Sports Physical Education

Background: Human body is still in the process of evolution. Incorrect ergonomics at workplace including working from home is not free from serious long-term health effects. Lockdown during COVID-19 pandemic, people stayed indoors. This has led children to depend on online classes, training and meetings. In view of this, study was undertaken to assess the effects of ergonomic settings on children spending more time on devices. Methods: About 186 children (aged between 10-18 years of both sexes) and their parents volunteered to respond to online survey with a questionnaire covering awareness of parents on ergonomics, problems encountered by children on 'make-shift' workplace adjustments, hours of sitting, screen time, eye-monitor ergonomics, backrest, footrest, keyboard & mouse ergonomics, breaks during work and gadgets they used. Problems encountered by the children were analysed. This was conducted 60 days after the first day of lockdown in Hyderabad (23 March 2020). Results & Discussion: Children spent longer hours on gadgets, on laptops (58%), android / apple phones (20%), desktops (12%) and tablets (10%). Their content on gadgets was 45% curriculum, 35% games and 20% others. Study revealed that parents were unaware of ergonomics and effects on their children. Very few parents understood the correct sitting posture (6%), eye-monitor ergonomics (1%), laptop ergonomics (3%) and (38%) importance of breaks. About 21% of subjects suffered upper back pain, 18% lower back pain, 13% eye strain, 11% headache, 6% had irregular sleep and 6% behavioural changes. Effects of wrong posture during work, repetition, loading and probable cause for pain were discussed in the paper. Conclusion: This pilot exploratory study revealed that parents and students were not aware of ergonomics. In a short duration of two months, lot of them have developed significant problems and this may increase the risk of many painful syndromes in future. These incorrect student-occupation practices may develop into permanent habits. There is a need of inclusion of ergonomics and workplace management in school curriculum, parents and teachers need training in the subject. More controlled studies are required to develop lifestyle strategies to combat these inevitable problems.

Obesity is a complex condition that is caused by a mixture of medical, psychological and environmental factors. Childhood obesity is characterized by rise in the number of fat cells. It is one of today's visible yet neglected Public Health problems with serious health implications such as type2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases that affect individuals in all ages and socioeconomic groups. This was a cross-sectional study aimed at investigating the prevalence of obesity and factors that contribute to its occurrence among school-aged children in Kakamega. The objective of the study was to determine prevalence and risk factors among school aged children attending both private and public schools in Kakamega county. Purposive sampling was used to select the target geographical area, simple random sampling was used to identify twenty-four schools, stratified sampling was used to select the class levels (1-4) and systematic sampling was used to select the target population (400 pupils). Data were collected by use of Structured questionnaire and anthropometric data sheet. Statistical package for social sciences (version 25), Epi-info, Nutri-Survey were used to analyze data. Pearson's Product moment correlation and chi-square was used to test the hypotheses. Results from the test indicated that there was a significant relationship between type of school and obesity (x2= 49.626, p<0.05), there was no significant relationship between gender and obesity (x2=2.867, p>0.05), there was a significant relationship between leisure activity and obesity (x2=4.094, p<0.05) and there was a significant relationship between meals consumed for dinner and obesity (x2=71.123, p<0.05). Pearson product moment correlation results indicated that there was a significant but very weak negative correlation between time spent on physical activity and obesity. (r=0.2, p=0.038). Prevalence of obesity among school-aged children was found to be 25.6% with more boys (27%) being obese than girls (26%). Factors that were associated with the development of obesity were low levels of physical activity and consumption of foods that are dense in carbohydrates and fats. In schools studied 58% of the pupils ate three times in a day although majority of the respondents from public schools had fewer meals in a day than those in private schools. Respondents from public schools were found to be more active than those in private schools.40% of the pupils from public schools spent their time playing while 39% spent their leisure time watching television. This study concludes that prevalence of obesity among school aged children in Kakamega is quite high which compares to rates in most developed countries. There is need to plan for most efficient interventions not only to ensure that we are food secure but also maintain healthy lifestyles and reduce the prevalence of obesity among school-aged children.

