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In a viral society in which the social being claims the ability to maintain distance and the socially desirable representation of the body, in particular the face, claims its concealment, the distance educational relationship represents a critical area that deserves to be highlighted in the research agendas. This study aims to explore the sense of belonging of 98 students who attend a distance learning university. For this purpose, an open-ended questionnaire was applied, previously disclosed in closed groups on social networks. The students' sense of belonging was analysed through the types of connections they maintain with the campus, course, peers and teachers. The analysis of the narratives expresses a great diversity, density of experiences and expectations in the connections and senses of belonging. Attributing great importance to teachers in the appropriation of knowledge, it is essentially with their peers - other students - that the connections and sense of belonging acquire greater expression info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

The suspension of all in-person teaching activities due to the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in a reconfiguration of face-to-face teaching for distance learning. A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study was carried out with the purpose of examining the perceptions of students interns about the formative and pedagogical processes experienced in the context of Covid-19 confinement. Data were obtained through the analysis of the Final Reports of Supervised Teaching Practice developed by twenty-seven trainee students of the second cycle of studies in Physical Education Teaching in Basic and Secondary Education of the University Institute of Maia (ISMAI), in the academic year 2019/2020. The qualitative analysis of the data used thematic analysis strategies and codification procedures of the grounded theory. The following themes emerged: (i) Context with profound changes in the organization and management of schools, both in teaching and learning; (ii) Planning and Implementation using innovative teaching and evaluation methodologies, supported by new technologies; (iii) Evaluation with different strategies and focus on the students motivation for the discipline and (iv) Reflection, which evidences a feeling of challenges successfully overcome and (dis)virtualization of the figure of the teacher in the educational process.

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered profound social consequences, affecting all aspects of human activity, including education. The process of remote teaching that was implemented in response to this crisis is known as emergency remote teaching and learning (ERTL). The present study focuses on Portuguese parents’ perspectives about this process. Data were gathered through an online questionnaire, answered by 203 parents of preschool, basic, and secondary education students (ages 3–18), focusing on self-perceived digital competence, satisfaction with ERTL, and pedagogical activities developed with their children. Parents were moderately satisfied with ERTL but expressed a marked increase in their workload, particularly those working from home. Parents of children in the second cycle of basic education (ages 10–12) were less satisfied with the process. A variety of activities was promoted, responding to different educational levels’ characteristics. Results show the importance of promoting parents’ digital competence and directing support policies, particularly to parents of younger children (ages 3–12), and raise concerns about equity. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Emergency remote teaching and learning (ERTL) represent a critical and challenging time for teachers globally. To understand how Portuguese teachers interpreted their ERTL experiences of the first lockdown, we started by asking: What perspectives do teachers have about ERTL? Answering three open questions made available online between April and May of 2020, a sample of 305 preschool, basic, and secondary school teachers expressed their perspectives on (i) difficulties throughout ERTL, (ii) students’ constraints in participating in ERTL, (iii) the potential and benefits resulting from this exceptional period. Data were analyzed using content analysis. While Portuguese teachers perceived ERTL with concern, a majority also saw it as an opportunity. Workload, work conditions, and time management were the most frequently mentioned difficulties. Regarding students’ constraints, teachers emphasized participation, the role of parents, lack of contact, and autonomy. Despite the constraints and difficulties, teachers highlighted gains such as the development of digital competencies and the opportunity to transform teaching and learning. Only 18 teachers suggested there were no positive outcomes from this experience. Since this is an exploratory study, further studies are needed to triangulate the findings.

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Higher distance education models can be described from the theoretical and practical foundation of feminist pedagogy. The objective of this work is to know what feminist approaches are identifed in the pedagogical models adopted by distance and hybrid education at the University and what curricular characteristics they have. The scop‑ ing review is carried out on a total of 126 journals bringing together 60 indexed, 30 specialized in gender and 6 in education. The fnal sample is made up of 10 papers that meet the established inclusion criteria. The review method is based on three phases of collection, description, and analysis with diferent tasks and the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) protocol is followed. The results obtained from mixed methodology applied show three perspectives that set trends in distance and hybrid higher education mod‑ els from feminist approaches: (a) feminist-pragmatist, (b) eco-dialogical feminist and (c) intersectional-technofeminist. These trends show the application of feminist princi‑ ples to curriculum design and their implementation in distance and hybrid higher education.

