text:
Harvey, Jack
1117 Public Health and Health Services
16Yes 8No
19Eime, Rochelle 16Payne, Warren 10Casey, Meghan 9Charity, Melanie 5Mooney, Amanda 5Telford, Amanda 3Craike, Melinda 3Sawyer, Neroli 3Symons, Caroline 2Cowley, Stephen 2Culvenor, John 2Smyth, John 2Young, Janet 2van Uffelen, Jannique 1Bennie, Jason 1Biddle, Stuart 1Borys, David 1Fahrner, Brendan 1Lawrance, Michael
11Sport 8Physical activity 51106 Human Movement and Sports Science 4Participation 3Adolescent 3Community 3Female 3Health 21302 Curriculum and Pedagogy 2Accidents 2Adolescence 2Physical education 2Rurality 2Socio-economic status 11103 Clinical Sciences 11116 Medical Physiology 11402 Applied Economics 11605 Policy and Administration 1Accident causation
16Adobe Acrobat PDF
Assessment and monitoring practices of Australian fitness professionals
- Bennie, Jason, Wiesner, Glen, van Uffelen, Jannique, Harvey, Jack, Craike, Melinda, Biddle, Stuart
Authors: Bennie, Jason , Wiesner, Glen , van Uffelen, Jannique , Harvey, Jack , Craike, Melinda , Biddle, Stuart
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 21, no. 4 (2018), p. 433-438
Full Text: false
Description: Objectives: Assessment and monitoring of client health and fitness is a key part of fitness professionals' practices. However, little is known about prevalence of this practice. This study describes the assessment/monitoring practices of a large sample of Australian fitness professionals. Design: Cross-sectional. Methods: In 2014, 1206 fitness professionals completed an online survey. Respondents reported their frequency (4 point-scale: [1] 'never' to [4] 'always') of assessment/monitoring of eight health and fitness constructs (e.g. body composition, aerobic fitness). This was classified as: (i) 'high' ('always' assessing/monitoring ≥5 constructs); (ii) 'medium' (1–4 constructs); (iii) 'low' (0 constructs). Classifications are reported by demographic and fitness industry characteristics. The odds of being classified as a 'high assessor/monitor' according to social ecological correlates were examined using a multiple-factor logistic regression model. Results: Mean age of respondents was 39.3 (±11.6) years and 71.6% were female. A total of 15.8% (95% CI: 13.7%–17.9%) were classified as a 'high' assessor/monitor. Constructs with the largest proportion of being 'always' assessed were body composition (47.7%; 95% CI: 45.0%–50.1%) and aerobic fitness (42.5%; 95% CI: 39.6%–45.3%). Those with the lowest proportion of being 'always' assessed were balance (24.0%; 95% CI: 24.7%–26.5%) and mental health (20.2%; 95% CI: 18.1%–29.6%). A perceived lack of client interest and fitness professionals not considering assessing their responsibility were associated with lower odds of being classified as a 'high assessor/monitor'. Conclusions: Most fitness professionals do not routinely assess/monitor client fitness and health. Key factors limiting client health assessment and monitoring include a perceived lack of client interest and professionals not considering this their role. © 2017
Demographic characteristics and type/frequency of physical activity participation in a large sample of 21,603 Australian people
- Eime, Rochelle, Harvey, Jack, Charity, Melanie, Nelson, Rayoni
Authors: Eime, Rochelle , Harvey, Jack , Charity, Melanie , Nelson, Rayoni
Relation: Bmc Public Health Vol. 18, no. 1 (2018), p. 1-10
Description: Background: Regular physical activity (PA) is imperative for good health and there are many different ways that people can be active. There are a range of health, PA and sport policies aiming to get more people active more often. Much research has been directed towards understanding the determinants of inactivity and PA. However, it is important to understand the differences not only between inactive and active people, but also between activity contexts (for example participation in sport compared to non-sport activities), in order to align policies and strategies to engage market segments who have different participation preferences and accessibility. The aim of this study was to investigate demographic correlates of the propensity to be physically inactive or active within different contexts, and at different levels of frequency of participation. Methods: Data from the Australian Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey was used for this analysis. This included information on the type, frequency and duration of leisure-time PA for Australians aged 15 years and over. Reported PA participation in the two-week period prior to the survey was used to allocate respondents into three categories: no PA, non-sport PA only, and sport. Subsequently, sport participants were further categorised according to frequency of participation. Potential demographic correlates included sex, age, education, employment, marital status, language spoken, having a condition that restricts life, children, and socio-economic status. Results: The survey included 21,603 people. Bivariate chi-squared analysis showed that there were significant differences between the profiles of leisure-time PA participation across all demographic variables, except the variable languages spoken at home. Ordinal regression analysis showed that the same demographic variables were also correlated with the propensity to engage in more organised and competitive PA contexts, and to participate more frequently. Conclusions: People who were female, older, married or had a disability were less likely to participate in sport. Therefore when designing PA opportunities to engage those who are inactive, particularly those that are organised by a club or group, we need to ensure that appropriate strategies are developed, and tailored sport products offered, to ensure greater opportunities for increased diversity of participation in sport.
