Introduction: It has been suggested that physical education (PE) can make a meaningful contribution to children's physical activity (PA) levels. The amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in PE has been quantified in various manners, including heart rate monitoring and direct observation (Fairclough & Stratton, 2005). However, data on the contribution of PE to total PA is scarce, and PE's contribution to total physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) has to our knowledge never been determined. This is probably explained by the methodological complexity of determining PAEE (Welk, 2002). However, the fairly recent emergence of combined sensing methodology allows for low-invasive measurement of PAEE in free-living conditions. In this paper, we present the first data of an ongoing study using combined heart rate monitoring and accelerometry, together with activity diaries. We assessed the contribution of PE and other school-related activity to PAEE and MVPA. Methods: Nineteen secondary school students (16 ± 0,7 yrs, BMI 22 ± 4) were included after they and their parents had consented. All had 100 minutes of scheduled PE per week. Actiheart monitors (CamNtech, Cambridge, UK) were used to determine PAEE on four weekdays and two weekend days consecutively. Actiheart monitors combine a heart rate monitor and an uniaxial accelerometer in a single 10 gram unit, that is applied to the chest with electrodes. Using a step test, an individual heart rate-energy expenditure relationship was determinded in each subject. Through a validated branched equation model (Brage, S. et al., 2007), energy expenditure was calculated. In addition, subjects kept an activity diary for the same six-day period. They recorded predefined activities including PE and active transport. These activities were then retraced to the Actiheart data by visual inspection. Results: Table 1 shows the (contribution of) PE, and school-related active transport to PAEE, while table 2 shows similar data for MVPA. Data are mean (± SD). Table 1: PAEE for PE, and active transport (AT). Table 2: MVPA for PE and active transport (AT). PAEE (KJ) % of total % of school PE 805(474) 5(4) 16(7) AT 1698(1033) 11(6) 31(11) MVPA (min) % of total % of school PE 36(19) 9(8) 22(11) AT 90(56) 20(11) 48(14) Over all six days, the physical activity level (PAL, which is total EE/Resting EE) was 1,54 ± 0,12; total MVPA was 472 min ± 179, and total PAEE 16262 KJ ± 5267. PAEE at school (4 days, including AT) was 5311 ± 3065 KJ, amounting to 34 % of total PAEE during the six measurement days. Students accumulated 179 ± 77 minutes of MVPA at school, which was 38% of total MVPA. Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first study to present data on PE's contribution to total physical activity energy expenditure. Over the six measurement days, PE contributed 5% to total PAEE, and 16% to school-related PAEE. This was substantially less than the amount of energy expended for active transport to and from school. However, it should be noted that in the Netherlands, the vast majority of secondary school students cycle to school. And while PE was scheduled on one day per week in all of the measured students, active transport takes place on all school days. The total amount of MVPA accumulated at school was 179 minutes. With adolescent physical activity guidelines generally recommending 60 min of MVPA per day, i.e. 420 minutes per week, this means that school-related PA covered ~43% of this. PE provided 36 minutes to this total, all on one day. It could be argued that daily PE could potentially provide a substantial amount of MVPA. But with current time allocated to PE in the curriculum, its contribution to physical activity guidelines and PAEE is quite modest. The preliminary data presented here reflect a small subsample of a larger study that is still in progress. Therefore, care should be taken not to interpret these outcomes as representative for the whole of the Netherlands. However, they do provide a first indication for the order of magnitude of the contribution of PE and school-related activity to total PAEE. References: Fairclough, S. J. & Stratton, G. (2005) Physical Activity Levels in Middle and High School Physical Education: A Review. Pediatric Exercise Science, 17, 217. Welk, G. J. (2002) Physical activity assessments for health-related research, Champaign, Ill.; United States, Human Kinetics. Brage, S., Ekelund, U., Brage, N. Hennings, M.A., Froberg, K., Franks, P.W., Wareham. N.J. (2007). Hierarchy of individual calibration levels for heart rate and accelerometry to measure physical activity. J Appl Physiol, 103, (682-692)
Innovation is crucial for higher education to ensure high-quality curricula that address the changing needs of students, labor markets, and society as a whole. Substantial amounts of resources and enthusiasm are devoted to innovations, but often they do not yield the desired changes. This may be due to unworkable goals, too much complexity, and a lack of resources to institutionalize the innovation. In many cases, innovations end up being less sustainable than expected or hoped for. In the long term, the disappointing revenues of innovations hamper the ability of higher education to remain future proof. Against the background of this need to increase the success of educational innovations, our colleague Klaartje van Genugten has explored the literature on innovations to reveal mechanisms that contribute to the sustainability of innovations. Her findings are synthesized in this report. They are particularly meaningful for directors of education programs, curriculum committees, educational consultants, and policy makers, who are generally in charge of defining the scope and set up of innovations. Her report offers a comprehensive view and provides food for thought on how we can strive for future-proof and sustainable innovations. I therefore recommend reading this report.
Background Physical activity after bariatric surgery is associated with sustained weight loss and improved quality of life. Some bariatric patients engage insufficiently in physical activity. The aim of this study was to examine whether and to what extent both physical activity and exercise cognitions have changed at one and two years post-surgery, and whether exercise cognitions predict physical activity. Methods Forty-two bariatric patients (38 women, 4 men; mean age 38 ± 8 years, mean body mass index prior to surgery 47 ± 6 kg/m²), filled out self-report instruments to examine physical activity and exercise cognitions pre- and post surgery. Results Moderate to large healthy changes in physical activity and exercise cognitions were observed after surgery. Perceiving less exercise benefits and having less confidence in exercising before surgery predicted less physical activity two years after surgery. High fear of injury one year after surgery predicted less physical activity two years after surgery. Conclusion After bariatric surgery, favorable changes in physical activity and exercise cognitions are observed. Our results suggest that targeting exercise cognitions before and after surgery might be relevant to improve physical activity.