A pandemia de Covid-19 teve impactos profundos no ensino superior. Em Portugal, afetou cerca de 350000 estudantes, envolvidos num processo de transição de emergência para práticas de ensino remoto. Consideramos fundamental identificar práticas adotadas pelas instituições de ensino superior nesse contexto, assim como a forma como têm sido reajustadas ao longo do tempo, e como o processo foi percecionado, quer por professores, quer por estudantes. Paratal, foi aplicado um questionário online dirigido a professores e estudantes do ensino superior presencial entre os dias 22 de abril e 12 de maio de 2020. Os resultados apontam para a adoção de uma pluralidade de estratégias de ensino, com destaque para práticas síncronas, e revistas ao longo do processo. Apesar de aspetos sensíveis como a avaliação, o envolvimento dos estudantes, as atividades práticas ou a gestão do tempo, são reconhecidas potencialidades e limitações ao processo. The Covid-19 pandemic had profound impacts on higher education. In Portugal, it affected around 350000 students, involved in an emergency transition to remote teaching practices. We consider it essential to identify practices adopted by higher education institutions in this context, as well as how they have been readjusted over time, and how the process was perceived, both by teachers and students. To this end, an online questionnaire was applied to teachers and students of on-campus higher education between April 22 and May 12, 2020. The results point to the adoption of a plurality of teaching strategies, with emphasis on synchronous practices, which have been revised throughout the process. Despite sensitive aspects such as evaluation, student involvement, practical activities or time management, potential and limitations to the process are recognized. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

The progressive development of the Digital Age has given rise to a growing number of concepts related to individuals’ experiences with their digital literacy, from the level of competence or lack thereof conceptualized in the digital divide, to the very concept of digital citizenship, essential today for participation in democratic societies. This article analyses the different interpretations made of these concepts with a view to clarifying their appropriate use according to the situations to be studied, understood as an intellectualized evolution of the realities and experiences lived by individuals and society. Since the beginning of the millennium, several national and regional digital inclusion projects began, encouraged by the European policies that aimed to alleviate the already existing digital gap. In this sense, the KZgunea program, the Basque government’s digital inclusion project is analyzed as a paradigmatic case of the evolution of government programs and policies in favour of an adequate level of digital literacy that allows individuals to fully participate in all fields of today’s increasingly digitized society. This report is part of a PhD thesis that analyzes digital literacy as an instrument of empowerment and social inclusion, to improve employability, and as a key to the construction of digital citizenship in the 21st century. O desenvolvimento progressivo da Era Digital tem dado origem a um número crescente de conceitos relacionados com as experiências dos indivíduos e com a sua literacia digital, desde o nível de competências digitais ou a ausência destas, até ao próprio conceito de cidadania digital, hoje essencial para a participação nas sociedades democráticas. Este artigo analisa diferentes interpretações sobre estes conceitos, com vista a esclarecer o seu uso apropriado de acordo com as situações a estudar, entendidas como uma evolução intelectualizada das realidades e experiências vividas pelos indivíduos e pela sociedade. Desde o início do milénio iniciaram-se vários projetos de inclusão digital, nacionais e regionais, incentivados pelas políticas europeias que visavam reduzir o fosso digital já existente. Neste sentido, o programa KZgunea, o projeto de inclusão digital do governo basco, é analisado como um caso paradigmático da evolução dos programas e políticas governamentais orientados para a promoção da literacia digital que permite aos cidadãos participar plenamente em todos os campos de uma sociedade cada vez mais digitalizada. Este artigo incorpora uma parte da investigação em curso no âmbito de uma tese de doutoramento que analisa a alfabetização digital enquanto instrumento de empowerment e inclusão social e pretende, em última instância, contribuir para melhorar a empregabilidade, uma chave para a construção da cidadania digital no século XXI. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