Girls' transition from participation in a modified sport program to club sport competition - A study of longitudinal patterns and correlates
- Eime, Rochelle, Harvey, Jack, Charity, Melanie
Authors: Eime, Rochelle , Harvey, Jack , Charity, Melanie
Relation: BMC Public Health Vol. 18, no. 1 (2018), p. 1-7
Description: Background: Participation in sport is very popular for young children. Many children participate in entry-level modified sports programs. These programs are modified to match the developmental capacity of children and are aimed at development of fundamental motor skills and sport-specific skills, rather than competition. There is limited research on the longitudinal tracking of children in these programs and into club-based competition. Research suggests that most children drop-out of the sport and do not transition into club-based competition. Furthermore, more females than males drop-out of sport. The aim of this study is to investigate longitudinally, the patterns and demographic predictors of children's transition from modified sport programs to club sport competition for females. Methods: This study analysed sport participation for females in a popular Australian, predominantly female, sport. Players of the modified sports program were followed over 4 years to determine their pattern of transition: transition to junior player status, withdraw from the sport, or continue in the modified program. Pattern of transition was compared across age (4-10), geographical region (metropolitan/non-metropolitan) and socio-economic status (SES). Logistic regression was used to model the effect of the three factors on the likelihood of transition. Results: A total of 13,760 female children (aged 4-10) participated in the modified sport in the first year. The majority (59%) transitioned from the modified sport program and into club competition. However the rate of transition varied with age, residential location and socio-economic status, and there was an interaction between region and SES, with SES having a significant influence on transition in the metropolitan region. The peak sport entry age with the highest rates of transition was 7-9 years. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that whilst the majority of female participants continued participantion and tranisitioned from the modified sport program and into club competition, the strongest correlate of transition was age of entry, with transition rate peaking among those who commenced at age 7-9 years. It is recommended that, in order to maximise continued participation, sport policy and strategic developments should consider the possibility that targeting the very young is not the optimum recruitment strategy for fostering continued sport participation. © 2018 The Author(s).
