Browsing by Subject "physical activity"
Now showing items 1-11 of 11
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(2021)Geographical accessibility to sports facilities plays an important role when choosing a sports facility. The aim of my thesis is to examine geographical accessibility for sports facilities in Helsinki and Jyväskylä. The data of my study consists of the facilities of three different types of sports in Helsinki, Jyväskylä. The chosen types of facilities are ball parks, disc golf courses and fitness centers. I also use demographic data that cover the age groups of 7-12, 20-24 and 60-64. Mapple Analytics Ltd has produced geographical accessibility data covering whole of Finland which I also use as my data. In my thesis I analyzed geographical accessibility of sports facilities and compare the results to demographic data. Both the geographical accessibility data and demographic data is in 250 x 250 m grid level. the methods I used were Local Moran’s I and Bivariate Local Moran’s I. I applied the methods so that I combined the travel-time data and demographic data. The travel-times are from Mapple Insights API. The travel modes I have used are cycling and driving because people travel to sports facilities mostly by driving or by active methods, especially cycling. The travel-times to ball parks and fitness centers are overall good in both study regions. The good geographical accessibility is caused by that the service pattern is so dense for ball parks and fitness centers. The service pattern covers almost all of the inhabited area in both study regions. However, for some postal areas seem to have not so good geographical accessibility to ball parks. In some areas in Helsinki the geographical accessibility to disc golf course can be considered to be somewhat bad. For the chosen age groups only 20-24-year-olds have unsatisfactory travel-times to disc golf course either by cycling or driving. Other age groups do not show a similar pattern because of the different service pattern of ball parks and fitness centers. Demographic variables do not explain the travel times in this context. It is important to see which postal areas have good or bad geographical accessibility to sports facilities. This helps the future planning of sports facilities. In the future it is also possible to apply non spatial methods to the data I have collected or a similar dataset. It would also be possible to which demographic variable best explains travel-times. Because of Mapple Insighs API data is in 250 x 250 m grid level many applications can be developed using the data.
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(2020)Adolescents continue to be affected by behavior-related health risk factors such as low levels of physical activity. They can be motivated to be more physically active in various ways, but they can also take agency in their own behavior change and use different behavior change techniques to manage and maintain their behavior. According to self-determination theory, the quality of motivation is key in behavior change, as fostering autonomous motivation should lead to long-lasting wellbeing-enhancing changes, whereas controlled motivation might have adverse effects. There is some evidence of the positive effects of the use of individual behavior change techniques on physical activity, but the effects of their use on motivational constructs is less studied. The aim of this thesis is to map the effects of (1) the use of individual self-motivating behavior change techniques on changes in physical activity-related autonomous and controlled motivation, (2) the total use of self-motivating behavior change techniques on changes in physical activity-related autonomous and controlled motivation, and (3) the total use of self-motivational behavior change techniques, and controlled and autonomous motivation on changes in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. This thesis utilizes data from Let’s Move It, a cluster-randomized controlled trial of a school-based physical activity intervention (baseline N=767, post-intervention N=687). At both time points, participants self-reported use of three self-motivational techniques (reflecting on identity congruence, life values congruence and thinking about personal motives) on a scale from 1 to 6, and their autonomous and controlled motivation on a scale from 1 to 5. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was assessed with 7-day accelerometry. Their associations are analyzed with multivariate regression models corrected for age, gender and baseline levels of motivation or physical activity. The findings show that reflecting on life identity congruence (autonomous motivation; AM β=0.202, p<.001; controlled motivation; CM β=0.132, p<.001), life values congruence (AM β=0.184, p<.001; CM β=0.112, p<.001), and thinking about personal motives (AM β=0.246, p<.001; CM β=0.175, p<.001), as well as their total use (AM β=0.260, p<.001; CM β=0.157, p<.001), were all associated with both autonomous and controlled motivation. Total self-motivational behavior change technique use (β= -0.026, p=.617) and controlled motivation (β= -0.037, p=.373) had no detectable effects on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, but autonomous motivation (β=0.135, p<0.05) did. This thesis sheds light on the actions that individuals can take themselves to foster their motivation. Understanding how adolescents can self-motivate themselves can give insight into how to sustain a sense of autonomy while navigating through different life situations, and thus help to achieve long-lasting and wellbeing enhancing behaviors.