BackgroundObesity is often associated with iron deficiency in children and adolescents. We aimed to study the effect of an 8-month physical exercise (PE) intervention on hepcidin and other markers of inflammation and on iron status in overweight/obese children and adolescents.MethodsSeventy-three overweight/obese children and adolescents participated in the 8-month-long longitudinal study. They were divided into two groups according to their participation in an after-school PE program: the PE group (n=44) and the control group (n=29). Hepcidin, interleukin (IL)-6, C-reactive protein (CRP), iron, ferritin, transferrin, and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) were evaluated.ResultsAt baseline, IL-6 correlated positively with hepcidin and negatively with iron and transferrin saturation, suggesting that increasing adiposity associates with increasing IL-6 and hepcidin synthesis, reducing iron availability. After 8 months, the PE group showed a decrease in BMI z-score (P=0.003), body fat mass (P=0.012), CRP (P=0.002), IL-6 (P=0.048), ferritin (P=0.013), hepcidin (P=0.040), and sTfR (P=0.010), and an increase in iron concentration (P=0.002). Moreover, the PE group, when compared with the control group, showed lower weight (P=0.026), BMI (P=0.040), waist circumference (P=0.010), and waist-to-height ratio (P=0.046).ConclusionWe showed that an 8-month-long intervention at school allowed a reduction in BMI z-score and an improvement in inflammation, reducing hepcidin levels and the disturbances in iron status.

Informed participation in collective decision-making processes requires better educational levels, a wider range of digital skills and access to technologies. In a global digital society this process is part of the exercise of informed citizenship. Digital citizenship presupposes participation mediated by access and, above all, by the critical use of digital technologies in social decision-making processes. Digital literacy is closely linked to digital citizenship. From a broader perspective than technological literacy, it involves the development of key skills that counteract social exclusion and therefore represents a valuable mechanism for combating it, especially in social groups at risk. Digital competences are part of the key competences of lifelong learning and are directly related to the concepts of digital citizenship and democratic participation. In this sense, it is important to know the levels of digital literacy in different social groups in order to then meet their needs through programmes and other training initiatives. In this article, we analyse the concepts of digital citizenship, digital literacy and digital skills for the 21st century, as well as the relationships between these concepts. Subsequently, partial data on an ongoing research on digital programmes in Alentejo and the Basque Country, such as the empowerment pathway, are presented. As a general conclusion, we would like to highlight the monitors’ perspectives in what concerns the changes in the habits of users of Internet Access Spaces and KZgunea Centres., A participação informada nos processos de decisão coletiva exige melhores níveis educacionais, um leque mais amplo de competências digitais e, naturalmente, o acesso às tecnologias. Na sociedade global digital, este processo faz parte do exercício de uma cidadania informada. A cidadania digital pressupõe a participação mediada pelo acesso e, sobretudo, pelo uso crítico das tecnologias digitais, nos processos de decisão social. Em estreita ligação com a cidadania digital encontra-se a literacia digital. Entendida numa perspetiva mais ampla do que a literacia tecnológica, supõe o desenvolvimento de competências fundamentais que contrariam a exclusão social e, por consequência, representam um valioso mecanismo para o seu combate, especialmente em grupos sociais em risco. Por sua vez, as competências digitais fazem parte das competências essenciais da educação ao longo da vida, estando diretamente relacionadas com os conceitos de cidadania digital e participação democrática. No presente artigo, começamos por analisar os conceitos de cidadania digital, literacia digital e competências digitais para o séc. XXI, bem como as relações entre estes conceitos. Posteriormente, são apresentados dados parciais relativos a uma investigação, em curso, sobre programas digitais como via de empoderamento, no Alentejo e no País Basco. Como conclusão genérica, assinalam-se as perspetivas dos monitores sobre as modificações de hábitos dos utilizadores dos Espaços de Acesso à Internet e dos Centros KZgunea.