Non-response bias in estimates of prevalence of club-based sport participation from an Australian national physical activity, recreation and sport survey
- Harvey, Jack, Charity, Melanie, Sawyer, Neroli, Eime, Rochelle
Authors: Harvey, Jack , Charity, Melanie , Sawyer, Neroli , Eime, Rochelle
Description: Background: An estimate of the prevalence of an activity derived from a sample survey is potentially subject to non-response bias, whereby people not involved in the activity are less likely to respond than those involved. Quantifying the extent of non-response bias is generally difficult, since it involves estimating differences between respondents for whom data is directly available from the survey, and non-respondents, for whom data is generally not directly or readily available. However, in the case of the Australian Exercise Recreation and Sport Survey (ERASS), comparative "gold standard" benchmarks exist for some aspects of the survey, in the form of state sporting association (SSA) registration databases, each of which purports to constitute a complete enumeration of club-based players of a particular sport. Methods: ERASS estimates of the prevalence of participation in four major club-based team sports in the Australian state of Victoria in the year 2010 were compared with prevalences based on numbers of registered participants in the corresponding SSA databases. Comparisons were made for the adult population as a whole (ERASS scope being 15+ years of age), and for strata defined by age and geographical region. Because three of the four sports investigated are strongly sex-specific, no sex breakdowns were conducted. In each case the proportion of ERASS respondents reporting participation, with associated confidence limits, was compared with the corresponding SSA count expressed as a proportion of the population, to form an ERASS/SSA prevalence ratio with associated confidence limits. Results: The 24 ERASS/SSA ratios ranged from 1.72 to 7.80. Most ratios lay in the range 2 to 3. The lower 95% confidence bound for the ratio was greater than 1.0 in 23 out of 24 cases. Conclusions: ERASS estimates of prevalence of these particular aspects of sport participation were higher than SSA estimates, to statistically significant degrees. The effect sizes (i.e. the discrepancies represented by the ratios) were large enough to be of great practical importance. It is conjectured that non-response bias is the most likely explanation for the discrepancies.
The relationship of sport participation to provision of sports facilities and socioeconomic status : A geographical analysis
- Eime, Rochelle, Harvey, Jack, Charity, Melanie, Casey, Meghan, Westerbeek, Hans, Payne, Warren
Authors: Eime, Rochelle , Harvey, Jack , Charity, Melanie , Casey, Meghan , Westerbeek, Hans , Payne, Warren
Relation: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health Vol. 41, no. 3 (2017), p. 248-255
Description: OBJECTIVE: Ecological models have been applied to investigate multiple domains influencing physical activity behaviour, including individual, social, organisational, community, environmental and policy factors. With regard to the built environment, research to date has been limited to small geographical areas and/or small samples of participants. This study examined the geographical association between provision of sport facilities and participation in sport across an entire Australian state, using objective total enumerations of both, for a group of sports, with adjustment for the effect of socioeconomic status (SES). METHODS: De-identified membership registration data were obtained from state sport governing bodies of four popular team sports. Associations between participation rate, facility provision rate and SES were investigated using correlation and regression methods. RESULTS: Participation rate was positively associated with provision of facilities, although this was complicated by SES and region effects. The non-metropolitan region generally had higher participation rates and better provision of facilities than the metropolitan region. CONCLUSIONS: Better provision of sports facilities is generally associated with increased sport participation, but SES and region are also contributing factors. Implications for public health: Community-level analysis of the population, sport participation and provision of facilities should be used to inform decisions of investments in sports facilities.
Changes in sport and physical activity participation for adolescent females : A longitudinal study
- Eime, Rochelle, Harvey, Jack, Sawyer, Neroli, Craike, Melinda, Symons, Caroline, Payne, Warren
Authors: Eime, Rochelle , Harvey, Jack , Sawyer, Neroli , Craike, Melinda , Symons, Caroline , Payne, Warren
Relation: Bmc Public Health Vol. 16, no. (2016), p. 1-7
Description: Background: Participation in sport and physical activity is reported to decline during adolescence, particularly for females. However we do not have a clear understanding of changes in the context (i.e., modes and settings) of participation throughout adolescence. This study investigated longitudinal changes in physical activity participation and the specific modes and settings of physical activity, together with cross-sectional comparisons, for two age cohorts of female adolescents. Methods: Survey of 729 adolescent girls (489 recruited in Year 7 and 243 in Year 11). Participation in eight different modes/settings was reported. PA was measured using 24-h recall diary and metabolic equivalent weighted energy expenditure (MET-min) in Leisure Time Moderate and Vigorous Physical Activity (LTMVPA) on the previous day was calculated. Results: There were no significant changes in duration or total MET-min of LTMVPA on previous day. However, there were significant changes in the modes/settings of participation across time. Participation in school physical education rose during early adolescence before decreasing significantly, and participation in competitive sport and club sport significantly decreased over time; however there were increases in non-competitive forms of physical activity. Conclusions: Overall levels of physical activity did not significantly decrease over adolescence, which is positive for physical health. However, the transition from structured sport to non-organised physical activity may effect social and psychological health, which needs to be further examined.
