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A diagnosis of gender dysphoria remains the primary requirement for transgender people to receive medical and legal gender affirmation services. Three focus groups conducted in 2018 with transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adolescents were assessed to understand how they define and use the term dysphoria and how the clinical discourse of gender dysphoria relates to their sense of self and overall wellness. The 21 participants (age 12–18) were primarily White (n = 19, 90%; Hispanic n = 2, 10%). Thirteen adolescents had a masculine identity, 2 feminine, and 6 genderqueer/nonbinary. TGD youth understood the clinical definition of gender dysphoria but expanded its use; reported stigma as the cause of some of their dysphoria; and used their conceptualization of dysphoria to find self-acceptance. This study highlights the perceived harm and potential limitations of using diagnostic language to define identity. However, through rescripting and self-definition, TGD youth exercise personal agency and reject stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with pulmonary hypertension (PH) often demonstrate limited exercise capacity. Data support exercise as an effective nonpharmacologic intervention among adults with PH. However, data on exercise training in children and adolescents are limited, and characteristics of the optimal exercise program in pediatric PH have not been identified. Exercise programs may have multiple targets, including muscle deficits which are associated with exercise limitations in both adult and pediatric PH. Wearable accelerometer sensors measure physical activity volume and intensity in the naturalistic setting and can facilitate near continuous data transfer and bidirectional communication between patients and the study team when paired with informatics tools during exercise interventions. To address the knowledge gaps in exercise training in pediatric PH, we designed a prospective, single arm, nonrandomized pilot study to determine feasibility and preliminary estimates of efficacy of a 16‐week home exercise intervention, targeting lower extremity muscle mass and enriched by wearable mobile health technology. The exercIse Training in pulmONary hypertEnsion (iTONE) trial includes (1) semistructured exercise prescriptions tailored to the participant's baseline level of activity and access to resources; (2) interval goal setting fostering self‐efficacy; (3) real time monitoring of activity via wearable devices; (4) a digital platform enabling communication and feedback between participant and study team; (5) multiple avenues to assess participant safety. This pilot intervention will provide information on the digital infrastructure needed to conduct home‐based exercise interventions in PH and will generate important preliminary data on the effect of exercise interventions in youth with chronic cardiorespiratory conditions to power larger studies in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To explore 24-h postexercise glycemia and hypoglycemia risk, data from the Type 1 Diabetes Exercise Initiative Pediatric (T1DEXIP) study were analyzed to examine factors that may influence glycemia. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This was a real-world observational study with participant self-reported physical activity, food intake, and insulin dosing (multiple daily injection users). Heart rate, continuous glucose data, and available pump data were collected. RESULTS: A total of 251 adolescents (42% females), with a mean ± SD age of 14 ± 2 years, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of 7.1 ± 1.3% (54 ± 14.2 mmol/mol), recorded 3,319 activities over ∼10 days. Trends for lower mean glucose after exercise were observed in those with shorter disease duration and lower HbA1c; no difference by insulin delivery modality was identified. Larger glucose drops during exercise were associated with lower postexercise mean glucose levels, immediately after activity (P < 0.001) and 12 to <16 h later (P = 0.02). Hypoglycemia occurred on 14% of nights following exercise versus 12% after sedentary days. On nights following exercise, more hypoglycemia occurred when average total activity was ≥60 min/day (17% vs. 8% of nights, P = 0.01) and on days with longer individual exercise sessions. Higher nocturnal hypoglycemia rates were also observed in those with longer disease duration, lower HbA1c, conventional pump use, and if time below range was ≥4% in the previous 24 h. CONCLUSIONS: In this large real-world pediatric exercise study, nocturnal hypoglycemia was higher on nights when average activity duration was higher. Characterizing both participant- and event-level factors that impact glucose in the postexercise recovery period may support development of new guidelines, decision support tools, and refine insulin delivery algorithms to better support exercise in youth with diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographies of youth have explored multiple modalities of youth political agency, yet privilege apolitical or progressive forms of politics. We propose expanding the scholarship to formal arenas where conservative and reactionary politics are practiced, as these form another significant domain within which youths exercise citizenship. The paper draws on two aspects of the 'lived citizenship' framework developed by Kirsi Kallio and colleagues?: a desire to rescale society to the strictures of nation-state sovereignty and imagined national heritage (spatial aspect), and provocations of despised 'globalists' (performative aspect). We analyze these through the former youth wing of Finland's populist-right party, Perussuomalaiset Nuoret (Finns Youth). