Sylvain Turcotte

Relationship between Eating Behaviors and Physical Activity among Primary and Secondary School Students: Results of a Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND With a view toward developing concerted efforts in fostering healthy eating habits and a physically active lifestyle among young people, a study was carried out to explore associations between eating behavior and physical activity (PA). METHODS In the school district, questionnaires were completed at home by parents of primary school children (N = 8612) and by secondary school youth (N = 5250) during a break in the schedule. The rates of response were 79% and 83%, respectively. Inferential and descriptive analyses were performed. RESULTS The results indicate significant differences between the eating behaviors of young people who engage in 60 minutes of daily PA and those who are sedentary. The physically active children were generally more likely to eat fruit, vegetables, and whole-grain products and to have breakfast (p < .05 among high-school students). The lack of self-confidence (55%) and not enjoying PA (46%) stood out as the greatest obstacles facing adolescents trying to lose weight. CONCLUSION There should be particular actions targeting students in the last half of primary school aimed at developing individual accountability and autonomy with respect to healthy eating and PA. These actions should also consider sex differences and those who have more sedentary lifestyles.

A Multi-Referenced Analysis of the Quality of Learning Climate in Health and Physical Education Student Teaching

Abstract The Learning Climate (LC) is an important component of a favorable learning environment in Health and Physical Education (HPE). Three valid observation systems and the questionnaire for teacher interaction (QTI) were used in conjunction to describe and analyse the nature and quality of the LC prevailing in HPE lessons conducted by 25 student teachers (STs) with high school students (n = 565). Descriptive, correlational and multivariate non parametric techniques were performed. Despite a high mean degree of proximity perceived by the students, LC was rather unfavorable to learning because mean appropriate motor engagement was low. However, a very high degree of proximity and influence at the same time corresponds to learning conditions favorable to appropriate motor engagement. This study helped to identify and to weight the variables which are more closely associated with a positive LC , a topic that should be the focus of HPE initial teacher training.

Skills trained by coaches of Canadian male volleyball teams: A comparison with long-term athlete development guidelines

Volleyball Canada and Volleyball Quebec developed long-term athlete development models in order to guide volleyball coaches concerned with athlete development. These models propose guidelines about the development of skills. However, it has yet to be determined whether coaches apply long-term athlete development guidelines in their coaching practice. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to describe the amount of time devoted to the various skills trained by four volleyball coaches of different levels and to compare these training skills with the long-term athlete development guidelines. The results of this multiple case study (n = 4) indicated that based on long-term athlete development guidelines, (a) college and university coaches over-trained technical skills; (b) high school coaches and university coaches undertrained individual tactical skills; and (c) high school coaches over-trained team tactical skills. Corrective measures that might help coaches apply the long-term athlete development guidelines are changes in the access to training facilities, competition schedules, and coach education programs.