Patterns of time use among regional and rural adolescent girls : Associations with correlates of physical activity and health-related quality of life
- Casey, Meghan, Harvey, Jack, Telford, Amanda, Eime, Rochelle, Mooney, Amanda, Payne, Warren
Authors: Casey, Meghan , Harvey, Jack , Telford, Amanda , Eime, Rochelle , Mooney, Amanda , Payne, Warren
Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 19, no. 11 (2016), p. 931-935
Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/LP0990206
Description: Objectives: To describe patterns of time use among regional and rural adolescent girls and compare identified clusters with respect to correlates of physical activity (PA) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods: Data were from Year 7-9 adolescent girls (aged 12-15 years) from 16 schools involved in a cluster-randomised trial in regional and rural Victoria, Australia (n = 494). Time use data were collected using 24-h Previous Day Physical Activity Recall (PDPAR-24) questionnaire, collapsed into 17 categories of time use. Differences between time use clusters with regard to demographics, correlates of PA and HRQoL measured using PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales, were investigated. Results: Two time use clusters were identified and were associated with correlates of PA and HRQoL. Girls who spent significantly more time in teams sports, non-team sports, school classes, watching TV and sleeping had higher levels of positively aligned PA correlates (e.g. self-efficacy, perceived sports competence) and HRQoL than girls characterised with high levels of computer use and video gaming. Conclusions: These findings highlight how different activity patterns of regional and rural girls affect HRQoL and can inform future intervention strategies to improve PA levels and HRQoL. Clusters characterised by low levels of PA and high computer use and video gaming require targeted interventions to address barriers to their participation. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Sports Medicine Australia.
Population levels of sport participation : Implications for sport policy
- Eime, Rochelle, Harvey, Jack, Charity, Melanie, Payne, Warren
Authors: Eime, Rochelle , Harvey, Jack , Charity, Melanie , Payne, Warren
Description: Background: Participation in sport can contribute to health-enhancing levels of leisure-time physical activity. There are recent reports that participation in sport in Australia is decreasing. However, these studies are limited to ages 15 years and over. Methods: This study integrates sports club membership data from five popular team sports and investigates sport participation across the lifespan (4-100 years) by sex and region (metropolitan/non-metropolitan). Results: Overall participant numbers per annum increased from 414,167 in 2010 to 465,403 in 2012 corresponding to a rise in the proportion of Victorian's participating in these sports from 7.5 % in 2010 to 8.3 % in 2012. The highest proportion of participants was in the 10-14 year age range, with participation rates of 36 % in 2010 and 40 % in 2012. There was a considerably lower participation rate in the 15-19 year age group compared to the 10-14 age group, in all three years studied, and the decline continued progressively with increasing age. Male and female age profiles of participation were generally similar in shape, but the female peak at age 10-14 was sharper than for the males, and conversely there were very few 4 year old female participants. Participation rates were generally higher in non-metropolitan than metropolitan areas; the difference increased with increasing age from 4 to 34 years, then steadily declined, reaching parity at around 60 years of age. Conclusions: It is a positive sign that participation in these popular sports increased by over 50,000 participants from 2010 to 2012. Large proportions of the population aged 5-14 participate in club based sport. Participation rates decline sharply in late adolescence, particularly for females, and while this may not be a concern from a broad health perspective so long as they transition into other forms of physical activity, it is certainly a matter of concern for the sport sector. It is recommended that sport policy places a higher priority on grass-roots participation and that sporting organisations are supported to prioritise the retention issues occurring during adolescence, particularly for females so as to maximise the potential for sport to maintain its positive contribution to population wellbeing. © 2016 The Author(s).
