Rock Braithwaite

Tracking of sedentary behaviours of young people: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE To review the empirical evidence concerning the strength of tracking of sedentary behaviours from childhood and adolescence. METHODS Published English language studies were located from computerised and manual searches in 2009. Included studies were prospective, longitudinal studies with at least one sedentary behaviour for at least two time-points, with tracking coefficients reported, and included children (aged 3-11 years) and adolescents (12-18 years) at baseline. RESULTS Based on data from 21 independent samples, tracking coefficients (r) ranged from 0.08 (over 16 years) to 0.73 (over 2 years) for TV viewing, from 0.18 (boys over 3 years) to 0.52 (over 2 years) for electronic game/computer use, from 0.16 (girls over 4 years) to 0.65 (boys over 2 years) for total screen time, and from -0.15 (boys over 2 years) to 0.48 (over 1 year) for total sedentary time. Study follow-up periods ranged from 1 to up to 27 years, and tracking coefficients tended to be higher with shorter follow-ups. CONCLUSIONS Sedentary behaviours track at moderate levels from childhood or adolescence. Data suggest that sedentary behaviours may form the foundation for such behaviours in the future and some may track slightly better than physical activity.

Associations between sedentary behaviour and physical activity in children and adolescents: a meta-analysis

Physical activity and sedentary behaviour are associated with metabolic and mental health during childhood and adolescence. Understanding the inter‐relationships between these behaviours will help to inform intervention design. This systematic review and meta‐analysis synthesized evidence from observational studies describing the association between sedentary behaviour and physical activity in young people (<18 years). English‐language publications up to August 2013 were located through electronic and manual searches. Included studies presented statistical associations between at least one measure of sedentary behaviour and one measure of physical activity. One hundred sixty‐three papers were included in the meta‐analysis, from which data on 254 independent samples was extracted. In the summary meta‐analytic model (k = 230), a small, but significant, negative association between sedentary behaviour and physical activity was observed (r = −0.108, 95% confidence interval [CI] = −0.128, −0.087). In moderator analyses, studies that recruited smaller samples (n < 100, r = −0.193, 95% CI = −0.276, −0.109) employed objective methods of measurement (objectively measured physical activity; r = −0.233, 95% CI = −0.330, −0.137) or were assessed to be of higher methodological quality (r = −0.176, 95% CI = −0.215, −0.138) reported stronger associations, although effect sizes remained small. The association between sedentary behaviour and physical activity in young people is negative, but small, suggesting that these behaviours do not directly displace one another.

The effectiveness of interventions to increase physical activity among young girls: A meta-analysis

CONTEXT Pre-adolescent girls are an important target population for physical activity behaviour change as it may enhance tracking into the crucial period of adolescence. The quantification of intervention effectiveness for this age group of girls has not been previously reported. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION Studies published in English up to and including August 2013 were located from computerised (MedLine, PsychInfo, Science Direct, Web of Science, EPPI centre databases, and Cochrane Library database) and manual searches. Intervention studies aimed at promoting physical activity, which included pre-adolescent girls aged 5-11 years, and a non-physical activity control/comparison group were included. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS A random effects meta-analysis was conducted. The average treatment effect for pre-adolescent girls involved in physical activity interventions was significant but small (g=0.314, p<.001). Moderator analyses showed larger effects for interventions that catered for girls only and used educational and multicomponent strategies. CONCLUSIONS Interventions to increase physical activity in pre-adolescent girls show small but significant effects, suggesting that behaviour change may be challenging, but results suggest some strategies that could be successful.

The Effectiveness of Interventions to Increase Physical Activity Among Adolescent Girls: A Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Research has shown that a clear decline in physical activity among girls starting in early adolescence. Therefore, adolescent girls have been identified as a key target population for physical activity behavior change. The quantification of intervention effectiveness for this group has not been previously reported in a meta-analysis, and this therefore was the objective of the current meta-analysis. STUDY SELECTION Included were interventions in which the main component, or 1 of the components, was aimed at promoting physical activity through behavior change in any setting. Interventions had to include a non-physical activity control group or comparison group, and include a quantitative outcome assessment of physical activity behavior in girls aged 12 to 18 years. DATA SOURCES Science Direct, PubMed, PsychINFO, Web of Science, Cochrane Libraries, and EPPI Centre databases were searched up to and including May 2013. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS Forty-five studies (k = 34 independent samples) were eligible from an initial 13,747 references. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted. RESULTS The average treatment effect for adolescent girls involved in physical activity interventions was significant but small (g = 0.350, 95% confidence interval 0.12, 0.58, P < .001). Moderator analyses showed larger effects for interventions that were theory based, performed in schools, were girls only, with younger girls, used multicomponent strategies, and involved targeting both physical activity and sedentary behavior. CONCLUSIONS Interventions to increase physical activity in adolescent girls show small but significant effects, suggesting that behavior change may be challenging. Results suggest some approaches that appear to be successful.