Purpose:There are few reliable studies assessing the effect of physical exercise (PE) on adipokines levels at young ages. Our objective was to study the effects of regular PE on plasma adipokines in pediatric overweight and obesity.Method:117 overweight and obese children and adolescents (47% females; 10.2 years) participated in an 8-month longitudinal study divided in two groups: PE group (n = 80), engaged in an after-school PE program; control group (n = 37), with no PE program. Plasma lipids, C-reactive protein (CRP), adiponectin, resistin, leptin, IL-6, IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, insulin and glucose levels were determined.Results:contrarily to the control group, the PE group presented reductions in body mass index z-score (BMIzsc) and body fat percentage that were accompanied by an improvement in lipid profile and insulin resistance, a reduction in CRP and TNF-alpha and an increase in adiponectin levels. The reductions in BMIzsc were inversely correlated with changes in adiponectin (r=−0.329, p = .003) and positively correlated with changes in percentage body fat (r = .262, p = .032), triglycerides (r = .228, p = .042) and leptin (r = .285, p = .010).Conclusion:Moderate reductions in adiposity improve proinflammatory status in obese children and adolescents. A more substantial reduction in BMIzsc was associated with a greater increment in adiponectin and reduction in leptin.

Local dynamics play a key role in individual and collective empowerment for digital literacy and citizenship. This paper presents the results and reflections from a broader investigation into the public Internet access places in Portugal in the inland municipalities of the country's coast, undertaken by ObLID Network. Specifically, we intend to reflect on the actual mission of these places and reveal the actual profile, activities and training needs of their monitors and coordinators. In the first stage of the empirical study, several documents available on the Internet Spaces Network are analyzed. In the second stage, a questionnaire was applied to monitors and coordinators of the Internet access places, in seventeen Portuguese municipalities. The research results warn of the need to redefine and clarify the social and educational value of Internet spaces, indicating that the dominant activities of monitors in the Internet access places do not induce the foster of literacy and digital inclusion of the most vulnerable groups. In this context, actions are proposed that can contribute to improving the mission of Internet places, as well as the training quality of their monitors and coordinators. Internet Access Spaces, made available by municipalities, should be used to promote digital literacy programs, for individuals and groups. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

This study evaluated the effect of a multi-component intervention on motor performance (MP) and metabolic risk markers (MRM) in overweight/obese youth. A secondary aim was to examine whether changes in MP are associated to changes in MRM. A 3-month multi-component intervention was performed, consisting of physical exercise sessions (twice/week;1h), nutritional education sessions (once/month), and parental support (twice/week). The sample included 35 volunteers (7-13 y.o), allocated to intervention (INT, n = 17) and control (CONT, n = 18) group. Variables were measured pre (T0) and post intervention (T1). Fasting blood samples were analyzed for MRM. MP tests included the measurement of health related physical fitness components and motor coordination performance (KTK battery). To assess food intake, a 24-hour recall diary was used. GLM-ANCOVA was performed. Standardized scores were calculated for the outcome variables, and multilinear regressions were applied to analyze associations between the key variables. INT group showed improvements in MP, glycolytic and hepatic profiles. After adjustments for MVPA, SB, total intake and maturational stage, negative associations between %ΔMP and %Δglycolytic (β = -.424; 95%CI:-0.343:-0.022), and %Δhepatic scores (β = -.382 95%CI:-0.001:-0.009) were observed. The intervention produced a moderate-to-high effect on the MP and some MRM. Changes in MP were inversely associated with changes in glycolytic and hepatic markers.

The global food system makes a significant contribution to climate change, affecting greenhouse gas emissions and other major environmental impacts, along the entire food chain. Individual food consumption is an important part of the production-consumption chain, because consumers make the final choice of the goods and services they consume, and their lifestyles determine how they influence sustainability practices. Simultaneously, there is an increasing concern for the environment issues and an increasing demand for naturalistic icons or organic production, free-range farming and unadulterated processing. This work addresses the imperative to address sustainability in food consumer sciences education, due to the multidisciplinary nature of consumer food studies, by applying online education programmes. The rational for e-learning approach is the fact that, advances in information and communication technologies have had a tremendous impact on the format and on the approaches to teaching and learning. production, free-range farming and unadulterated processing. This work addresses the imperative to address sustainability in food consumer sciences education, due to the multidisciplinary nature of consumer food studies, by applying online education programmes. The rational for e learning approach is the fact that, advances in information and communication technologies have had a tremendous impact on the format and on the approaches to teaching and learning. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