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical and psychological load of small-sided games (SSGs) can affect players' neuromuscular and cognitive functions. Yet, little is known about the acute performance changes after such a specific exercise in young soccer players and their association with exercise load applied. This study investigates i) the neuromuscular and perceptual-cognitive response to the SSG exercise load, and ii) the relationship between pre- and post-SSG changes in variables of performance and the respective exercise load in youth soccer players. Sixteen participants (13.6 ± 0.5 years) underwent a 30-min SSG 4v4 + GK protocol. Prior to and after the SSG they performed countermovement jump (CMJ), planned and reactive Y-shaped agility tests (PA, RA), and go/no-go task (GNG). Their subjective perception of fatigue was evaluated by visual analog scale. Fatigue induced by SSG (perception of fatigue increased by 41.56%, p = .001, g = 4.15) increased PA time (4.04%, p = .002, g = .97), RA time (6.45%, p = .003, g = 1.16), and number of errors in the response inhibition task (87.1%, p = .023, rc = .57), whilst decreased CMJ height (-6.65%, p = .014, g = .56). These performance deteriorations were not significantly associated with neither internal nor external load variables. However, a less pronounced drop in performance was related to external load variables, i.e., ΔCMJ height and ΔRA time correlated with very high-speed running (rs = .66, p = .006; rs = -.50, p = .022; respectively) and maximal speed (r = .54, p = .032; r = -.52, p = .037; respectively), whilst ΔPA time was associated with high-intensity accelerations (rs = -.76, p = .002). These findings indicate that fatigue induced by SSG affects both planned and reactive agility, decision-making in response inhibition task, and explosive strength in youth soccer players regardless of significant contribution of any robust internal or external load variables. Nonetheless, high-intensity actions within SSG partially compensate for the decrements in their agility performance and explosive strength. The load variables encountered during SSG do not fully reflect youth players' neuromuscular and perceptual-cognitive responses to sport-specific exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social studies education research lauds the importance of schools as spaces to practice democratic values while also largely ignoring the agency youth exercise to shape their lives in the present. This article explores how young people organize and enact democratic practices within youth-mediated contexts in schools by examining the pedagogy of solidarity that adults must enact to support youths' visions of democratic life. This qualitative study examines youth organizers' response to the murder of a Black man in their community and how adults acted in solidarity or against their civic action. The findings elucidate how youth organizing and action can be re-framed as democratic actions and what it takes for adults to make this epistemic and ontological maneuver. The article concludes with a discussion about implications for social studies research when centering youth agency, as well as an analysis of social education beyond the classroom and adult-centered understandings of democratic education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youths' affinity for snack foods is well-documented; in various contexts, they sell chips, candy, and other goods. Adults may frame such sales as either entrepreneurial or deviant, which can contribute to positive youth development (on one hand) or cycles of disengagement and criminalization (on the other). Drawing on ethnographic and interview data from Hamilton High School, I show how adults' criminalization of snack sales led the activity to more closely resemble that which they feared: drug sales. Snack sales constitute one way in which youth exercise agency in the face of broad institutional control, leading some to challenge the legitimacy of the school overall. These findings represent a case of how youth experience "criminalized childhoods" in a school context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graded exertion testing (GXT) is an important tool for concussion management, as it is used to personalize post-concussion exercise prescription and return athletes to sport. However, most GXT requires expensive equipment and in-person supervision. Our objective was to assess the safety and feasibility of the Montreal Virtual Exertion (MOVE) protocol, a no-equipment, virtually compatible GXT, in healthy children and children with subacute concussion. The MOVE protocol consists of seven stages of bodyweight and plyometric exercises performed for 60 sec each. Twenty healthy (i.e., non-concussed) children completed the MOVE protocol virtually over Zoom Enterprise. Next, 30 children with subacute concussion (median: 31.5 days post-injury) were randomized to the MOVE protocol or Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test (BCTT), which increases the incline or speed of the treadmill every minute until maximum exertion. Out of an abundance of caution, all concussed participants completed the MOVE protocol in an in-person clinical space. However, the test evaluator was stationed in a different room within the clinic and administered the MOVE protocol using Zoom Enterprise software to mimic telehealth conditions. Safety and feasibility outcomes were recorded throughout GXT, including heart rate, rate of perceived exertion (RPE), and symptom outcomes. No adverse events were recorded, and all feasibility criteria were successfully met in healthy youth and youth with concussion. Among concussed youth, increases in heart rate (MOVE: 82.4 ± 17.9 bpm, BCTT: 72.1 ± 23.0 bpm; t(28) = 1.36, p = 0.18), RPE (MOVE: 5.87 ± 1.92, BCTT: 5.07 ± 2.34, t(28) = 1.02, p = 0.32), and overall symptom presentation were similar between the MOVE and BCTT protocols. The MOVE protocol is a safe and feasible GXT in healthy youth and youth with subacute concussion. Future studies should assess the fully virtual administration of the MOVE in children with concussion, MOVE protocol tolerability in children with acute concussion, and whether the MOVE protocol can be used to guide individualized exercise prescription. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One uniquely marginalizing school environment for sexual and gender diverse (SGD) youth is school based sex education (SBSE). While research has documented the negative sexual and mental health impacts these marginalizing environments can have for SGD youth, we know less about the developmental competencies that this population of youth exercises to survive in and cope with these environments. In this paper, we aim to answer the following question: What are the developmental competencies that SGD youth exercise in sex education spaces? We conducted focus groups with SGD youth (n = 17) in a Midwestern metropolitan region. Our study documents youth exercising six adaptive competencies to persevere through oppressive SBSE. Our data holds several scholarly and practical implications. In our discussion section, we present recommendations for creating inclusive and affirming school environments and nurturing these competencies in youth. Practitioner points: Sexual and gender diverse (SGD) youth endure oppression and marginalization in school‐based sex education (SBSE).SGD youth exercise adaptive competencies (knowledges and/or skills) to navigate through SBSE.Practitioners who work with youth are in unique positions to nurture these adaptive competencies in SGD youth, and to advocate for more equitable educational environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographic racism gives rise to health inequities