Trends in body image of adolescent females in metropolitan and non-metropolitan regions: a longitudinal study
- Craike, Melinda, Young, Janet, Symons, Caroline, Pain, Michelle, Harvey, Jack, Eime, Rochelle, Payne, Warren
Authors: Craike, Melinda , Young, Janet , Symons, Caroline , Pain, Michelle , Harvey, Jack , Eime, Rochelle , Payne, Warren
Description: Background: Body dissatisfaction is associated with a range of adverse outcomes, including impaired psychological health, low physical activity and disordered eating. This longitudinal study used the Factors Influencing Transitions in Girls' Active Leisure and Sport (FITGALS) dataset to examine trends in body image of adolescent females. Specifically, the study examined satisfaction with body size, physical appearance and dieting behaviour for two cohorts at transitional life phases in two geographic regions longitudinally over a 3-year period. Methods: A sample of 732 adolescent females in Grade 7 (n = 489, 66.8 %) and Grade 11 (n = 243, 33.2 %) at randomly selected Australian metropolitan and non-metropolitan secondary schools responded to a questionnaire in three successive years from 2008 to 2010. Participants reported perceptions about their body size and physical appearance and whether they were, or ought to be, on a diet. The data were analysed using a series of longitudinal logistic regression models. Results: Dieting and dissatisfaction with body size significantly increased over time and more so for older than younger girls. Region significantly moderated the effect of grade level regarding dissatisfaction with body size but not dieting. In non-metropolitan regions, those in the younger cohort were significantly more likely to be dissatisfied with their body size than the older cohort; whereas in metropolitan regions, those in the older cohort were significantly more likely to be dissatisfied with their body size than the younger cohort. Adolescent female's perceptions of their appearance were unchanged over time, region and grade level. Conclusions: Differences across time, region and grade level were found among adolescent females on body size and dieting behaviour, but not physical appearance. Adolescent females experience early and increasing body size dissatisfaction and dieting as they age, but stable perceptions of physical appearance. Age and geographic region are important considerations for the timing and targeting of interventions to address body image concerns. Further investigation of regional differences in body image perceptions and factors that affect these is warranted. The findings of this study highlight the ongoing need for strategies during adolescence to promote a healthy appreciation of body size and appearance. © 2016 The Author(s).
Different methods of training load quantification and their relationship to injury and illness in elite Australian football
- Veugelers, Kristopher, Young, Warren, Fahrner, Brendan, Harvey, Jack
Authors: Veugelers, Kristopher , Young, Warren , Fahrner, Brendan , Harvey, Jack
Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. , no. (2015), p.
Description: Objectives: To compare different methods of training load (TL) quantification and their relationship to injury and illness in elite Australian footballers. Design: Prospective cohort study. Methods: Forty-five elite Australian footballers (mean ± standard deviation: age = 23.4 ± 3.8 years) from one elite club participated in this 15 week pre-season study. TL was quantified every session for each individual using four different methods involving rating of perceived exertion (RPE). Two of these methods enabled the quantification of TL for all exercise modalities whilsttwo were applicable only to outdoor field activities. One- and two-weekly cumulative TL was investigated against injury and illness data using a logistic regression model where the low TL group was considered as the reference group. Results: A general trend existed across all TL methods which suggested lower odds of injury and illness in high TL groups. The one-week RPE (all) and one-week RPE x Duration (all) methods detected reduced odds ofinjury inhighTL groups comparedto low TL groups (p < 0.05, OR = 0.199–0.202). Similarly,the one-week RPE (field) method identified lower illness odds in the high TL groups (p < 0.05, OR = 0.083–0.182). Conclusions: Higher TL appeared to provide a protective effect against both injury and illness. The inclusion of duration in the quantification of TL via RPE did not improve the ability of RPE to predict change in odds of injury or illness. © 2015 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
How healthy is Australian sport?
- Eime, Rochelle, Harvey, Jack
Authors: Eime, Rochelle , Harvey, Jack
Relation: Australasian Epidemiologist Vol. 22, no. 1 (2015), p. 9-10
Description: Behavioural epidemiology in health promotion has been defined as having five phases: establishing links between behaviours and health; developing measures of the behaviour; identifying influences on the behaviour; evaluating interventions to change the behaviour; and translating the research into practice. This article outlines some recent developments in the application of behavioural epidemiology to the issue of sport participation in Australia and its consequential health benefits.
