Background: A consistent finding in the literature is the decline in physical activity during adolescence, resulting in activity levels below the recommended guidelines. Therefore, promotion of physical activity is recommended specifically for prevocational students.Objective: This protocol paper describes the background and design of a physical activity promotion intervention study in which prevocational students are invited to participate in the design and implementation of an intervention mix. The intervention is expected to prevent a decline in physical activity in the target group.Methods: The effectiveness of the intervention was evaluated in a two-group cluster randomized controlled trial with assessments at baseline and 2-year follow-up. A simple randomization was applied, allocating 11 schools to the intervention group and 11 schools to the control group, which followed the regular school curriculum. The research population consisted of 3003 prevocational students, aged 13-15 years. The primary outcome measures were self-reported physical activity levels (screen time, active commuting, and physical activity). As a secondary outcome, direct assessment of physical fitness (leg strength, arm strength, hip flexibility, hand speed, abdominal muscle strength, BMI, and body composition) was included. An intervention-control group comparison was presented for the baseline results. The 2-year interventions began by mapping the assets of the prevocational adolescents of each intervention school using motivational interviewing in the structured interview matrix and the photovoice method. In addition, during focus group sessions, students, school employees, and researchers cocreated and implemented an intervention plan that optimally met the students’ assets and opportunities in the school context. The degree of student participation was evaluated through interviews and questionnaires.Results: Data collection of the SALVO (stimulating an active lifestyle in prevocational students) study began in October 2015 and was completed in December 2017. Data analyses will be completed in 2021. Baseline comparisons between the intervention and control groups were not significant for age (P=.12), screen time behavior (P=.53), nonschool active commuting (P=.26), total time spent on sports activities (P=.32), total physical activities (P=.11), hip flexibility (P=.22), maximum handgrip (P=.47), BMI (P=.44), and sum of skinfolds (P=.29). Significant differences between the intervention and control groups were found in ethnicity, gender, active commuting to school (P=.03), standing broad jump (P=.02), bent arm hang (P=.01), 10× 5-m sprint (P=.01), plate tapping (P=.01), sit-ups (P=.01), and 20-m shuttle run (P=.01).Conclusions: The SALVO study assesses the effects of a participatory intervention on physical activity and fitness levels in prevocational students. The results of this study may lead to a new understanding of the effectiveness of school-based physical activity interventions when students are invited to participate and cocreate an intervention. This process would provide structured health promotion for future public health.
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By reframing (from a future perspective) projects, programs and events, as deployed over the last decade, the paper aims to provide stimuli to convert them into a coherent strategic line of development. Based on postmodern epistemologies, the authors of this paper propose an analysis of selected lighting manifestations as separated future-forming moments of city identity. The adoption of a futures research matrix as a reflexive framework sees the repurposing of such a framework from its standard generative function within design processes to an analytical function. The ambition is to provide narrative context to existing projects and everyday practices by linking them within given future scenarios. With the final outcome proposed as to coherently connect separate, lighting-related, manifestations to an overarching system of interpretation. The case offered is the city of Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The tool adopted and repurposed is the Urban Futures Matrix from city.people.light. The specific manifestations, as presented, pertain both high culture and popular culture. This paper does eminently offer a coherent and consistent reflection on practices in the form of a case study, however, grounded in a theoretical and epistemological solid framework of reference.
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The European Primary Physical Education Teacher Program (EPRIME) project sees a need and opportunity to help teachers to reimagine their PE lessons and PA offering at pre-school and primary school levels. With it, we seek to improve the quality of PE and the promotion of an active andhealthy lifestyle from an early age across Europe.To reach this goal, 6 partners from 5 countries with 1 European network develop a teachers’ education program that empowers to better impact on the motor skills and psycho-social development of 4-to-7-year-old pupils. Plus, we provide applicable resources that supportawareness-raising initiatives to better include children, parents, sport coaches and other stakeholders in our learning objectives.In order to ensure that the educational program is in line with the wishes and needs of the teachers we organized focus group sessions in the different partner countries, and set out to identify challenges and weak points at personal, organizational and system levels. Furthermore, we identified good practices within the different partner countries to use as assets for the EPRIMEproject.The results of the focus group sessions were categorized into four main themes, factors associated with (1) the teacher, (2) the PE class, (3) other stakeholders, (4) practical considerations.
Defensie heeft met steeds complexere inzetcontext te maken door de veranderende geopolitieke situatie in combinatie met de vergrijzende beroepsbevolking en de klimaat- en energietransities. In dit spanningsveld verandert ook de positie van de soldaat in het veld (met name de Koninklijke Landmacht). Van deze moderne militair wordt verwacht in een ‘netcentric environment’ te acteren wat o.a. tot gevolg heeft een toenemend gebruik van elektronische apparatuur bij elke inzet. Na het uitstijgen (gedropt in het veld) is de militair afhankelijk van energiebronnen die mobiel meegenomen kunnen worden of ter plekke opgeladen. De technologische ontwikkelingen volgen elkaar snel op en de militair kan o.a. te maken krijgen met een arsenaal aan batterijen, opladers, e.d. die niet onderling uitwisselbaar zijn wat tot extra vracht en daarmee meer fysieke belasting leidt. Dit project heeft als doel om vanuit de actuele stand van zaken voor de uitgestegen militair te komen met verbeteropties om in de (nabije) toekomst qua energie onafhankelijk te opereren in het veld beter mogelijk te maken, en waar de mogelijkheden voor dual use liggen met civiele organisaties. Aandacht zal worden gegeven aan energieopwekking, -opslag en -besparing als ook de connectiviteit tussen de verschillende assets.
For the development of a circular economy and the reduction of the environmental impact of supply chains, the sharing of reliable information throughout the entire chain is a prerequisite. In practice, this is difficult to realise which blockchain can improve. BCLivingLab aims to explore the application of blockchain technology in supply chain and logistics. The project develops four physical hubs and a virtual repository for blockchain knowledge to support SME’s in developing use-cases and experiment with blockchain applications. The ambition is to build a community of interested stakeholders and to be involved in current and future blockchain initiatives.
For the development of a circular economy and the reduction of the environmental impact of supply chains, the sharing of reliable information throughout the entire chain is a prerequisite. In practice, this is difficult to realise which blockchain can improve. BCLivingLab aims to explore the application of blockchain technology in supply chain and logistics. The project develops four physical hubs and a virtual repository for blockchain knowledge to support SME’s in developing use-cases and experiment with blockchain applications. The ambition is to build a community of interested stakeholders and to be involved in current and future blockchain initiatives.