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Elintapakeskustelu ja Neuvokas perhe : elintapaohjausmenetelmän käytännön toimivuus lastenneuvolassa (2013)Maternity and child health clinics have a central role in preventing childhood obesity and providing the entire family with lifestyle counselling. The Pilot Intervention Study on Diet of Toddlers in Finland aims at evaluating the feasibility of a nutrition intervention in child health clinics. The Resourceful Family counselling method developed by the Finnish Heart Association is a family-centred and empowerment-based method employed in child health clinics that are part of the nutrition intervention group in the Pilot Intervention Study on Diet of Toddlers in Finland. The aim of this thesis was to describe the discussions about lifestyle issues in child health clinic. Another aim was to evaluate the translation of the principles and objectives of the Resourceful Family method into practice. Ten child’s one-year visits to child health clinic recorded in the Pilot Intervention Study on Diet of Toddlers in Finland were analyzed in this study. The check-up visits had been recorded in three child health clinics where the nutrition intervention was carried out. The research method was content analysis. The most frequent themes in discussions about lifestyle during the child’s one-year visit to child health clinic were: adjusting of the child to the family diet, milk or milk products in the child’s diet and vitamin D supplementation of the child (discussed during 8/10 child health clinic appointments). Salt in food preparation was also a common theme (6/10). In nearly all of the appointments (9/10) one or more theme related to the lifestyle of parents and/or the entire family was discussed. The nurse mostly controlled the counselling situation by bringing up new topics. The nurses invited families to participate in the discussions in more than half of the appointments in accordance with a specific guidance practice part of the Resourceful Family counselling method. The nurses linked the invitation to the Resourceful Family card. They provided families with information in a neutral manner. Some of the information provided was client-centred. Discussions related to changing habits were evident in more than half of the appointments. These discussions did not lead to setting specific goals or creating plans due to the lack of guidance practices aimed at helping the family proceed in the change process. Family-centred and resource-based lifestyle counselling should be developed especially regarding motivating the family and supporting the family members in the change process. Thus the importance of these two areas of counselling should be emphasized in the education of nurses.
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(2021)Introduktion: För kort eller lång sömnduration, dålig sömnkvalitet och för lite motion har i tidigare studier visat sig påverka den psykiska hälsan negativt. En kombination av både bra sömn och tillräckligt med motion har kopplats med bättre psykiskt välbefinnande än enbart antingen bra sömn eller tillräckligt med motion. Psykisk ohälsa är associerat med sänkt livskvalitet, sämre funktionsförmåga, mer sjukledighet, större risk för förtidspension och ökad risk för vissa somatiska sjukdomar. Målsättning: Målet med denna undersökning är att få mer information om hur sömnduration, sömnkvalitet och motion är associerade med nedsatt psykiskt välbefinnande hos 18–39-åringar med en stor del av arbetslivet framför sig. Metoder: Undersökningsmaterialet (n = 4912) samlades in i Young Helsinki Health Study år 2017. Deltagarna var 18–39-åriga anställda vid Helsingfors stad (80% kvinnor, 20% män). Associationerna mellan sömnduration, sömnkvalitet, motion och nedsatt psykiskt välbefinnande granskades först var för sig. Efter detta granskades sömndurationens och sömnkvalitetens association med nedsatt psykiskt välbefinnande i olika fysiskt aktiva grupper. Analyserna anpassades för sociodemografiska faktorer, socioekonomiska faktorer, levnadsvanor och smärta. Resultat och slutsatser: En kort <6 timmars sömnduration var associerad med en ökad sannolikhet för nedsatt psykiskt välbefinnande. En sömnduration på ≥8 till <9 timmar var associerad med en mindre sannolikhet för nedsatt psykiskt välbefinnande. En lång sömnduration på ≥9 timmar var inte statistiskt signifikant associerad med en ökad sannolikhet för nedsatt psykiskt välbefinnande. Fysisk inaktivitet var inte statistiskt signifikant associerat med nedsatt psykiskt välbefinnande. Detta kan innebära att en större mängd motion krävs för att motionen ska ha en psykisk hälsoeffekt. Dålig sömnkvalitet var associerat med nedsatt psykiskt välbefinnande oberoende av fysiska aktivitetsnivån. En sömnduration på ≥8 till <9 timmar och bra sömnkvalitet var mest förmånliga för det psykiska välbefinnandet.