Participation in modified sports programs : A longitudinal study of children's transition to club sport competition
- Eime, Rochelle, Casey, Meghan, Harvey, Jack, Charity, Melanie, Young, Janet, Payne, Warren
Authors: Eime, Rochelle , Casey, Meghan , Harvey, Jack , Charity, Melanie , Young, Janet , Payne, Warren
Description: Background: Many children are not physically active enough for a health benefit. One avenue of physical activity is modified sport programs, designed as an introduction to sport for young children. This longitudinal study identified trends in participation among children aged 4-12 years. Outcomes included continuation in the modified sports program, withdrawal from the program or transition to club sport competition. Methods: De-identified data on participant membership registrations in three popular sports in the Australian state of Victoria were obtained from each sport's state governing body over a 4-year period (2009-2012 for Sport A and 2010-2013 for Sports B and C). From the membership registrations, those who were enrolled in a modified sports program in the first year were tracked over the subsequent three years and classified as one of: transition (member transitioned from a modified sport program to a club competition); continue (member continued participation in a modified sport program; or withdraw (member discontinued a modified program and did not transition to club competition). Results: Many modified sports participants were very young, especially males aged 4-6 years. More children withdrew from their modified sport program rather than transitioning. There were age differences between when boys and girls started, withdrew and transitioned from the modified sports programs. Conclusions: If we can retain children in sport it is likely to be beneficial for their health. This study highlights considerations for the development and implementation of sport policies and programming to ensure lifelong participation is encouraged for both males and females. © 2015 Eime et al.
Participation in sport and physical activity : associations with socio-economic status and geographical remoteness
- Eime, Rochelle, Charity, Melanie, Harvey, Jack, Payne, Warren
Authors: Eime, Rochelle , Charity, Melanie , Harvey, Jack , Payne, Warren
Relation: BMC public health Vol. 15, no. (2015), p. 1-12
Description: BACKGROUND: Many factors influence participation in sport and Physical Activity (PA). It is well established that socio-economic status (SES) is a critical factor. There is also growing evidence that there are differences in participation patterns according to residential location. However, little is known more specifically about the relationship of PA participation and frequency of participation in particular contexts, to SES and residential location. This study investigated the relationship of participation, and frequency and context of participation, to SES and location. METHODS: Three aspects of participation were investigated from data collected in the Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey (ERASS) 2010 of persons aged 15+ years: any participation (yes, no), regular participation (<12 times per year, ≥ 12 times per year) and level of organisation of participation setting (non-organised, organised non-club setting, club setting). RESULTS: The rates of both any and regular PA participation increased as SES increased and decreased as remoteness increased. However, participation in PA was SES- or remoteness-prohibitive for only a few types of PA. As remoteness increased and SES decreased, participation in many team sports actually increased. For both SES and remoteness, there were more significant associations with overall participation, than with regular participation or participation in more organised contexts. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the complexity of the associations between SES and location across different contexts of participation. Nevertheless, it seems that once initial engagement in PA is established, SES and remoteness are not critical determinants of the depth of engagement.
Description: Background: Many factors influence participation in sport and Physical Activity (PA). It is well established that socio-economic status (SES) is a critical factor. There is also growing evidence that there are differences in participation patterns according to residential location. However, little is known more specifically about the relationship of PA participation and frequency of participation in particular contexts, to SES and residential location. This study investigated the relationship of participation, and frequency and context of participation, to SES and location. Methods: Three aspects of participation were investigated from data collected in the Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey (ERASS) 2010 of persons aged 15+ years: any participation (yes, no), regular participation (< 12 times per year, >= 12 times per year) and level of organisation of participation setting (non-organised, organised non-club setting, club setting). Results: The rates of both any and regular PA participation increased as SES increased and decreased as remoteness increased. However, participation in PA was SES-or remoteness-prohibitive for only a few types of PA. As remoteness increased and SES decreased, participation in many team sports actually increased. For both SES and remoteness, there were more significant associations with overall participation, than with regular participation or participation in more organised contexts. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the complexity of the associations between SES and location across different contexts of participation. Nevertheless, it seems that once initial engagement in PA is established, SES and remoteness are not critical determinants of the depth of engagement.