Cardio respiratory fitness and body composition are associated with the risk of emergence of cardiovascular diseases. Accordingly, these factors as related to health have been the focus of researchers in the field of Health and Physical Education. The incidence of cardiovascular disease is statistically and physiologically related to obesity. For example, the obese individual has a mortality rate from cardiovascular disease is 2½ times greater than the individual with an average or below average body weight [Fox and Browers, (1989)]. Over the past four decades, there has been an increase in the prevalence of overweight and physical fitness deterioration in adult across all genders, age and racial/ ethnic groups. It can cause many risk factors to health including coronary heart disease, forms of cancer, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, osteoarthritis respiratory problems etc. Low levels of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness are both associated with higher risk of all causes and disease specific mortality [Thune et. al.(1998)]. Aerobic fitness is a very good indicator of cardio respiratory fitness/cardiovascular and exercise tolerance for everyday activities which are largely aerobic for the general population [Zuluaga, (1995)]. It is considered that VO2 max or maximal aerobic capacity is only a single measure of the Abstract Background: Low cardiorespiratory fitness in young adults has emerged as an important factor for developing cardiovascular malfunctioning later in middle age. Increased body fatness as predicted by body mass index is an additional factor for developing cardiovascular diseases. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the cardiorespiratory fitness in terms of VO 2 max in young healthy college females and to study the relation between body mass index and cardiorespiratory fitness. Methodology: Thirty eight (N=38) young healthy college female were selected as subjects for the study from Acharya Prafullay Chandra college, New Barackpore, Kolkata-131. The age of the subjects were ranged from 18 to 23 years. Body mass index was measured as weight (in kilograms) divided by height (in meters) squared. Cardiorespiratory fitness in terms of VO 2 max was measured by Queen's College Step Test (QCT). Height and Weight were measured by Anthropometric rod and Digital Weighing machine (Tanita TM , Model: BC-554). In the present study for the sake of analysis of data mean and standard deviation of the variables were calculated. To test the relationship within the variables coefficient of correlation were calculated. The level of significance was set at p<0.01 level of confidence. For statistical calculations Excel Spread Sheet of windows version 7 will be used. Results: A significant negative correlation was observed between body mass index (BMI) and VO 2 max (ml.kg-1 .min-1). Conclusion: The results suggest the striking effect of fatness on cardiorespiratory functions. Excessive amount of body fat exerts an unfavourable burden on cardiac function and oxygen uptake by working muscles. Low cardiorespiratory fitness in young adults with increased body fat could be a factor for developing cardiovascular malfunction later in middle age.

This meta-analysis included a total of 46 studies, 9,988 athletes, and 1,044 Canadian teams. The results showed a moderate to high positive relationship between social and operational cohesion on the one hand and performance in sport on the other. Albert Carron, AV, Colman, MM, Wheeler, J., & Stevens, D. (2002) (4) Moreover, in analyzing the type of cohesion, Carron and his colleagues reported that social cohesion and cohesion at the task (operative) were related to performance. This means that both dimensions of cohesion are important for performance. On the other hand, there is other research that opposes Carron's notion of meta-analysis, most of which suggests a positive relationship between operational dimension and performance (Bergeles and Hatziharistos, 2003 (5) Mullen and Copper, 1994 (6)) and neglecting the social dimension. For Mullen and Copper The operational dimension remains the most relevant for translating the relationship between cohesion and performance. Through these different conceptual contradictions, we will in this article highlight the dimension (s) that could contribute to developing sports performance in a high-level sports context. To do so, we ask ourselves the following questions and questions : (i) What is the dimension of cohesion (operative, social or general) most relevant for a better performance ? (ii) What are the determining factors for cohesion, operation and social ?

Physically challenge is the consequence of an impairment that may be physically, cognitive, mental, emotional, development or some combination of these. Objective: The purpose of the present study was to examine the health status, peak expiratory flow (PEF) and flexibility, motor fitness component of physically challenge school boy and compare them. Method: A total of ten (N=10) physically challenged boys was chosen randomly for this study, among them ten (N=10) were orthopedically disabled (OC), ten (N=10) were hearing impaired (HI) and ten (N=10) were visual impaired (VI). BMI, PEF, flexibility, motor fitness component were the criterion measure of this study. Mean SD were calculated as descriptive statistics and significance of inter group difference was analysis by ANOVA only 0.05 level was consider to judge the significance of the study. All the statistical procedure was done by the standard statistical software. Result: Result revealed that significant difference exist (P>0.05) in respect of BMI (F=6.5) among this OH,VI, HI. Mean value of challenged pupil was between WHO, IMCMR standard. Result also showed that significant difference exist (0.05 level) in respect of physiological and motor fitness variables among OC, VI and subjects. All group of the physically challenge boys of 14-16years old had lower health standard in respect of national and international standard in respect. Conclusion: The physical challenged boys of 14-16 year old had lower health standard in respect of national and international standard and they are significant difference in physically variables (PEF) and motor fitness variable (Flexibility) and physiological variables among the groups viz. HI,OC AND VI. From the result we revealed that in respect of BMI, physiological and motor fitness variables point of view, I group was more healthy than HI & OC group In respect.

The purpose of this research was to adapt and clarify the criteria of the Greek general assessment framework of the Presidential Decree (P.D.)152/2013 in the physical education subject and to examine the tool"s validity and reliability. Secondary aims were a) the discrimination of the teachers according to their observed performance, and b) the examination of the effect of school grade in teaching effectiveness. The P.D. 152/2013 includes five categories analyzed in 15 criteria on a mixed four-level rubric (Incomplete, Sufficient, Very Good, Excellent). In the current research, the 10 observable criteria of three categories that relate to teaching were used. The criteria were analyzed in detail, clarified and adapted, according to international literature on physical education (PE) teaching effectiveness. Following the step-bystep upgrade of the rubric"s levels (the same indicator at all levels but each time with more qualitative characteristics), 41 indicators were developed. In order to examine the validity and reliability of the adapted tool, trained evaluators observed in person 40 PE lessons taught in early and in upper grades by 20 PE teachers. The lessons were assessed in every indicator of the rubric, and classified in one of the four performance levels. Principal Component Analysis, descriptive statistics, chi-squared and ANOVA tests were carried out to examine the construct validity of the tool. The results revealed that the adapted rubric to the PE subject included the three initial categories, seven criteria and 26 indicators and can be considered as a valid and reliable instrument for assessing PE teachers" effectiveness.