To determine the effects of a school-based exercise intervention programme on cardiovascular risk factors, including body fat (BF), metabolic profile and physical activity (PA) in children with and without individualised dietary counselling approach (IDC and WIDC).Forty-six overweight children from 6-16 years old (25 girls, 54.3%; age = 10.3 ± 2.8) of six schools took part in an 8-month interdisciplinary, school-based intervention programme. All children were engaged in PA classes, but only one group was exposed to individualised counselling. Blood pressure (BP), lipids and lipoproteins, accelerometer-based PA, percentage of body fat (%BF) and trunk fat (%TF) measures were taken before and after intervention. General Linear Model (Repeated Measures ANOVA) adjusted for age, maturation and height change was used to analyse the longitudinal effect of individualised counselling between two evaluations in each group.Favourable changes were observed for %BF, %TF, systolic BP and total cholesterol in the IDC group. Subjects WIDC only increased light and moderate-vigorous PA. In IDC, significant effects for time * group interactions were found for systolic BP, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, indicating that counselling might add favourable changes in these markers, beyond those explained by PA and growth.School-based interventions can contribute to counteracting obesity in youth, particularly when individualised dietary counselling is provided. Therefore, the link between schools and professional counselling should be strengthened to ensure consolidated changes towards healthy behaviours.

This study aimed at examining the associations between weight status, body fat mass, and heart rate variability in prepubescent children, adjusting for physical activity levels. A cross-sectional investigation in which a total of 50 Caucasian pre-pubertal children (21 normal weight; 8 overweight; 21 obese), aged 6–10 years (8.33 ± 1.14), including both boys (n = 24) and girls (n = 26), were recruited from local schools. Total body fat and trunk fat were evaluated through dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Free-living physical activity levels were evaluated by accelerometer. Short-term heart rate variability acquisition was performed; time- and frequency-domain parameters were analysed. Logarithmic transformations of the low-frequency (LnLFnu), high-frequency (LnHFnu) normalized units and low-frequency/high-frequency (LnLFnu/HFnu) ratio were computed. Adjusting for age, Tanner stage, and moderate to vigorous physical activity levels, obese children compared to normal weight children showed a significant decreased LnHfnu (3.8 ± 0.2 vs 4.1 ± 0.2 %) and both higher LnLFnu (4.0 ± 0.4 vs 3.7 ± 0.3 %) and LnLFnu/LnHFnu ratio (1.1 ± 0.1 vs 0.9 ± 0.1). LnHFnu showed significant negative correlation with waist circumference (r = −0.598; P = 0.000), total body fat (r = −0.409; P = 0.011) and trunk fat (r = −0.472; P = 0.003). Both LnLFnu and LnLFnu/LnHFnu ratio showed positive correlations with waist circumference (r = 0.455; r = 0.513) and trunk fat (r = 0.370; r = 0.415). A higher amount of body fat mass, particularly central fat, was shown to be related to decreased parasympathetic modulation in time-domain heart rate variability. This finding highlights the potential cardiovascular risk that excessive fat mass may represent even at very young age.

The aim of this study was to analyse changes over 8-months of a multidisciplinary school-based intervention program (ACORDA-Project), in body fat, metabolic profile and physical activity (PA). 40 children [22 girls (55%), and 18 boys age=8.4±1.2] of 6 schools participated in a multidisciplinary program during a school year. Blood pressure (BP), physical activity (PA) by accelerometers, percentage of body fat (%BF) and of trunk fat (%TF) by DXA, and plasmatic total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, insulin and glucose were taken at the baseline (Time point 1, TP1) and at the end of the intervention (Time point 2, TP2). General Linear Models (Repeated Measures Analysis of Covariance) was carried out comparing values at baseline vs. final evaluation, with adjustments for gender and age at baseline. Further adjustments were made to relative changes (increase%X) in height, weight, total PA through steps.day-1, sedentary (SEDPA), light (LIGPA) and moderate to vigorous (MVPA) intensities. Relative changes were calculated as: increase%X = (Xfinal – Xbaseline) / Xbaseline. Statistical significance was set at 5%. Eta squared (n2) was used as an indicator of effect size. There was a significant increase of LIGPA and MVPA, (P

