Scoping Review on Interventions for Physical Activity and Physical Literacy Components in Brazilian School-Aged Children and Adolescents

Technology-Supported Physical Activity and Its Potential as a Tool to Promote Young Women's Physical Activity and Physical Literacy: Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Despite the known benefits of physical activity (PA), rates of engagement in PA remain low globally. Low engagement in PA among young women can impact their health. Technology-supported PA may increase PA and physical literacy (PL; skills that can support PA) among young women.

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review aims to investigate the (1) associations between technology-supported PA and PA levels, (2) associations between technology-supported PA and PL levels, and (3) types of technology-supported PA that are associated with higher levels of PA engagement among young women aged 13 to 24 years. This age range was chosen as it includes two transitional periods characterized by decreases in PA.

METHODS

We searched 6 databases: Applied Science and Technology Source, Education Source, Embase, MEDLINE Complete, Global Health, and SPORTDiscus. Eligible studies were original research published in English between January 1, 2010, and April 24, 2024; focused on young women; and involving either technology-supported PA interventions or research exploring the correlation between technology and PA and PL. The findings of the review were presented descriptively. Study quality was assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal tools. There were no deviations from the registered protocol.

RESULTS

In total, 23 (0.1%) studies (10,233 participants) from 23,609 records were included: randomized controlled trials (n=9, 39%), nonrandomized or retrospective observational studies (n=9, 39%), and cross-sectional studies (n=5, 22%). Of the 23 studies, 12 (52%) focused on young adults (aged ≥19 y), 9 (39%) involved adolescents (aged <19 y), and 2 (9%) focused on both groups. Nine studies (39%) were theory based. Common types of technology-supported PA were interactive websites or social media platforms (10/23, 43%), wearable fitness trackers (4/23, 17%), and mobile apps (4/23, 17%). PA or PL were predominantly self-reported (18/23, 78%). A total of 53 PA outcomes were measured: 36% (19/53) reported a positive impact on PA from mobile apps (9/15; 60% of analyses), interactive websites or social media platforms (8/27; 30% of analyses) and wearable fitness trackers (2/11; 18% of analyses). The impact on PL was weak (2/7; 29% of analyses). Eight studies (35%) were rated high, 7 (30%) medium, and 8 (35%) low in quality.

CONCLUSIONS

There was limited evidence that technology-supported PA improved young women's PA or PL. The evidence was limited by poor study quality and a lack of theoretical frameworks. In addition, little information was provided on the designs of the technology used. Future interventions seeking to improve young women's PA and PL should focus on the development of mobile apps underpinned by behavior change theory and addressing whole domains of PL rather than specific elements. Given that technology continues to rapidly advance, further studies are needed to demonstrate the impact of technology-supported PA in improving PA and PL among young women.

Effects of Holistically Conceptualised School-Based Interventions on Children's Physical Literacy, Physical Activity, and Other Outcomes: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Schools are a key setting for promoting children's physical literacy development. This review aimed to identify school-based interventions that adopted a holistic conceptualisation of physical literacy and examine the effects on children's physical literacy and any other outcomes, including physical activity (PA).

METHODS

Searches were conducted in seven databases (APA PsycINFO, EMBASE, ERIC, CINAHL, Global Health, MEDLINE Complete, SPORTDiscus with Full Text), and Google and Google Scholar, to identify articles published since 1/1/2017. Studies were included if they (i) adopted a holistic conception of physical literacy as represented by the Australian Physical Literacy Framework (APLF), (ii) were grounded in movement, (iii) assessed three or more domains of learning (either quantitatively or qualitatively), and (iv) included children aged 5-14 years. Quantitative research designs needed to provide pre-and post-intervention measures, whereas qualitative designs (e.g. post-intervention interviews) did not. Study selection, data extraction and quality assessment were conducted independently by teams of two authors. For intervention effects, quantitative and qualitative data were synthesised separately. For quantitative data, level of evidence for intervention effects was assessed by physical literacy domain and/or elements/items by examining the proportion of tests with a significant change in the expected direction. Qualitative data were synthesised using the framework synthesis method and mapped to a framework that included APLF domains/elements, PA, and additional outcomes.

RESULTS

Twelve interventions with 1,427 participants from seven countries were identified: six physical education-based, three afterschool, one structured recess, and two multicomponent. All studies assessed the physical domain quantitatively, with strong positive evidence of intervention effects for the controlled designs (10 of 15 tests). For the affective and cognitive domains, evidence was mixed, and there was no evidence for interventions improving the social components of children's physical literacy (although this was understudied). Most studies assessed PA and one measured cognitive performance; however, there was no evidence for positive intervention effects (i.e. ≥35% of tests reporting an improvement) for either outcome. Five studies assessed intervention effects qualitatively, with positive results reported for all physical literacy domains, PA, and cognitive performance.

CONCLUSIONS

Holistic interventions in schools can improve the physical domain of children's physical literacy. For wider benefits, future interventions should aim to develop all facets of physical literacy, especially domains of learning less frequently targeted and examined.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42022351317.

Validation of the PL-C Quest in China: understanding the pictorial physical literacy self-report scale

Introduction

The notion of physical literacy is gaining interest from several countries as a potential mechanism for understanding the development of the physical self. This research endeavor represents an inaugural attempt to translate the Australian Physical Literacy Questionnaire for Children (PL-C Quest) into Chinese to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the PL-C Quest to assess physical literacy among children in mainland China.

Methods

The Beaton translation paradigm was used to carry out language translation, back-translation, cultural adaptation, and presurveys. Data were collected from 642 children aged 6-12 years, with a mean age of 9.71 years (SD 1.816), to test the reliability of the Chinese version of the PL-C Quest.