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(2018)Purpose. According to previous research there are many factors, for example physical environment, family and friends, that affect being physically active and forming a physically active lifestyle during childhood and adolescence. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the physical activity path of three young adults and research, which factors have affected to its forming. This study shows how physical activity has formed and struck root in the participants’ lives. Methods. The study involved three young adults who have a physically active lifestyle. The data were collected during the spring of the year 2017 by the giving participants a task in which they needed to draw a graph depicting physical activity during their lifetimes and by interviewing them. The interviews were supplemented afterwards via email. Everyone’s personal narrative, physical activity path, was formed from the interview data. The data was analyzed with a plot analysis, which is typical for narrative research, and by comparing it to previous research. Results and conclusion. Every participant has an own physical acitivity path. However, the backgrounds of two participants are quite similar compared to the third one. These two have been physically very active during their whole lives and they had been supported and guided to be physically active in many ways. They have also had plenty of positive experiences and experiences of success in physical activities. The third participant wasn’t physically active during her childhood and her family didn’t exercise. However, in the fifth grade she started to take dance lessons and in secondary school she had an encouraging PE teacher and she started to enjoy physical activity. Her physical self-esteem also rose. The joy and sociality of physical activity were repeated in every three stories. Other factors that are associated to physical activity and formation of physically active lifestyle are also realized in participants’ lives. This study shows that many kinds of physical activity paths can lead to the formation of a physically active lifestyle.
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(2010)Tutkimuksissa selvitettiin liikuntatapojen ja niiden muutosten vaikutusta painon kehittymiseen ja kehon koostumukseen nuorilla. Liikunnan ja lihavuuden väliseen kausaalisuussuhteeseen kiinnitettiin huomiota. Tutkimuksen aineistona käytettiin Kaksosten Kehitys ja Terveys tutkimuksen kaksoskohorttiaineistoa. Läpi nuoruutensa aktiivisesti liikkuneita, liikunnan lopettaneita ja täysin liikuntaa harrastamattomia nuoria vertailtiin painoindeksin suhteen 12-, 14-, 17,5- ja 22-vuotiaana ja vyötärönympäryksen suhteen 22-vuotiaana. Nuoruuden liikuntatottumukset eivät ennustaneet merkitsevästi painoindeksiä 22-vuotiaana. Sen sijaan liikunnan lopettaneilla ja täysin liikuntaa harrastamattomilla nuorilla vyötärönympärys 22-vuotiaana oli suurempi, kuin aktiiviliikkujilla, eli liikuntatottumukset vaikuttivat kehon koostumukseen. Pojilla muutos painossa tapahtui ennen muutosta liikunnassa – lihominen näytti johtavan liikkumattomuuteen.
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(2014)These days the physical activity of children has been reduced and the research show that most of the children are not active enough to fill the physical activity guidelines. The culture of kindergartens should change along the changes in society. There should be more physical education and children's physical activity should be added in everyday life and kindergarten's learning environments. This study is about how the learning environments inside the kindergarten could be more physically activating, and what the staff thinks about changing the environments physically more activating. This study is based on a qualitative research method, using theme interview. Four people who work in a kindergarten were interviewed. In the kindergarten they were about to start a project in order to develop their learning environments to be physically more activating. These four staff members were interviewed before the project started. They were asked questions about their opinions on physically activating indoor learning environments and how those environments could be improved to encourage children's physical activity. The results of this study show that the physical activity in learning environments depends mostly on the attitude of the staff; do they allow children to be physically active in their everyday life or do they prohibit their physical activity in the interest of safety, and do they offer opportunities for children to be physically active indoors. Other things that effect on increasing children's physical activity indoors are the rooms of kindergarten and the sporting equipment, the timetable of the day and human resources. The overall attitude towards physical education and children's physical activity among staff was positive and enthusiastic, but still until now the children hadn't been allowed to move indoors so that they would become breathless. This is the same result as in the former studies that have been done about children's physical activity; children aren t physically active enough in the kindergarten. All the interviewees thought that the project would be beneficial and could have a lasting impact on the culture of physical activity in their kindergarten. So the most important thing in developing learning environments to be physically more activating is to change the attitudes of adults so that they would allow children to be physically active indoors.