Reaching beyond access to technical resources, digital inclusion is associated with the development of know-how and skills that have enabled individuals and groups to participate in collective life while domestication refers to the integration of technologies into the family’s routines at home. This perspective reshapes the interpretation of technology innovation processes, which are often restricted to the question of access. The research described in this paper had two phases: first, in 2009-2010, during the dissemination of the Magellan (Magalhães) laptop under the e-escolinha (‘e-school’) program, and second in 2013, after several profound changes had occurred, affecting the context of digital inclusion. Preliminary results of the study, obtained from semi-structured interviews with parents and primary school teachers, demonstrate the differential impact of different contexts on the domestication of digital technology in a poor, rural community in Portugal.

Adiponectin circulates as low-, medium-, and high-molecular-weight multimers (LMW, MMW, and HMW) and influences lipid profile and insulin resistance (IR), HMW being considered as the most biologically active form. We aimed to study the relation between adiponectin and markers of metabolic syndrome (MS) in pediatric obesity, and the impact of physical exercise.The study consisted of a cross-sectional part and an 8-mo physical exercise program. Lipid profile, insulin, glucose, C-reactive protein (CRP), total adiponectin (TA), and homeostasis model assessment IR (HOMA-IR) were measured. Adiponectin multimers were studied in a prepubertal group.Obesity is associated with increased dyslipidemia, IR, and inflammation. TA is correlated inversely with adiposity, triglycerides, HOMA-IR, and CRP, and positively with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc)/total cholesterol (TC) ratio. HMW mimicked TA associations. The intervention program led to a reduction of TC, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc), insulin, HOMA-IR, and trunk percentage of fat, and an increase of HDLc/TC ratio, in the obese group. BMI improvements prevented adiponectin reduction and correlated with increments in HMW and MMW.Obesity-related increase in MS features might be linked to lower adiponectin. HMW and MMW were the multimers that most explained the MS features. The intervention program improved the lipid profile and IR, and prevented the reduction of adiponectin.

This study sought to analyze the associations between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), waist circumference (WC) and metabolic risk in children and adolescents. Participants were 633 subjects (58.7% girls) ages 10-18 years. Metabolic risk score (MRS) was calculated from HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose and mean arterial pressure. MRS was dichotomized into low and high metabolic risk (HMRS). CRF was defined as the maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) estimated from the 20 m Shuttle Run Test. The first quartile of CRF was set as the low fitness group. The fourth quartile of WC was defined as high central adiposity. With adjustments for age, sex and WC, CRF was correlated with MRS (r=-0.095; p

O Capítulo 1, da autoria de Paulo Dias, Domingos Caeiro, Luísa Aires, Darlinda Moreira, Fátima Goulão, Susana Henriques, J. António Moreira e Catarina Nunes apresenta o resultado de um estudo desenvolvido no âmbito do Observatório da Qualidade para a Educação a Distância e eLearning, cujo objetivo prioritário consistiu em conhecer os significados e sentidos atribuídos ao eLearning por atores responsáveis por processos de decisão e coordenação pedagógica nas IES presenciais. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Objective: The purposes of this study were to calculate and validate two models to estimate maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2 max) in Portuguese youths, aged 10-18 years, using a 20-meter shuttle run test (SR). Design: Subjects (54 girls and 60 boys) were divided into estimation ( n = 91) and cross-validation ( n =23) groups, and their VO 2 max was directly measured by wearing a portable gas analyzer during the SR. The Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) tests were carried out considering sex, age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI) and SR stage as predictors of VO 2 max. Estimations from MLR and ANN were compared with three other previously published equations. Results: In summary, the equation estimated by MLR is more appropriate for Portuguese youths than the equation estimate by ANN or the other three previously-published equations (validation coefficient for the MLR model: r =0.84, P 0.05; SEE=4.9). Conclusion : For Portuguese youths, the following equation would be recommended: VO 2 max= 43.313 + 4.567*sex - 0.560*BMI + 2.785*stage. However, findings from this study also warn researchers that the use of equations to estimate VO 2 max may not be sensitive enough to detect small changes in individuals’ cardiorespiratory fitness in longitudinal observations and intervention studies, according to the dispersions of random error for all equations.

