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Medicine and Health Sciences Commons

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Public Health Education and Promotion

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

2018

Physical activity

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Active And Safe Routes To School: Evaluating School Travel Planning To Support Children's Active Travel, Adrian Nicholas Buttazzoni Aug 2018

Active And Safe Routes To School: Evaluating School Travel Planning To Support Children's Active Travel, Adrian Nicholas Buttazzoni

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Most Canadian children are not achieving their daily recommended physical activity (PA) levels despite the many emotional, psychological, and physical benefits of PA. Walking or wheeling to/from school, or active school travel (AST), is a viable method for improving children’s daily participation in PA. In Canada, the Active and Safe Routes to School initiative promotes AST through its comprehensive School Travel Planning (STP) program. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, broadly, this thesis investigates the i) implementation and ii) effectiveness of a regional, two-year STP program supporting AST. This thesis includes a systematic review of AST intervention models implemented in North America, …


Examining Geographic Variation In Children's Perceived Barriers To Physical Activity And The Implications On Behaviour, Leah Gabrielle Taylor Aug 2018

Examining Geographic Variation In Children's Perceived Barriers To Physical Activity And The Implications On Behaviour, Leah Gabrielle Taylor

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Low levels of physical activity among Canadian children has become a national public health issue. Recent research has suggested that children’s physical activity levels are associated with their perceptions of their everyday environments. A better understanding of the formation of these perceptions within different contexts is needed to explain the extent of the relationship. Using a multi-tool quantitative protocol, this thesis examines geographic variation in socio-ecological factors influencing children’s perceptions of barriers to PA, and the extent to which perceptions mediate the relationship of the environment and PA. Results indicate that perceptions form within contexts, and have an influence on …


Exploring The Influence Of Childcare Type On Physical Activity And Sedentary Time Of A Nationally Representative Sample Of Canadian Preschoolers, Julie Statler Jul 2018

Exploring The Influence Of Childcare Type On Physical Activity And Sedentary Time Of A Nationally Representative Sample Of Canadian Preschoolers, Julie Statler

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A large number of Canadian children are enrolled in childcare, and they spend substantial time there. Capturing a national picture of the relationship between childcare type and physical activity (PA; i.e., light, moderate- to-vigorous, and total) and sedentary time (ST) in young children is needed. Using a nationally representative sample of preschoolers (aged 3-5 years), this cross-sectional study used cycles 3 and 4 of the Canadian Health Measures Survey. Childcare type (e.g., centre-, home-based childcare, home with parent, kindergarten) was reported by parents. Preschoolers wore an accelerometer for 7 consecutive days. Device and population-specific cut-points were applied to delineate PA …


Exploring The Physical Activity And Screen Viewing-Related Knowledge, Training, And Self-Efficacy Of Early Childhood Education Candidates, Brianne Bruijns Jul 2018

Exploring The Physical Activity And Screen Viewing-Related Knowledge, Training, And Self-Efficacy Of Early Childhood Education Candidates, Brianne Bruijns

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Early childhood educators (ECEs) greatly influence young children’s physical activity (PA) and screen viewing (SV) behaviours. This study explored the PA and SV-related knowledge (i.e., of important PA/SV concepts), training (i.e., PA/SV courses/content received), and self-efficacy (i.e., to facilitate PA and limit SV in childcare) of early childhood education students. A sample of 1,292 students from 61 Canadian colleges/universities completed the online survey. In general, students exhibited the least amount of knowledge regarding the link between SV and health. Further, 67.8% and 73.3% of students had not completed PA or SV courses during their post-secondary training, respectively, and students who …