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(2022)The aim of this study is to examine parents' beliefs on what impact Covid-19 has had on our young children's physical activity. With the term young children, I refer to children aged from one to six years old. The research questions for this study are the following: 1. How do parents view the impact Covid-19 has had on children's physical activity? 2. What kind of change in the child’s physical activity can be seen? 3. Is there a change in the child’s attitude towards physical activity? In the chapter physical activity some background on how children master physical movements will be presented. The chapter contains children’s physical development, as well as benefits and the needs for physical activity. Physical development and physical activity go hand in hand, developing physically often leads to the child becoming more physically active. In the chapter Covid-19 and everyday life, viewpoints on how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected young children’s everyday life and especially physical activity are examined. The Covid-19 pandemic led to activities organized for families with children, such as story-time in library, music-play at the library/church and family café etc. stopped to decrease the spreading of the Covid-19 virus. A short complete lockdown took place in the beginning of spring 2020, where early childhood centers closed, and only parents/guardians who could not stay at home with their children had the right to bring their child to early childhood education. The parents that had the opportunity to stay home with their child were offered online early childhood education via the early childhood education center that they normally attend to. How much activities were sent out depended on the early childhood centers approach and beliefs (Hilppö, et al. 2020; Nurhonen et al. 2021). However, it was decided later that early childhood education centers remained open during the pandemic, and children were offered everyday life as normal as possible. Even though, early childhood education centers opened, the Covid-19 restrictions still existed (Nurhonen et al. 2021). How these restrictions were followed depended on the family. With the use of questionnaire, that were sent out to early childhood education centers and parent-child activities I have tried to get a view on how parents view the impact Covid-19 has had on young children’s physical activity. Has the pandemic affected young children’s physical activity? What are the parents’ beliefs? and how well with Covid-19 going on can children be physically active? I collected 103 answers from the questionnaire. Looking at the collected data I have also tried to see how and what attitudes towards physical activity children have. Do they enjoy being outdoors, physically active and has this changed during the pandemic? What can be concluded from this study is that even though the Covid-19 pandemic has been going on for 2 years it has not, according to the parents of the children, affected young children's physical activity that markedly. The children of this study seem to be as physically active as before the Covid-19 pandemic. This study is only a sample of a specific number of people, trying to explain how Covid-19 has affected the daily lives of children. Further study is needed to fully understand the changes made by Covid-19.
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(2022)The aim of this study was to find out whether grit and physical activity have connections to academic achievement and whether gender is relevant in these contexts. Previous studies have shown that grit and physical activity are associated with better school performance. However, the relationships between the two have not yet been studied very extensively. Studying and exercising both require grit to succeed. The core of grit is persistent practice and maintaining goals (Duckworth et. al., 2007). It is possible to practice such skills through exercise. The aim is to examine whether grit or physical activity can increase academic achievement in adolescents as individual factors or by acting together. The data was part of the Mind the gap -project funded by the Academy of Finland. The data was collected in the 7th grade (n = 1310) in 2014 and in the 3rd grade of high school (n = 751) in 2019. Respondents filled questionnaires that included a GRIT-S- scale to determine grit and a separate question about physical activity. In addition, ninth grade grades and high school diploma grades obtained from the official register of the City of Helsinki and the Matriculation Examination Board, were used to measure academic achievement. The relationships between physical activity, grit, and academic achievement were examined by linear regression analysis. In addition, interaction terms were included in the regression analysis to examine the interactions between different factors. The results of the study showed that physical activity and grit together did not explain academic achievement. However, these factors were associated with academic achievement when examined separately. There were differences in results between ninth graders and high school students. Grit was a factor that influenced academic achievement in both high school students and ninth graders. Physical activity did not explain academic achievement as much as expected. Physical activity explained academic achievement poorly in ninth graders and in high school women. As for the case of high school men, physical activity was associated with lower grades. In conclusion developing grit could lead to better academic achievement.
