Abstract Neighborhood characteristics are thought to be associated with adolescent health and behavior. However, there have been very few population-based surveys using data from individual responses living in the same school district area. Tokyo TEEN Cohort data, collected from three Tokyo municipalities, were used to examine the association between psychological symptoms in school districts during early adolescence (age 10) and later psycho-behavioral conditions in adolescents (ages 12 and 14). Hierarchical linear models showed that school district-level depressive symptoms, psychological well-being, and prosocial behaviors at age 10 were associated with the corresponding individual-level indices at age 12, after controlling for demographic characteristics and baseline individual scores as covariates. Furthermore, School district-level behavioral problems at age 10 were associated with individual-level indices at ages 12 and 14. These results suggest that school district environments in which young adolescents grow up influence adolescents’ development and well-being. 

/pdf/adolescent-mental-health-is-affected-by-neighborhood-mental-2cuii80y.pdf

Adolescent mental health is affected by neighborhood mental health conditions at the beginning of adolescence

Abstract A large number of published papers have investigated the relationship between perceived teacher emotional support and students’ engagement in school across a variety of subject areas at the primary and secondary levels. However, very few or none of these studies examine the topic in the context of physical education in higher education. It would be highly desirable for a study comparable to this one to be carried out within the context of tertiary education in order to address the dearth of scholarly works that concentrate on these two constructs. In light of this, the current study investigated the connection between teachers’ emotional support and their student’s level of engagement in their academic work. The participants in the study were undergraduate students (males = 374, females = 536) who were enrolled in minor PE courses at a prominent local college in Angeles City, Philippines. Following the calculation of Spearman’s rho and multiple regression analyses, the findings revealed that perceived teacher emotional support (along with its three distinct features: positive atmosphere, teacher sensitivity, and regard for the adolescent perspective) is significantly associated with [r(908) =.519, p < .05)] and has a direct influence on [F(3, 906) = 120.508, p <.001] school engagement. Additionally, this study highlighted the critical role that PE instructors play in providing students with emotional support, which in turn leads to higher levels of engagement and achievement reports. The presentation includes suggestions for the professional development of teachers of PE and future research initiatives.

Teacher Emotional Support and School Engagement: The case of Physical Education Teachers and Students in a Prominent Local College

Introduction. Intrinsic motivation is essential for establishing life-long positive behaviors. In Physical Education (PE), this variable may have a significant impact on students’ choice of adhering to an active lifestyle both in the short and long term. Many tools have been developed for the assessment of intrinsic motivation, among which the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) was built based on the Self-Determination Theory. The aim of this study is to examine a version of the IMI adapted to PE (IMI-PE). Methods. A total of 660 customers of a Sports Service Center responded to the IMI-PE and 39 individuals carried out a test–retest of the tool within two weeks. Results. The initial model including the original pool of items showed low indexes of goodness of fit. However, the removal of item 6, 8, 13, and 14 led to excellent parameters for the four-factor model (CFI = 0.96, and SRMR = 0.0420). Internal consistency and reliability analyses confirmed the robustness of such model. The final IMI-PE, comprising 14 items distributed into four factors, represents a robust assessment tool for the analysis of intrinsic motivation in PE.

/pdf/psychometric-parameters-of-the-intrinsic-motivation-2l51n1jv.pdf

Psychometric Parameters of the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory Adapted to Physical Education in a Sample of Active Adults from Austria

Most adolescents in industrialized countries are physically inactive and effective actions to counteract this situation are required. School physical education (PE) can promote students’ active lifestyle. The paper presents the protocol of the “Physical education for moving” (PE4MOVE) project, based on an Internet-supported professional training program offered to PE teachers in a region of central Italy. Secondary school PE teachers and their students are randomly allocated to either an intervention group or a wait-list control group. Teachers participate in a continuing professional development training (CPDt) designed to increase knowledge and competences regarding students’ physical activity (PA) promotion. The CPDt, developed according to recent recommendations, consists of a mixed-modality preliminary session on fitness testing, and webinars and online workshops on theory-driven strategies. Teachers are then required to apply contents during their PE classes. Teachers’ variables related to PA promotion, as well students’ approach to PA, PA levels and physical fitness are recorded at pre- and post-trial times. Upon its completion, the project may contribute to the field by providing evidence for the effectiveness of Internet-supported teachers’ training programmes, for the transferability of students’ motivation from PE to out-of-school settings, and for the relationship between teachers and students’ motivation. 