Background:The objective of this study was to analyze associations of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) with physical activity, time spent watching television and using computer, mode of commuting to school (CS), and adiposity, by gender.Methods:Participants were 1708 students (53.8% girls), aged 11 to 19 years. CRF was evaluated with a 20-meter shuttle-run test using VO2max by previously published equation. Maturation stages determined by Tanner’s criteria, body mass index, and skinfolds were measured, and a questionnaire used to assess socioeconomic status, PA, television and computer time, and mode of CS. We conducted a regression analysis using CRF as the dependent variable.Results:CRF was independent and positively associated with physical activity [β = 0.338 (95% CI = 0.119; 0.188); P < .001] and with maturation [β = −0.876 (95% CI = 0.666; 1.087); P < .001]; independent and negatively associated with television time [β = −0.003 (95% CI = −0.005; −0.002); P < .001] and adiposity [β = −0.068 (95% CI = −0.076; −0.060); P < .001]. CRF was positively associated with CS [β = 0.337; (95% CI = 0.014; 0.741); P = .014]. No associations were found for computer time.Conclusions:These findings suggest that increasing overall physical activity levels through interventions in different domains such as active CS, reducing sedentary activities, such as television time, might be effective strategies for improving CRF in youth.

This study compared body mass index (BMI) and inverted BMI (iBMI) as predictors of body fatness in 177 Portuguese children (149 girls and 96 boys) aged 7–16 years. Participants undertook measures of height and body mass from which BMI (kg/m2) and iBMI (cm2/kg) were determined. Maturation was determined via self-report and fat mass index (FMI, kg/m2) via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Significant relationships were evident between BMI and iBMI and FMI (both P=0.0001). BMI was not normally distributed (P=0.0001) but iBMI was (P>0.05). Analysis of covariance identified that BMI and iBMI, controlling for maturation, were both significant predictors of FMI (both P=0.0001) but that iBMI predicted a slightly greater amount of the variance (adjusted R2=0.970) compared with BMI (adjusted R2=0.968). This study suggests that iBMI is a similar proxy for body fatness compared with BMI in children.

In Portugal, two sports systems exist, one through schools and the other in community clubs. The purpose was to determine the impact of extra-curricular sports (EC sports) on boys’ and girls’ moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). 208 adolescents (79 boys and 129 girls), between 12 and 18 years old, wore an accelerometer over seven days. Four EC sport categories based on reported involvement were: no sports, school sports, club sports, both sports. Multivariable logistic regression was used to study the association of EC sports, age, gender and BMI on the adolescent’s MVPA. The school sport context was more relevant for girls than clubs sport; however the opposite pattern emerged for boys. BMI was not related to adolescent’s MVPA. EC sports increase the likelihood of achieving PA guidelines. The unique social and environmental contexts of school and club sports deserve additional attention in youth activity research.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to compare face‐to‐face versus online course delivery systems in the area of food consumption and to analyse the students' expectations and experiences. It aims to analyse the following dimensions: general expectations, learning organization and interactions in students' discourses. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology adopted is of interpretative nature using semi‐structured qualitative interviews. An interview guide was designed taking into account the learning modalities (styles and strategies), materials and learning tools, teacher‐student interaction and peer interaction dimensions. The students of both courses were interviewed in the second semester of the curricular year of the respective MSc degrees. Findings – This study has shown that face‐to‐face and online students are equally satisfied with their courses revealing the same confirmed general expectations. Comments for both course delivery systems are the need for more laboratory and practical classes. Results from this study also indicated that face‐to‐face and online educations are effective training food consumer sciences students suggesting, however, that both systems should evolve to blended‐learning. Practical implications – Both course delivery systems (face‐to‐face and online) contributed to the competencies acquisition in Food Consumer Sciences. B‐learning appears as the natural convergence of students needs. Originality/value – The online course results of the discourse analysis suggest the success developing a learning community pointing out the role of the online instructor and the course coordinator. The paper provided useful data and knowledge on which further research can be carried out.