that impact communities in detrimental ways. Southern ethnic minority groups, particularly African American/Black semi‐rural communities, are subject to especially unjust outcomes in health, education, and wealth. Asset‐based community development (ABCD) is a way of engaging with communities in participatory and positive ways that center community voices as expert. Youth can participate in ABCD, are sensitive to the ways in which their communities are structured, and have insights as to how to improve the places they live. We undertook a qualitative interview study which included a cognitive mapping exercise with 28 youth to understand how African American/Black youth who had participated in an ABCD‐informed summer program conceptualized community and preferences about where they lived. Using a phenomenological approach to qualitative analysis, our study revealed that many youth defined community as a combination of people and place, enjoyed engaging with unique resources in their communities as well as seeking peace and quiet, experienced hardships as "something everybody knows" when observing constraints on their communities, and were committed to their communities and interested in seeing—and participating in—their flourishing. Our study provides a nuanced and contemporary understanding of the ways in which African American/Black semi‐rural youth experience community which can contribute to cyclical asset‐based development strategy aimed at empowering young people and improving health outcomes in resilient communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the impact of habitual exercise on cerebrovascular health in children and adolescents. The authors conducted a study to investigate cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebrovascular reactivity to carbon dioxide in youth, taking into account different stages of maturation. The study found that endurance-trained youth had higher global CBF at rest compared to untrained counterparts, and cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with global CBF in mature adolescents. The findings suggest that exercise training in adolescents may be necessary to counteract the negative consequences of higher sedentary time on cerebral haemodynamics. The study provides important insights into the role of exercise in promoting cerebrovascular health in youth. [Extracted from the article]

Sleep–wake stability is imbalanced with natural aging, and microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and aging; however, the biological functions of miRNAs in regulating aging-related sleep–wake behavior remain unexplored. This study varied the expression pattern of dmiR-283 in Drosophila and the result showed that the aging decline in sleep–wake behavior was caused by the accumulation of brain dmiR-283 expression, whereas the core clock genes cwo and Notch signaling pathway might be suppressed, which regulate the aging process. In addition, to identify exercise intervention programs of Drosophila that promote healthy aging, mir-283SP/+ and Pdf > mir-283SP flies were driven to perform endurance exercise for a duration of 3 weeks starting at 10 and 30 days, respectively. The results showed that exercise starting in youth leads to an enhanced amplitude of sleep–wake rhythms, stable periods, increased activity frequency upon awakening, and the suppression of aging brain dmiR-283 expression in mir-283SP/+ middle-aged flies. Conversely, exercise performed when the brain dmiR-283 reached a certain accumulation level showed ineffective or negative effects. In conclusion, the accumulation of dmiR-283 expression in the brain induced an age-dependent decline in sleep–wake behavior. Endurance exercise commencing in youth counteracts the increase in dmiR-283 in the aging brain, which ameliorates the deterioration of sleep–wake behavior during aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exercise training can induce adaptive changes to tendon tissue both structurally and mechanically; however, the underlying compositional changes that contribute to these alterations remain uncertain in humans, particularly in the context of the ageing tendon. The aims of the present study were to determine the molecular changes with ageing in patellar tendons in humans, as well as the responses to exercise and exercise type (eccentric (ECC) and concentric (CON)) in young and old patellar tendon. Healthy younger males (age 23.5 ± 6.1 years; n = 27) and older males (age 68.5 ± 1.9 years; n = 27) undertook 8 weeks of CON or ECC training (3 times per week; at 60% of 1 repetition maximum (1RM)) or no training. Subjects consumed D2O throughout the protocol and tendon biopsies were collected after 4 and 8 weeks for measurement of fractional synthetic rates (FSR) of tendon protein synthesis and gene expression. There were increases in tendon protein synthesis following 4 weeks of CON and ECC training (P < 0.01; main effect by ANOVA), with no differences observed between young and old males, or training type. At the transcriptional level however, ECC in young adults generally induced greater responses of collagen and extracellular matrix-related genes than CON, while older individuals had reduced gene expression responses to training. Different training types did not appear to induce differential tendon responses in terms of protein synthesis, and while tendons from older adults exhibited different transcriptional responses to younger individuals, protein turnover changes with training were similar for both age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Physical Activity Research Center developed a research agenda that addresses youth physical activity (PA) and healthy weight, and aligns with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health. This paper summarizes prioritized research studies with a focus on youth at higher risk for inactive lifestyles and childhood obesity in urban and rural communities. Methods: Systematic literature reviews, a survey, and discussions with practitioners and researchers provided guidance on research questions to build evidence and inform effective strategies to promote healthy weight and PA in youth across race, cultural, and economic groups. Results: The research team developed a matrix of potential research questions, identified priority questions, and designed targeted studies to address some of the priority questions and inform advocacy efforts. The studies selected examine strategies advocating for activity-friendly communities, Play Streets, park use, and PA of youth in the summer. A broader set of research priorities for youth PA is proposed. Conclusion: Establishing the Physical Activity Research Center research agenda identified important initial and future research