Computerized neurocognitive testing within 1 week of sport-related concussion: meta-analytic review and analysis of moderating factors.

The purpose of this study is to perform a meta-analysis assessing the effects of sport-related concussion as measured by computerized neurocognitive tests (NCT) 1-week post injury. Thirty-seven studies involving 3960 participants between 2000 and 2011 were included. Hedges g provides an adjusted effect size for smaller sample sizes and was calculated for overall and cognitive task effects, and subgroup analyses were conducted for age, type of NCT, and sport. Concussions had a low negative effect (g = -0.16; p < .001) across all groups, outcomes, and time points. Code substitution (g = -0.27; p < .05), visual memory (g = -0.25; p < .05), processing speed (g = -0.18; p < .05), and memory (g = -0.21; p < .05) tasks demonstrated negative effects for concussion. Younger adolescents had lower (g = -0.29; p < .05) NCT performance than older adolescents (g = -0.01) and college aged athletes (g = -0.11). ImPACT studies (g = -0.19; p < .05) demonstrated a negative effect for concussion as did those involving contact sports (g = -0.20; p < .05). A low to moderate overall effect size of concussion on neurocognitive performance was supported. Subgroup analyses revealed different effect sizes for specific cognitive tasks, types of NCTs, age, and type of sport.

Meta-analytical review of the effects of football heading

Aim/objective The objective of this study was to provide a meta-analysis examining the effects of football heading. Design Meta-analytical review on football heading effects on neurocognitive performance, cognition and symptom reports. Data sources Combinations of the key terms were entered into the following electronic database search engines: Cochrane Libraries, PyscARTICLE, PyscINFO, PubMed, ProQuest, SPORTDiscus and Web of Science on 7 July 2016. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies The following inclusion criteria were used to determine eligibility for studies: (1) the study examined and reported on soccer athletes; (2) the populations age, sex and sport position was described; (3) cognitive function, symptoms, balance or other outcomes were quantitatively measured; (4) football heading exposure was quantitatively measured between at least two groups and (5) the study was written in the English language after December 1979. Results The literature search process identified 467 unique studies. After applying exclusion criteria, 28 studies remained. Included studies had a total of 2288 participants (female participants =933, male participants =1355), aged 13–70 years. The overall results of random effects modelling of football heading were found to be inconclusive across all outcomes, groups and time points. No moderating variables related to methodological, sample or study characteristics were supported in the analysis; age was a potential moderating variable. Summary/conclusions We provide the first meta-analytical review of football heading effects aggregated from multiple studies and extended findings from a recent systematic review of the effects of football heading. Our analysis indicates no overall effect for heading a football on adverse outcomes.

The effect of physical activity interventions on youth with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis: Physical activity interventions

The purpose of this meta‐analysis was to examine the effect of physical activity interventions on youth diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Standard meta‐analytical procedures determining inclusion criteria, literature searches in electronic databases, coding procedures, and statistical methods were used to identify and synthesize articles retained for analysis. Hedges g (1988) was utilized to interpret effect sizes and quantify research findings. Moderator and outcome variables were assessed using coding procedures. A total of 29 studies with 30 independent samples (N = 1009) were utilized in this analysis. Results from meta‐analyses indicated an overall moderate effect (g = 0.62). Several outcomes indicated moderate‐to‐large effects (g ≥ 0.5); specifically, moderate to large positive effects were revealed for participants exposed to interventions targeting the development of manipulative skills, locomotor skills, skill‐related fitness, social functioning, and muscular strength and endurance. Moderator analyses were conducted to explain variance between groups; environment was the only subgrouping variable (intervention characteristics) to produce a significant difference (QB = 5.67, P < 0.05) between moderators. While no significant differences were found between other moderators, several trends were apparent within groups in which experimental groups outperformed control groups. Autism Res 2018, 11: 818–833.