In the present study, we examined different categories of cardiorespiratory fitness and obesity and their relationship with risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) factors in youth. We hypothesized that youngsters with low cardiorespiratory fitness would be at greater risk of CVD risk factors, whether they are obese or not. This study was carried out as a part of a longitudinal research project conducted in the Porto and Braga districts, Portugal, with children and adolescents aged 10–16 years of age. A total of 392 children (173 boys, 219 girls) participated in the study. We used a chi-square test to analyse the relationship between the participants' cardiorespiratory fitness and body weight (non-overweight or overweight/obese). For the purpose of this study, a new variable with four groups was created: non-overweight +unfit (37.4%), non-overweight + fit (35%), overweight/obese + unfit (11%) and overweight/obese + fit (10%). A one-way analysis of variance was used to compare the differences accordi...

Objective: Girls are consistently reported as being less physically active than boys, and physical activity declines substantially in adolescence. The aim of this pilot study was to assess the effect of a novel, high intensity dance intervention on various health measures, and determine compliance to the intervention in 11- and 12-year-old schoolgirls. Design: Sixteen participants (mean age = 11.79 ? 0.3 years, BMI = 22.67kg/m2) were randomly assigned to either a control or an intervention group. All participants completed baseline and retest measures, including assessments of habitual physical activity (accelerometry), body composition and bone health (DEXA), anthropometrics, cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak), and cardiovascular measures (left ventricular mass, carotid intima-media thickness, blood pressure). The intervention group completed a three-week high-intensity dance-based intervention consisting of four sessions of 6 × 30 second bouts of high intensity activity. Intensity was monitored using heart rate. Results: The mean completed intervention time was 28.1minutes out of a possible 36minutes (78%). The mean % HR max values of 94.2%, 93.7%, and 96.8% were achieved for intervention weeks 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Results described non-significant improvements in body mass, waist and hip circumferences, fat mass, trunk fat, VO2peak, MVPA and step counts in the intervention group. The control group displayed some non-significant increases in measures of adiposity, including body mass, waist circumference, fat mass and trunk fat. Conclusions: Findings suggest that the intervention had some impact on body mass maintenance and was well tolerated by participants. The intervention warrants further investigation with larger participant groups.

The aim of this study was to analyse whether Physical Activity Index (PAI), Physical Fitness, Screen Time (watching TV and computer use), Socio-economic Status and Commuting to School made a significant contribution to longitudinal changes in Body Mass Index (BMI) in youth. This longitudinal study was carried out over a period of 3 years with 345 students (147 boys) who were between 11 and 16 years old at the beginning of the study. Students were invited to perform tests from FITNESSGRAM Battery for Curl-Ups, Push-Ups, Back-Saver Sit and Reach, and 20 m Shuttle-Run (CRF). Fitness tests were categorized in "Healthy Zone" (HZ) and "Under Healthy Zone" (UHZ), PAI in "less active" and "active"; Socio-economic Status, in low, middle and high education level, and Commuting in active and passive. BMI was corrected for age and gender meaning that we subtracted the age-and-sex-specific cut points for overweight. Corrected body mass index was used as dependent variable in a Linear Mixed Model. The main result was the strong positive and independent association of individuals with CRF performances UHZ with corrected body mass index. In conclusion, the results of this longitudinal study showed markedly an important relationship of lower fitness levels with the risk of being overweight/obese, in particular CRF and abdominal strength.