studies to promote and ensure healthy weight and healthy levels of PA for at-risk youth. Results will be disseminated with the goal of promoting equitable access to PA for youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims at exploring the impact of a biometric program to develop certain physical and motor abilities for the group of youths in football. The sample of the research consists of (20) players of youth groups of Afak Club that has participated in the Iraqi first League season. The training method has been used after dividing the sample into two groups: experimental and control, (10) player for each one as well as for the pretest and the post-test. The period of the training method lasts for (8) weeks, (3) units per a week. (L) is used for cross=linked samples to be acquainted with the difference between pre/post measurement of tests under study, as well as in accordance with each one of these groups; (L) test is used for independent samples in favor of finding differences among the individuals of the two groups (the experimental and control) for pre-measurement. It is shown that there are significant differences at the level of significance (0.05) between pretest and posttest for the impact of the program under study for the experimental group to develop some physical and motor abilities. There are also some significant differences at the level of significance (0.05) for post-measurement between experimental and control groups for the same purpose concerning the sample of the research and in the interest of the experimental group. It is highly recommended by the researchers that the biometric program as a means of promoting and improving physical and motor abilities for the group of youths in football. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although well‐evidenced in older adults, the effects of exercise on the hippocampus in youth are relatively unknown. This study examined the impact of a 6‐month school‐based physical activity intervention on hippocampal metabolism in adolescents using magnetic resonance spectroscopy. A subset of lower fit older adolescents [N = 56, 61% female, 16.1 ± 0.4 years] was included from four secondary schools (10 classes) in New South Wales, Australia, who were participating in a larger cluster randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomized to the Burn 2 Learn (B2L) intervention (five classes, 30 participants) or a control group (five classes, 26 participants). Changes in hippocampal metabolism were assessed using linear mixed models adjusted for clustering at the class level. We observed group‐by‐time effects for the B2L intervention on N‐acetylaspartate (NAA) (+2.66 mmol/L, 95% CI 0.20 to 5.11, d = 0.66) and glutamate+glutamine (Glx) (+3.38 mmol/L, 95% CI 0.34 to 6.42, d = 0.67) in the left hippocampus. Increases in left hippocampal NAA and Glx concentrations were associated with improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness (NAA: rs = 0.52, p =.016; Glx: rs = 0.57, p =.007), lower body muscular fitness (NAA: rs = 0.49, p =.018; Glx: rs = 0.59, p =.003), and working memory (NAA: rs = 0.42, p =.032; Glx: rs = 0.43, p =.028) in the intervention group. Our findings suggest physical activity may improve hippocampal metabolism in lower fit older adolescents with implications for working memory. Further studies involving larger samples are needed to replicate our findings. Participation in physical activity has small positive effects on measures of brain and cognition in youth, but the mechanisms are not well understood. This is the first study to examine the effects of an exercise intervention on adolescents' hippocampal metabolism using magnetic resonance spectroscopy and provides evidence for potential mechanisms linking participation in physical activity with enhanced executive function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth organizing can generate tangible improvements in community conditions and institutions while simultaneously promoting positive development among participants and contributing to broader movements for social change. Yet, organizing initiatives must navigate an array of challenges as they seek to continuously engage new leaders to build on the accomplishments of their predecessors who are aging out of youth organizing. This study examines the leadership development ecosystem enabling an exemplary youth organizing initiative to persist, expand, and enhance its impact over 15 years. Analyses of interviews with 19 adolescent and young adult participants reveal that engagement often begins before high school and continues long afterward, with more established older leaders playing a variety of roles to engage younger participants and support their development as leaders. Findings suggest practical strategies that can enhance the sustainability of these initiatives, which are key to the development and exercise of youth power for social justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a key part of promoting the physical health of the people and promoting social progress, sports has ushered in comprehensive vitality. More and more people's attention has been paid to the physical health status, especially the physical status of young people. In the field of physical fitness monitoring, although the state has continuously increased investment in human and financial resources, it still cannot meet the needs of the market. This study mainly discusses the monitoring of youth sports physique by intelligent medical robots based on cognitive computing. This study introduces the development and implementation process of the management system and the test planning of the system. It focuses on the realization of the scalable architecture of the system server application and the communication mechanism of the intelligent terminal application. With the development of collaborative computing, social computing, and the ever-changing demands of human-computer interaction, it is difficult for a single user to take into account the interactive tasks in complex scenarios. The collaborative interaction of multiusers has gradually been paid more and more attention. Teenagers can log in to the intelligent medical robot system or mobile phone terminal to make health test appointments, score inquiries, and prescription inquiries. Its display module displays different contents according to different login identities. For teenagers, it is necessary to check personal physical test results and have a position on their physical health. Through the intelligent medical robot system, the administrator records and analyzes the results of the youth health test and gives appropriate exercise prescriptions for the youth. This not only analyzes the functional requirements that meet