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The main objective is to write a scientific paper in a peer-reviewed Open Access journal on the results of our feasibility study on increasing physical activity in home dwelling adults with chronic stroke. We feel this is important as this article aims to close a gap in the existing literature on behavioral interventions in physical therapy practice. Though our main target audience are other researchers, we feel clinical practice and current education on patients with stroke will benefit as well.
With increasing penetration rates of driver assistance systems in road vehicles, powerful sensing and processing solutions enable further automation of on-road as well as off-road vehicles. In this maturing environment, SMEs are stepping in and education needs to align with this trend. By the input of student teams, HAN developed a first prototype robot platform to test automated vehicle technology in dynamic road scenarios that include VRUs (Vulnerable Road Users). These robot platforms can make complex manoeuvres while carrying dummies of typical VRUs, such as pedestrians and bicyclists. This is used to test the ability of automated vehicles to detect VRUs in realistic traffic scenarios and exhibit safe behaviour in environments that include VRUs, on public roads as well as in restricted areas. Commercially available VRU-robot platforms are conforming to standards, making them inflexible with respect to VRU-dummy design, and pricewise they are far out of reach for SMEs, education and research. CORDS-VTS aims to create a first, open version of an integrated solution to physically emulate traffic scenarios including VRUs. While analysing desired applications and scenarios, the consortium partners will define prioritized requirements (e.g. robot platform performance, dummy types and behaviour, desired software functionality, etc.). Multiple robots and dummies will be created and practically integrated and demonstrated in a multi-VRU scenario. The aim is to create a flexible, upgradeable solution, published fully in open source: The hardware (robot platform and dummies) will be published as well-documented DIY (do-it-yourself) projects and the accompanying software will be published as open-source projects. With the CORDS-VTS solution, SME companies, researchers and educators can test vehicle automation technology at a reachable price point and with the necessary flexibility, enabling higher innovation rates.
The project aims to improve palliative care in China through the competence development of Chinese teachers, professionals, and students focusing on the horizontal priority of digital transformation.Palliative care (PC) has been recognised as a public health priority, and during recent years, has seen advances in several aspects. However, severe inequities in the access and availability of PC worldwide remain. Annually, approximately 56.8 million people need palliative care, where 25.7% of the care focuses on the last year of person’s life (Connor, 2020).China has set aims for reaching the health care standards of the developed countries by 2030 through the Healthy China Strategy 2030, where one of the improvement areas in health care includes palliative care, thus continuing the previous efforts.The project provides a constructive, holistic, and innovative set of actions aimed at resulting in lasting outcomes and continued development of palliative care education and services. Raising the awareness of all stakeholders on palliative care, including the public, is highly relevant and needed. Evidence based practice guidelines and education are urgently required for both general and specialised palliative care levels, to increase the competencies for health educators, professionals, and students. This is to improve the availability and quality of person-centered palliative care in China. Considering the aging population, increase in various chronic illnesses, the challenging care environment, and the moderate health care resources, competence development and the utilisation of digitalisation in palliative care are paramount in supporting the transition of experts into the palliative care practice environment.General objective of the project is to enhance the competences in palliative care in China through education and training to improve the quality of life for citizens. Project develops the competences of current and future health care professionals in China to transform the palliative care theory and practice to impact the target groups and the society in the long-term. As recognised by the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC), palliative care competences need to be developed in collaboration. This includes shared willingness to learn from each other to improve the sought outcomes in palliative care (EAPC 2019). Since all individuals have a right to health care, project develops person-centered and culturally sensitive practices taking into consideration ethics and social norms. As concepts around palliative care can focus on physical, psychological, social, or spiritual related illnesses (WHO 2020), project develops innovative pedagogy focusing on evidence-based practice, communication, and competence development utilising digital methods and tools. Concepts of reflection, values and views are in the forefront to improve palliative care for the future. Important aspects in project development include health promotion, digital competences and digital health literacy skills of professionals, patients, and their caregivers. Project objective is tied to the principles of the European Commission’s (EU) Digital Decade that stresses the importance of placing people and their rights in the forefront of the digital transformation, while enhancing solidarity, inclusion, freedom of choice and participation. In addition, concepts of safety, security, empowerment, and the promotion of sustainable actions are valued. (European Commission: Digital targets for 2030).Through the existing collaboration, strategic focus areas of the partners, and the principles of the call, the PalcNet project consortium was formed by the following partners: JAMK University of Applied Sciences (JAMK ), Ramon Llull University (URL), Hanze University of Applied Sciences (HUAS), Beijing Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), Guangzhou Health Science College (GHSC), Beihua University (BHU), and Harbin Medical University (HMU). As project develops new knowledge, innovations and practice through capacity building, finalisation of the consortium considered partners development strategy regarding health care, (especially palliative care), ability to create long-term impact, including the focus on enhancing higher education according to the horizontal priority. In addition, partners’ expertise and geographical location was also considered important to facilitate long-term impact of the results.Primary target groups of the project include partner country’s (China) staff members, teachers, researchers, health care professionals and bachelor level students engaging in project implementation. Secondary target groups include those groups who will use the outputs and results and continue in further development in palliative care upon the lifetime of the project.