Socioecological factors potentially associated with participation in physical activity and sport : A longitudinal study of adolescent girls
- Eime, Rochelle, Casey, Meghan, Harvey, Jack, Sawyer, Neroli, Symons, Caroline, Payne, Warren
Authors: Eime, Rochelle , Casey, Meghan , Harvey, Jack , Sawyer, Neroli , Symons, Caroline , Payne, Warren
Description: Objectives: Many adolescents are not physically active enough to receive associated health benefits. Furthermore, participation in physical activity generally declines during adolescence, and to a greater degree for females. Longitudinal research is required to better understand the determinants of change in physical activity by adolescent females to inform physical activity-related policy and practice. This study explored patterns of change in socioecological factors hypothesised to be associated with physical activity and sport, across the adolescent period for females. Methods: This longitudinal study employed three annual surveys of females from metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas recruited in Year 7 (n=328) and Year 11 (n=112). Self-report measures included questions regarding general barriers to participation, as well as factors relating to the socioecological domains. Results: The barriers where significant changes within or differences between cohorts were observed were mostly intrapersonal (lack of energy, lack of time due to other leisure activities). Lack of time was more prevalent in the Year 11 cohort than in the Year 7 cohort. Perceived importance of life priorities mainly related to education and study and more so for the Year 11 cohort. Perceived competence declined for the Year 7 cohort. Support from family and peers trended downwards in both cohorts, whereas access to facilities increased both within and between cohorts. Conclusions: Significant patterns of change in the determinants of physical activity participation were observed across the adolescent period. It is important to consider flexible structure and scheduling of physical activity and strategies to develop competency in childhood and early adolescence. (C) 2014 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The contribution of sport participation to overall health enhancing physical activity levels in Australia : A population-based study
- Eime, Rochelle, Harvey, Jack, Charity, Melanie, Casey, Meghan, van Uffelen, Jannique, Payne, Warren
Authors: Eime, Rochelle , Harvey, Jack , Charity, Melanie , Casey, Meghan , van Uffelen, Jannique , Payne, Warren
Description: Background: The contribution of sport to overall health-enhancing leisure-time physical activity (HELPA) in adults is not well understood. The aim was to examine this in a national sample of Australians aged 15+ years, and to extend this examination to other ostensibly sport-associated activities. Methods: The 2010 Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey (ERASS) was conducted by telephone interview in four quarterly waves. Data from this survey were analysed to categorise leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) as HELPA or non-HELPA, and to categorise HELPA activities and sessions of HELPA activity by setting and frequency. The contribution of sport to HELPA was estimated, both directly through activities and settings classified as sport per se, and indirectly through other fitness activities ostensibly related to preparation for sport and enhancement of sport performance. Results: Of 21,602 respondents, 82 % reported some LTPA in the 12 months prior to the survey. In aggregate, respondents reported 37,020 activity types in the previous 12 months, of which 94 % were HELPA. Of HELPA activities, 71 % were non-organised, 11 % were organised but not sport club-based, and 18 % were sport club-based. Of all sport activities, 52 % were HELPA. Of sport HELPA, 33 % was sport club-based and 78 % was undertaken ≥12 times/year. Sport club members were significantly more likely to have participated in running, but significantly less likely to have participated in walking or aerobics/fitness training, than non-club members. Conclusions: Club sport participation contributes considerably to LTPA at health enhancing levels. Health promotion policies, and more specifically physical activity policies, should emphasize the role of sport in enhancing health. Sport policy should recognise the health-promoting role of community-based sport in addition to the current predominant focus on elite pathways. © 2015 Eime et al.