the basic user needs, but also analyzes the nonfunctional requirements that meet the most basic security, stability, and robustness of the software. Intelligent medical systems can effectively help people learn medical knowledge better in today's postepidemic era. It also helps people to conduct self-diagnosis and self-examination of minor diseases to a certain extent, so as to improve their own health. From the functional requirements, each module of the intelligent medical robot system is functionally described. From a nonfunctional point of view, the design and implementation meet the performance requirements of client-side robustness, maintainability, and stability. Finally, the system architecture of the intelligent medical robot is designed, and the specific database table is given. During the research, 20% of the students believed that their physical condition had been improved through physical health monitoring. The state of national physique can reflect a part of the country's comprehensive national strength to a certain extent. Throughout history, the overall development trend of a society and a country is constrained by the two factors of the group's constitution and economic development. This research will contribute to the physical and mental development of adolescents. The robot designed in this paper meets the requirements of a large number of students' centralized testing and is more accurate, faster, and more convenient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the relationship between youth aerobic exercise and obesity reduction, an improved ant colony algorithm-oriented aerobic exercise method was proposed. Firstly, the changes in body shape, weight, BMI, body fat, body circumference, and other indicators of obese adolescents before and after aerobic exercise were used as the initial pheromone distribution matrix, and the random evolution factor and evolutionary drift threshold were introduced to establish the target function of reducing obesity caused by aerobic exercise in adolescents. The constraint conditions of the relationship between aerobic exercise and adolescent obesity reduction were explained, and the particle algorithm was introduced to establish the optimal model of aerobic exercise for adolescent obesity reduction. The experimental results show that with the increasing number of experiments, the advantages of this method are more obvious. From the overall level, the average modeling error of this method is about 0.053%, while the average error of the traditional method is about 0.186%, which shows that this method can control the error within a reasonable range, and it is proved that the improved ant colony algorithm can have a good correlation with the method of aerobic exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The given document is a list of banquet speakers for the Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association from 1981 to 2023. The speakers cover a wide range of topics, including cultural history, arts and crafts, medical history, illness and presidents, journalism, gardening, and space exploration. The list includes speakers from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, providing valuable insights into various subjects. [Extracted from the article]

Aim: To describe the quality and completeness of the description and reporting of physical activity and exercise interventions delivered to young people to promote mental health or treat mental illness. Methods: We conducted a series of scoping reviews identifying 64 controlled trials of physical activity and exercise interventions delivered to young people. We extracted: intervention characteristics, personnel and delivery format, the intensity, duration, frequency and type of physical activity or exercise. Results: There was limited reporting of intervention details across studies; 52% did not provide information to confidently assess intervention intensity, 29% did not state who delivered the intervention, and 44% did not specify the intervention delivery format. Conclusions: We recommend that authors adhere to the CONSORT reporting requirements and its intervention reporting extensions, (a) the Template for Intervention Description and Replication, (b) Consensus for Exercise Reporting Template and (c) as part of this, detail the frequency, intensity, time and type of physical activity recommendations and prescriptions. Without this, future trials are unable to replicate and extend previous work to support or disconfirm existing knowledge, leading to research waste and diminishing translation and implementation potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Regulation of cerebral blood flow during exercise in youth is poorly understood. This study investigated the cerebrovascular and ventilatory responses to a ramp incremental cycle test to exhaustion in 14 children (means ± SD age: 9.4 ± 0.9 yr), 14 adolescents (12.4 ± 0.4 yr), and 19 adults (23.4 ± 2.5 yr). Middle cerebral artery blood velocity (MCAv), partial pressure of end-tidal CO2 (PETCO2), and ventilatory parameters were analyzed at baseline, gas exchange threshold (GET), respiratory compensation point (RCP), and exhaustion. The increase in minute ventilation relative to CO2 production during exercise was also calculated (V_E/VCO2 slope). Relative change from baseline (D%) in MCAv was lower in children, compared with adolescents and adults at GET [15 ± 10% vs. 26 ± 14%, and 24 ± 10%, respectively, P ≤ 0.03, effect size (d) = 0.9] and RCP (13 ± 11% vs. 24 ± 16% and 27 ± 15%, respectively, P ≤ 0.05, d 0.8). D%MCAv was similar in adults and adolescents at all intensities and similar in all groups at exhaustion. The magnitude of the VE/V CO2 slope was negatively associated with D%MCAv at GET and RCP across all participants (P ≤ 0.01, r = Δ0.37 to Δ0.48). D%PETCO2 was smaller in children and adolescents compared with adults at GET and RCP (P ≤ 0.05, d≥0.6). In children, D%PETCO2 and D%MCAv were not associated from baseline-GET (r = 0.14) and were moderately associated from RCP-exhaustion (r = 0.49). These relationships strengthened with increasing age and were stronger in adolescents (baseline-GET: r = 0.47, RCP-exhaustion: r = 0.62) and adults (baseline-GET: r = 0.66, RCP-exhaustion: r = 0.78). These findings provide the first evidence on the development of the regulatory role of PETCO2 on MCAv during exercise in children, adolescents, and adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little information exists as to the exercise intensity that adolescents enjoy and whether identifiable subgroups of adolescents will choose higher-intensity exercise. Methods: Healthy adolescents (N = 74; mean age = 11.09 years) completed a cardiorespiratory fitness test, a