation to the Habermasian dualistic reality of the lifeworld and the system. The results were the following. First, normative-institutional experiences were related to the rationalized sports system. They standardize the socialization process as, for example, specialization and progress in the ability-based groups of talent development systems. Second, personal development experiences were related to skills learning and personal recognition, forming lifestyles and overcoming adversities. They emphasize the lifeworld dimension in socialization. Third, social capital experiences were built through family, friends, and coaches, and were utilized as resources in competitive sports. Fourth, unexpected life events consisted of injuries, illnesses, and various social life events, such as the death of a family member. In conclusion, the interpretational perspective of the study expanded the systemic approach to athlete development towards a lifeworld approach to socializing young athletes.