/pdf/an-internet-supported-continuing-professional-development-3efrtqgq.pdf

An Internet-Supported Continuing Professional Development Training with Secondary School Physical Education Teachers: Protocol for the Physical Education for Moving (PE4MOVE) Trial

Background The transtheoretical model (TTM) views individual behavioral change as a nonlinear, dynamic process, which is consistent with the complex nature of physical activity (PA) in children and adolescents. However, within this theoretical framework, the elements that facilitate the behavioral change in PA in children and adolescents need to be further explored. Objective A systematic review of research related to TTM-based exploration of the elements of behavioral change in PA in children and adolescents, an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses in practice, and an outlook for future research. Materials and Methods After computer searches of the CNKI, Wan-Fang, VIP, WOS, PubMed, and EBSCO databases, two researchers independently screened articles, extracted information, and evaluated the quality of the articles. Results A total of 25 articles (26 studies) of medium- to high-quality were included in the systematic review. The meta-analysis included 30,106 children and adolescents aged 11.24 to 17.7 years. The counter-conditioning and self-liberation of the process of change, self-efficacy and decisional balance are key elements that facilitate the transition of the PA stage in children and adolescents. Extramodel psychological variables such as exercise motivation play a moderate to large role in the PA stage transition. In addition, VPA is an important discriminator of PA stage transition in children and adolescents. Conclusion It is recommended that interventions be designed according to the key elements of behavioral change in order to better facilitate the PA stage transition of children and adolescents.

/pdf/predictors-of-physical-activity-behavior-transitions-in-3oz2qeq6.pdf

Predictors of Physical Activity Behavior Transitions in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review Based on a Transtheoretical Model

This study examined the relationship between the perceived motivational climate in physical education (PE) classes and the stage of exercise behavior change among 322 high school students in northeastern China. Furthermore, the chain-mediating effects of autonomous motivation in PE and the five types of motivation (interest, competence, social relatedness, appearance, and health) in leisure-time physical activity (PA) were examined. Results showed that autonomous motivation in PE and the five types of motivation in leisure-time PA had chain-mediating effects on the relationships between the perceived mastery- and performance-oriented motivational climate and the stage of exercise behavior change in the whole sample (controlling for gender). Specifically, a perceived mastery-oriented motivational climate promoted autonomous motivation in PE, which, in turn, increased the five types of motivation in leisure-time PA and led to a higher stage of exercise behavior change. Conversely, a perceived performance-oriented motivational climate reduced autonomous motivation in PE which, in turn, decreased the five types of motivation in leisure-time PA and led to earlier stages of exercise behavior change. The patterns of the chain-mediating effects of autonomous motivation in PE and the five types of motivation in leisure-time PA were somewhat similar in girls and boys. The results suggested that PE teachers should create mastery-oriented climates and avoid performance-oriented motivational climates, which may promote intrinsic or identified motivations of students for PA within and beyond PE classes, thereby affecting the leisure-time PA of students.

/pdf/perceived-motivational-climate-and-stages-of-exercise-46nbi1pgm5.pdf

Perceived Motivational Climate and Stages of Exercise Behavior Change: Mediating Roles of Motivation Within and Beyond Physical Education Class.

According to ecological system theory, both the microsystem environment (home environment) and the more macrolevel environment (provincial environment) influence school engagement in adolescents. This study tests an ecological model of adolescents' school engagement with 19,084 middle school students across 31 provincial-level regions in China. Multilevel modeling is used to predict adolescents' school engagement (behavior, emotion, and cognition) at two levels, individual [gender and family socioeconomic status (SES)] and provincial (economy, public cultural facilities, technological industry and education). The school engagement of students varies significantly across provincial-level regions. SES positively affects the school engagement of students. Students benefit from the provincial environment when the economy is booming, public cultural facilities are adequate and education is flourishing. The development of the technology industry fails to boost students' school engagement. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

/pdf/school-engagement-and-context-a-multilevel-analysis-of-1fz8e9gvpt.pdf

Xiaojing Wu

Papers

Perceived Motivational Climate and Stages of Exercise Behavior Change: Mediating Roles of Motivation Within and Beyond Physical Education Class.

School Engagement and Context: A Multilevel Analysis of Adolescents in 31 Provincial-Level Regions in China.