moderate-intensity exercise task, and an exercise task at an intensity that felt "good." Heart rate (HR), work rate (WR), and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were assessed every 3 minutes. Results: During the "feels good" task, adolescents exercised at a HR recognized as beneficial for cardiovascular health (mean HR = 66% to 72% of HR at VO2peak). Adolescents who experienced a positive affective shift during the moderate-intensity task engaged in higher-intensity exercise during the feels-good task as compared with those whose affective response to moderate-intensity exercise was neutral or negative (76% of peak HR vs. 70% of peak HR, P < .01).There was no difference between groups in RPE. Conclusions: Adolescents tend to select an exercise intensity associated with fitness benefits when afforded the opportunity to choose an intensity that feels good. An identified subgroup engaged in higher-intensity exercise without a commensurate perception of working harder. Encouraging adolescents to exercise at an intensity that feels good may increase future exercise without sacrificing fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is unclear how different exercise intensities affect cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in obese adolescents. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of high-intensity (HIT) vs. low-intensity (LIT) aerobic training on CVD risk factors in obese adolescents. Methods: Forty-three obese adolescents (age: 15.7 ± 1.3 years, BMI: 34.3 ± 4.1kg/m²) participated this study either HIT (corresponding to ventilatory threshold I; N = 20) or LIT (20% below ventilatory threshold I; N = 23) for 12 weeks. All sessions were isocaloric (350 kcal). All participants received the same nutritional, psychological, and clinical counseling. Subjects were assessed in fatness, fitness, lipid profile, and glucose at baseline and after 12 weeks. The CVD risk factors assessed were waist circumference (WC), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), glucose, and fitness, which were single and clustered analyzed (z scores sum). Results: Body mass, Body Mass Index, fatness, and WC were improved (P < .001) in both groups. The sum of z scores (WC + TC + glucose-fitness-HDL) improved in both HIT (12 weeks = -2.16 SD; Cohen's d = .45) and LIT (12 weeks = -2.13 SD; Cohen's d = .60) without groups differences. Changes in fitness were associated with changes in WC (r = -.48; P = .003). Conclusion: HIT does not promote any additional improvements in CVD risk factors than LIT in obese adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• IHE appeared to limit the drop in glycemia compared to CME during exercise. • No symptomatic hypoglycemic episode occurred during CME and IHE. • CME transiently reduced level 2 hyperglycemia compared with inactive days. From an early age, exercise is key to managing type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, hypoglycemia around aerobic exercise is a major barrier to physical activity in children. We explore whether intermittent high-intensity aerobic exercise (IHE), designed to mimic spontaneous childhood physical activity patterns, offers better protection against glycemic drop than continuous moderate-intensity exercise (CME). Five boys and 7 girls with T1D (9.8 ± 1.4y) performed ergo cycle-based randomized CME and IHE of identical duration and total mechanical load [50 %PWC 170 vs. 15sec(150 %PWC 170)/30 sec passive recovery; both during two 10-min sets, 5 min in-between]. Capillary glycemia during exercise and interstitial glucose during recovery were compared between exercises and an inactive condition, controlling for baseline glycemia, carbohydrate and insulin. The exercise-induced decrease in capillary glycemia was attenuated by 1.47 mmol·L−1 for IHE vs. CME (P < 0.05). No symptomatic hypoglycemic episodes occurred during exercises. Post-exercise time in hypoglycemia did not differ between conditions. During early recovery, CME reduced time spent > 16.7 mmol·L−1 compared with inactive days (P < 0.05; CME: 0 %; IHE: 16,7 %; INACTIVE: 41,7 %). IHE appeared to limit the glycemic drop compared to CME. Performing 20-min CME or IHE was not associated with increased hypoglycemic risk compared to being inactive. CME appeared even transiently protective against serious hyperglycemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study was conducted as a pilot exercise intervention in youth at‐risk for serious mental illness (SMI). The objectives were to examine the feasibility of an exercise intervention and to determine what improvement was observed, following participation in a moderate‐ to high‐intensity aerobic exercise programme. Methods: Forty‐four male and female youth at‐risk for SMI were recruited. Participants completed clinical, lifestyle and fitness assessments prior to and following a 16‐week moderate‐ to high‐intensity aerobic exercise intervention. Sixty‐minute exercise sessions were held three times per week. Results: Forty‐one participants completed the entire intervention and assessments; thus, the retention rate was 93.2%. Exercise participants achieved a mean of 98.3 (standard deviation (SD) 26.1) minutes/week of high‐intensity and a mean of 32.8 (SD 8.7) minutes/week of moderate‐intensity aerobic exercise over the course of 16 weeks. Improvements in aerobic fitness and body composition as well as reductions in anxiety and depression were observed after the exercise intervention. Conclusion: Aerobic exercise is a feasible and sound intervention strategy in youth at‐risk for SMI. Further research is required to expand upon these initial findings and develop knowledge of the mechanisms, optimum dose and factors that influence the efficacy of exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The morning recess period during school days represents a regular opportunity to accumulate physical activity (PA). However, little is known about the contribution of recess to PA guidelines (60 min/day in moderate-to-vigorous PA [MVPA]) in adolescents. Methods: This study comprised 1065 Spanish adolescents (52% girls), aged 13 to 16 years. Adolescents completed a validated Recess PA Recall in 2007-2008. Differences in levels of PA during the recess period were analyzed by gender, age group, type of school, school location, immigrant status, weight status, fitness levels and snack eating during recess. Results: Adolescent boys spent more time in MVPA (7.7 vs. 6.4 min in MVPA, P = .009) and were more active (29.6% vs. 24.5% in MVPA, P = .007) than girls during the recess period. Adolescent boys in the youngest age group and with the school located in cities were more active than their peers (all P < .05). There were no differences in levels of PA during recess by all the