Designed to teach Health, Physical Education, Exercise Science, and Recreation students how to be consumers of research in their fields, this text is ideal for upper level and graduate level research courses in Exercise Science, Kinesiology, and Physical Education. New to the Second Edition are expanded statistics problems and data sets, additional statistics and application examples, and computer applications for data analysis. Key concepts are highlighted, and unique and humorous cartoons are used to help illustrate selected points.
Physical inactivity is a key determinant of health across the lifespan. A lack of activity increases the risk of heart disease, colon and breast cancer, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, osteoporosis, anxiety and depression and others diseases. Emerging literature has suggested that in terms of mortality, the global population health burden of physical inactivity approaches that of cigarette smoking. The prevalence and substantial disease risk associated with physical inactivity has been described as a pandemic. The prevalence, health impact, and evidence of changeability all have resulted in calls for action to increase physical activity across the lifespan. In response to the need to find ways to make physical activity a health priority for youth, the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Physical Activity and Physical Education in the School Environment was formed. Its purpose was to review the current status of physical activity and physical education in the school environment, including before, during, and after school, and examine the influences of physical activity and physical education on the short and long term physical, cognitive and brain, and psychosocial health and development of children and adolescents. Educating the Student Body makes recommendations about approaches for strengthening and improving programs and policies for physical activity and physical education in the school environment. This report lays out a set of guiding principles to guide its work on these tasks. These included: recognizing the benefits of instilling life-long physical activity habits in children; the value of using systems thinking in improving physical activity and physical education in the school environment; the recognition of current disparities in opportunities and the need to achieve equity in physical activity and physical education; the importance of considering all types of school environments; the need to take into consideration the diversity of students as recommendations are developed. This report will be of interest to local and national policymakers, school officials, teachers, and the education community, researchers, professional organizations, and parents interested in physical activity, physical education, and health for school-aged children and adolescents.
Evidence suggests that the first 10 or so years of life create the foundation for subsequent participation in recreational and health-related physical activity. This book brings together researchers and practitioners with expertise in issues related to physical activity, physical education, and sport during the primary/elementary phase of schooling, to explore these important issues. Combining inter-disciplinary perspectives, the book addresses the inherent complexity of researching with young children. It looks at the evidence on development during the first 10 years and how that evidence relates to physical activity and to sport, in pre-school, school and out of school. Finally, the book offers a series of national case studies, from Asia, Europe and Africa, demonstrating the importance of age-appropriate sport and physical activity. This is important reading for any student, researcher, educator or policy maker with an interest in physical activity and health, education in the early years or at primary/elementary level, paediatric exercise science, or youth sport.
This book draws together global scholars, researchers, and practitioners to provide a review and analysis of new directions in physical education and health world-wide. The book provides descriptive information from 40 countries regarding contemporary practices, models, and challenges facing the physical education and health profession globally. This exchange will offer a basis to inform and improve current practices throughout the world.
And examples -- References -- Construct validity in physical activity research / Matthew T. Mahar and David A. Rowe -- Definitional stage -- Confirmatory stage -- Theory-testing stage -- Summary -- References -- Physical activity data : odd distributions yield strange answers / Jerry R. Thomas and Katherine T. Thomas -- Overview of the general linear model and rank-order procedures -- Determining whether data are normally distributed -- Application of rank-order procedures -- Data distributions and correlation -- Extensions of GLM rank-order statistical procedures -- Summary -- Endnote -- References -- Equating and linking of physical activity questionnaires / Weimo Zhu -- What is scale equating? -- Equating methods -- Practical issues of scale equating -- Remaining challenges and future research directions -- Summary -- References.