Results

The PL-C Quest items translated well (6.187 ~ 15.499) and correlated well (0.441 ~ 0.622). The Chinese version of the PL-C Quest had good reliability, with retest reliability values ranging from 0.91 to 0.74, Cronbach's alpha from 0.65 to 0.894, and McDonald's ω from the Spearman-Brown Coefficient was 0.84. The validity results are acceptable because the CFI, IFI, and TLI values are above 0.8 and close to 0.9, but the model fit's chi-square degrees-of-freedom ratio of 2.299, the RMSEA of 0.05, which was less than 0.08.

Discussion

After translation and cultural adaptation, the Chinese version of the PL-C Quest is a reliable measurement tool and can be used in the Chinese region.

Synthesising physical literacy research for 'blank spots': A Systematic review of reviews

The holistic concept of physical literacy (PL) has gained considerable attention worldwide and integrates different determinants (e.g., physical, affective, and cognitive) of physical activity. The purpose of this systematic review (PROSPERO registration: CRD42022312764) was to broadly synthesise PL research and determine "blank spots". We performed standardized searches for PL reviews in 23 databases. Inclusion criteria were English language, any review with a systematized search, publication by June 2023 and PL relevance in an article's main body. The content and insights of the identified reviews were assigned to six literature-driven "problem fields": (i) theory/concept, (ii) measurement/levels/trends, (iii) determinants, (iv) outcomes, (v) interventions, and (vi) policy. We employed nine items for assessing the methodological quality of the reviews (including six items from AMSTAR-2). The screening resulted in an inclusion of 41 PL reviews of different methodology. Existing reviews most frequently analysed aspects of measurement (n = 20) as well as theory/definition (n = 19), followed by interventions (n = 17). In contrast, determinants (n = 6), outcomes (n = 5) and policy aspects (n = 4) were discussed less often. Accordingly, the major "blank spots" are: empirical studies on determinants and outcomes; PL levels and trends; pivotal moderators of interventions; and policy aspects. We recommend the scientific community to address these to move the field forward.

Effects of School Nurse-Led Interventions in Collaboration with Kinesiologists in Promoting Physical Activity and Reducing Sedentary Behaviors in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that schools adopt a whole-school strategy for healthy behaviors involving different health professionals. The present systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy of nurse-led interventions in collaboration with kinesiologists on physical activity and lifestyle behaviors' outcomes in school settings. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (ID: CRD42022343410). The primary research study was developed through the PICOS question: children and adolescence 6-18 years (P); school nurse-led interventions in promoting physical activity (PA) and reducing sedentary behaviors (I); usual lessons, no intervention focusing on PA (C); PA levels, sedentary behaviors, and healthy lifestyle behaviors (O); experimental or observational study with original primary data and full-text studies written in English (S). Seven studies were included. Interventions were heterogeneous: besides physical activities carried out in all studies, the interventions were based on different health models and strategies (counselling, face-to-face motivation, education). Five out of seven articles investigated PA levels or their related behaviors using questionnaires, and two used ActiGraph accelerometers. Lifestyle behaviors were assessed with heterogeneous methods. Five out of seven articles showed an improvement in at least one outcome after the interventions, whereas two papers showed a statistically non-significant improvement. In conclusion, school interventions involving nurses, also in association with other professionals such as kinesiologists, can be effective in reducing sedentary behaviors and improving healthy lifestyles in children and adolescents.

Ações de práticas corporais e atividade física no Programa Saúde na Escola por ciclos de adesão (2014 a 2020)

RESUMO A promoção da atividade física integra uma das 13 ações do Programa Saúde da Escola (PSE). O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever as ações de práticas corporais e atividade física registradas em três ciclos de adesão (2014-2015, 2017-2018 e 2019-2020), por região e Unidade Federativa (UF). Por meio de análise descritiva, foram apresentados os números de ações realizadas em cada ano, ciclo, UF e região. Observou-se aumento de municípios e escolas nas adesões a cada ciclo em todas as regiões. Considerando o total de municípios compreendidos em cada região, 100% dos municípios do Nordeste aderiram ao PSE nos dois últimos ciclos. O Sudeste teve a menor proporção de municípios aderidos em todos os ciclos. Em cada ciclo, a maior parte das ações foi realizada no primeiro ano na maioria das UF. Nacionalmente, houve aumento do número de ações em todos os ciclos, com destaque para o Nordeste e o Sudeste. Do primeiro para o terceiro ciclo, esse aumento foi maior no Sudeste e no Sul. Minas Gerais, Bahia, Ceará e Maranhão totalizaram quase metade das ações. Os resultados evidenciaram diferentes nuances na implementação da promoção da atividade física e podem subsidiar tecnicamente gestores e técnicos vinculados ao PSE.

Actions of body practices and physical activity in the School Health Program by accession cycles (2014 to 2020)

ABSTRACT The promotion of physical activities is one of the 13 actions of the School Health Program. This study aims to describe the actions of body practices and physical activity registered in three accession cycles (2014-2015, 2017-2018, and 2019-2020) by region and Federative Unit (FU). Using descriptive analysis, the number of actions, in each year, cycle, FU, and region were presented. In all regions, the number of municipalities and schools adhering increased in each cycle. When considering the total number of municipalities of each region, 100% of the Northeast region municipalities adhered to the program in the last two cycles. The Southeast region had the lowest proportion of municipalities that adhered to all the cycles. In most FUs, in each cycle, the majority of actions were conducted in the first year. Nationally, there was an increase in the number of actions in all the cycles, mainly in the Northeast and Southeast. From the first to the third cycle, this increase was higher in the Southeast and South. Minas Gerais, Bahia, Ceará, and Maranhão comprised almost half of the actions. The results showed different nuances in the implementation of the promotion of physical activity and can technically subsidize the managers and technicians linked to the program.