descriptive characteristics in adolescent girls (all P > .05). Conclusions: These findings suggest that recess in Spanish high schools may contribute to the daily recommended MVPA for adolescents, but greater efforts must be implemented to increase PA levels among adolescent girls during this school period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Leisure-time physical activity is a term used by physical activity researchers to describe physical activity undertaken during nonwork time. In this study we explore how young people speak about physical activity in relation to leisure. Methods: Eight focus groups and one group interview were conducted with 50 participants aged 16-26 years. Participants included males and females, rural and urban dwellers, and a mixture of active/inactive young people. Focus group transcripts underwent an iterative thematic analysis. Results: Participants found it difficult to recognize leisure time activities in their day to day lives and only rarely mentioned their physical activity involvement when asked about leisure time activities. When discussing physical activity study participants commonly focused on high intensity physical activity such as sport and gym use. Three major themes relating to leisure and physical activity were identified: the meanings ascribed to physical activity, the experience of physical activity, and routines of participation. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the relationship between physical activity and leisure is complex and the term leisure with its associated concepts of satisfaction, relaxation and pleasure may not accurately refect the way young people view their participation in physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most children in the United States receive far less physical activity (PA) than is optimal. In rural, under resourced areas of Appalachian Kentucky, physical inactivity rates are significantly higher than national levels. We sought to understand children's perceptions of PA, with the goal of developing culturally appropriate programming to increase PA. Methods: During 11 focus groups, we explored perspectives on PA among 63 Appalachian children, ages 8-17. Sessions were tape recorded, transcribed, content analyzed, and subjected to verification procedures. Results: Several perspectives on PA emerged among these rural Appalachian youth, including the clear distinction between PA (viewed as positive) and exercise (viewed as negative) and an emphasis on time and resource factors as barriers to adequate PA. Additional PA determinants expressed in the focus groups are similar to those of other populations. We include children's recommendations for appealing PA programs. Conclusions: Appalachian and other rural residents contend with the loss of rural health advantages (due to declines in farming/other occupational and a vocational transitions). At the same time, Appalachian residents have not benefitted from urban PA facilitators (sidewalks, recreational facilities, clubs and organized leisure activities). Addressing low PA levels requires extensive community input and creative programming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: This work analyzes the current state of the physical rehabilitation field focused on the techniques, devices, and methods used with children and adolescents. Moreover, we present improvements of a gamification-based software prototype for home rehabilitation of young patients, based on this study and a previous experiment. Physical rehabilitation of people who suffer from some motor disability involves an intensive treatment to reduce pain and improve quality of life. Research studies have proven the benefits of technologies based on home-rehabilitation, which complement regular therapy in hospitals. Although there is a significant number of studies that face this challenge when dealing with adults, it has not been explored with young people. In this research article, we focus on this population, since the repetition of physical exercises decreases the youth's motivation, which entails a high risk of dropping out of therapy. That is why we present a systematic mapping study of the techniques, devices, and methods used to address home rehabilitation for children and teenagers. The conclusions indicate that it is essential to use gamification techniques to adopt a plug-and-play metaphor, based on natural interaction mechanisms and on the use of non-intrusive devices, and to customize the rehabilitation process for each individual along with a methodology. We also present the improvements applied to an existing gamification-based software prototype for home rehabilitation. In this system, physical exercises can be customized, laying the foundations to promote precision rehabilitation within the context of young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wearing barefoot-style (minimalist) shoes is suggested as a transition between wearing shoes and barefoot running. Some sources equate wearing Vibram FiveFingers™(VFFs), a brand of barefoot shoes, with running/walking barefoot. Static and dynamic balance exercises are recommended. Little information is available on the effects barefoot shoes may have on dynamic balance. This study's purpose was to examine dynamic balance when participants wore VFFs, athletic shoes, or went barefoot (BF). To test dynamic balance, participants used a modified version of the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT), in which the reaching leg followed only three spokes of the test: the anterior, posteromedial and posterolateral. For the timed test, participants touched down as quickly as possible in both directions using all 8 spokes. Thirty participants (ages 24.1+/-3.71 years) without lower extremity injury or experience wearing minimalist shoes were tested using the modified SEBT and a timed test wearing VFFs™, athletic shoes, or BF. Three trials for each footwear were completed for three reaching positions: anterior, posterolateral, posteromedial. The timed test measured (seconds) one counterclockwise and one clockwise direction of the 8-spoke figure. A repeated measures analysis of variance determined if any differences existed between footwear type and studied variables. Anterior reach was significantly greater when wearing shoes than with VFF or BF. Posteromedial reach was greater with shoes than BF. Time trials were not significantly different. Because no difference was found in any measured variables between VFF and BF, the results suggest wearing VFFS™ provided similar dynamic balance as going barefoot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the convergent validity of the PLAYfun tool, a physical literacy-based measure of movement competence, by