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(2022)Some previous findings suggest the effectiveness of physical activity (PA) on children's cognitive outcomes. Studying preschool PA enables to understand children’s considerable part of daily PA and to examine its relation to other skills specifically within preschool context. Early numeracy (EN) refers to young children’s mathematical proficiency, including relational and counting skills, as in understanding and operating with quantities, number relation, classification, and the concept of numbers. EN skills are shown to strongly predict later mathematical competence and academic achievements. Thus, it is important to study and support the development of children’s EN skills. However, previous research has mainly focused on school-age children, while research in early ages is scarce. No previous studies have used device-based measurement of PA with an individual test of EN to understand the associations between young children’s preschool PA and EN performance. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the relationship between PA during preschool hours and EN performance in children aged 4 to 5 years. More specifically, the following research questions are addressed: 1) How are PA intensity levels during preschool hours associated with EN performance in 4- to 5-year-old children? 2) What kind of profiles regarding PA intensity levels during preschool hours and EN performance can be identified among 4- to 5-year-old children? The sample consisted of children (N = 95, Mage = 4.6) attending preschools in Helsinki, Finland. PA was measured during 5 consecutive preschool days using hip-worn accelerometers, while EN performance was assessed using Van Luit and colleagues’ (2006) Finnish Early Numeracy Test. The data is analysed using quantitative research analysis. To answer the first research question, correlation matrix is performed to reveal relation between the variables of interest. For the second research question, latent profile analysis is used to identify children’s profiles according to their PA data and EN test scores, while the differences in profiles are compared using ANOVA. The results of the correlation analysis revealed no significant correlation between PA level during preschool hours and EN scores in children of ages 4 to 5 years. Latent profile analysis identified three profiles of children with high, medium, and low PA, whereas EN performance did not significantly differ among the profiles. In conclusion, while the results show significantly different amounts of PA among children during preschool, the main finding of the current study is in line with previous research, suggesting no direct relation between preschool PA and EN performance. Further research controlling for other factors that may influence the results is needed to examine how variation in PA level is related to EN performance in preschool.
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(2020)Background: Majority of studies on the association of diet and physical activity are conducted in high-income countries and to date, none have been conducted in Kenya although unhealthy lifestyle behaviours are on the rise and may pose more severe risk in low-to-middle-income than in high-income countries. Methods: Study consists of 9-14-year old pre-adolescents (N=104) living in a middle- or low-income area in Nairobi. Dietary data was collected using 7-day FFQ and physical activity data by accelerometer. Dietary patterns were formed through principal component analysis and Dietary Diversity Score created by counting the number of food groups that were used daily. Statistical analysis was conducted using linear regression analysis with wealth index, area, age, gender and BMI as confounding variables. Results: Time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was weakly and negatively associated with the Snacks, fast food and meat dietary pattern alone and in combination with age and gender and significantly in combination with BMI (p=0.041), while time spent in sedentary behaviour showed no relation. Time spent in MVPA could not explain the variation in adherence to the Traditional Kenyan pattern while time spent in sedentary behaviour showed weak, negative association with adherence to this diet pattern, although it did not reach significance. Neither time spent in sedentary behaviour nor time spent in MVPA could explain variation in Dietary Diversity Score or adherence to the Dairy and plant protein pattern. Conclusions: Physical activity showed some association with diet, but the connections were mostly weak, and the socio-economic position and environment are possibly stronger determinants of lifestyle behaviour in urban Kenya.
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