examining its association with objectively measured physical activity in a sample of children and youth. Method: Participants included 110 children between the ages of seven to 14 years attending a stratified random sample of 27 afterschool programs across the province of Ontario, Canada. The PLAYfun tool was administered to the participants on one occasion at their afterschool program and then they were asked to wear a pedometer for seven consecutive days to measure their physical activity levels. A series of multiple linear regression models were used to examine the association between PLAYfun scores and physical activity, while controlling for age, sex, and time of year (season) in which the data were collected. Results: On its own, the PLAYfun average score accounted for close to 13% of the variance in physical activity, R = .36, R2 = .13, p < .001. The PLAYfun average score was also a significant independent predictor of physical activity, b (SE) = 145.98 (53.46), p < .01, when controlling for age, sex, and season in which the data were collected, R2 = .30, F (4, 105) = 11.04, p < .001. Conclusion: Results from the present study indicate that the PLAYfun tool is a significant predictor of objectively measured physical activity, supporting the convergent validity of the tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to examine the relationship between screen time and physical activity (PA) in children and adolescents but also to determine specific elements of PA that were most closely associated with screen time. Methods: We studied a cross-sectional sample of 6176 10.0-15.9 year olds (53% boys, 12.9 ± 1.5 years) who completed the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children/Adolescents and reported daily screen time. Differences in total PA and specific elements of PA were examined between groups reporting: < 2 h, 2-4 h, and > 4 h daily screen time. Results: There were significant differences between screen time groups in: total PA, number of bouts of PA reported, after school PA, evening PA and weekend PA (P < .0001). There was a graded, negative association between higher screen time and lower free-time PA. Participants reporting < 2 h screen time were also significantly more active during school lunch breaks than those reporting > 2 h. Boys reporting > 4 h screen time were less active during physical education lessons. Conclusions: Screen time is significantly and negatively associated with PA in British youth. Screen time may displace active pursuits out of school but is also associated with lower PA during school. Daily screen time should be limited to < 2 h in line with current recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite frequent use of pedometers in interventions targeting youth PA, there is no literature that addresses the prevalence and reasons for protocol nonadherence. Methods: Adherence behaviors of early adolescents (n = 43; Meanage = 12.3 ± 1.0) in an 8-week, faith-based intervention were monitored/recorded. Students provided reasons for various aspects of protocol breach, which were used to develop a post intervention questionnaire. Analyses included calculations of frequency/percentage as well as cross tabulations/chi square to detect gender/age differences. Results: Over the intervention, recording PA in logs decreased by 85% and was attributed to forgetfulness and lack of time. For pedometers, highest-frequency events included error codes (n = 501), incorrect wear (37%, ≥ 1 day), and shaking (58%-69%, ≥ 1 time). Top reasons for shaking were to make up for lost step opportunities and get further along the route. Of permissible stepping strategies, males used ambulatory activity on the playground and stair usage more, while 6th graders used speed stepping in place more than their respective counterparts. Conclusions: Students admit to basal levels of nonadherence, which should be taken into consideration when designing/implementing interventions. Integrating intervention tasks into the regular curriculum and providing sufficient opportunities to perform them may alleviate some barriers to adherence. Future research should attempt to confirm results in other school types/levels as well as quantify these behaviors in free-living or unstructured settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School-community partnerships have shown their potential as incubators for innovations and for contributing to comprehensive physical activity (PA) programs. However, implementation frameworks for school-community partnerships that allow local tailoring of PA programs remain scarce. The present paper aims at documenting the composition of a framework for PA programs within schoolcommunity partnerships. The framework addresses socioecological strategies to promote extracurricular PA opportunities for pupils, which are integrated into five complementary components. To implement and reinforce the five components of the framework, involvement of schools, pupils, family, and community is facilitated by sustainable partnerships between these stakeholders. Partnerships are not only recommended on the school and community level, but also on a broader regional level that covers multiple communities. The development of the framework was an effort to integrate school-community partnerships into a flexible implementation framework for PA promotion. Implications of the framework for research agendas, professional education, and policy are formulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Researchers have noted both the utility and limitations of using pedometers to measure physical activity (PA). While these unobtrusive devices are widely accepted for their ability to measure accumulated PA, they have been criticized for their inability to measure exercise intensity. However, recent steps-per-minute (SPM) research provides reasonably accurate measures of intensity allowing users to assess time spent at recommended PA levels. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the SPM taken that are associated with moderate physical activity in 12- to 14-year-old youth. Methods: Ninety-three participants (49 boys and 44 girls; ages 12 to 14) walked on a treadmill for 3 minutes at each of 4 different speeds while wearing a pedometer and a heart rate monitor. Results: On average boys and girls reached their moderate activity intensity threshold at 122 SPM and 102 SPM, respectively. However, individual differences must be taken into account when determining appropriate SPM intensities for youth. Conclusions: The impact of individual differences underscores the need to address SPM for moderate intensity individually rather than with a single guideline for everyone at this age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]