Effectiveness of a school-community linked program on physical activity levels and health-related quality of life for adolescent girls
Description: Background: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a school-community program on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL; the primary outcome), physical activity (PA), and potential mediators of PA among adolescent girls living in low-socioeconomic rural/regional settings. Method: The study was a cluster-randomized controlled trial. Twelve communities with the requisite sports clubs and facilities were paired according to relevant criteria; one of each pair was randomly assigned to the intervention or control condition. Eight schools per condition were randomly selected from these communities and the intervention was conducted over one school year (2011). Female students in grades 7-9 in intervention schools participated in two 6-session PA units - a sport unit (football or tennis) and a recreational unit (leisure centre-based). These were incorporated into physical education (PE) curriculum and linked to PA opportunities for participation outside school. Students were surveyed at baseline and endpoint, self-reporting impact on primary and secondary outcome measures (HRQoL, PA) and PA mediators (e.g. self-efficacy). Linear mixed models for two-group (intervention, control) and three-group (completers, non-completers, control) analyses were conducted with baseline value, age and BMI as covariates, group as a fixed effect and school as random cluster effect. Results: Participants completing baseline and endpoint measures included: 358 intervention (baseline response rate 33.7%, retention rate 61.3%) and 256 control (14.1% and 84.0%). Adjustment for age and BMI made no substantive difference to outcomes, and there were no cluster effects. For HRQoL, after adjustment for baseline scores, the intervention group showed significantly higher scores on all three PedsQL scores (physical functioning: M +/- SE = 83.9 +/- 0.7, p = .005; psychosocial: 79.9 +/- 0.8, p = .001; total score: 81.3 +/- 0.7, p = .001) than the control group (80.9 +/- 0.8; 76.1 +/- 0.9 and 77.8 +/- 0.8). The three-group analysis found intervention non-completers had significantly higher PedsQL scores (84.0 +/- 0.8, p = .021; 80.4 +/- 0.9, p = .003; 81.7 +/- 0.8, p = .002;) than controls (80.9 +/- 0.8, 76.1 +/- 0.9 and 77.8 +/- 0.8). There were no significant differences for any PA measure. Intervention completers had significantly higher scores than non-completers and controls for some mediator variables (e.g. self-efficacy, behavioural control). Conclusion: Positive outcomes were achieved from a modest school-community linked intervention. The school component contributed to maintaining HRQoL; students who completed the community component derived a range of intra-personal and inter-personal benefits.
Linking secondary school physical education with community sport and recreation for girls: A process evaluation
- Casey, Meghan, Telford, Amanda, Mooney, Amanda, Harvey, Jack, Eime, Rochelle, Payne, Warren
Authors: Casey, Meghan , Telford, Amanda , Mooney, Amanda , Harvey, Jack , Eime, Rochelle , Payne, Warren
Relation: BMC Public Health Vol. 14, no. 1039 (2014), p. 1-14
Description: Background: The purpose of this study was to undertake a process evaluation to examine the reach, adoption and implementation of a school-community linked physical activity (PA) program for girls aged 12 - 15 years (School Years 7 - 9) using the RE-AIM framework. Methods. Various approaches were used to assess 'reach', 'adoption' and implementation: (a) a school environment survey of intervention schools (n = 6); (b) teacher feedback regarding the professional development component (91.1% response rate) and lesson implementation (60.8% response rate); and (c) post-intervention focus group interviews with physical education (PE) teachers (n = 29), students (n = 125), coaches (n = 13) and instructors (n = 8) regarding program experiences. Results: Reach and Adoption: Seven schools (n = 1491 Year 7-9 female student enrolment; 70% adoption rate), five tennis clubs, eight football clubs and five leisure centres participated in the program during 2011. Implementation: Program design and professional development opportunities (training, resource manual and opportunities to work with coaches and instructors during PE classes) supported implementation and student engagement in PA. However, there was a lack of individual and organisational readiness to adopt program principles. For some deliverers there were deeply embedded ideologies that were not aligned with the Game Sense teaching approach upon which the program was based. Further, cognitive components of the program such as self-management were not widely adopted as other components of the program tended to be prioritised. Conclusion: The program design and resources supported the success of the program, however, some aspects were not implemented as intended, which may have affected the likelihood of achieving further positive outcomes. Barriers to program implementation were identified and should be considered when designing school-community linked interventions. In particular, future programs should seek to assess and adjust for organizational readiness within the study design. For example, shared commitment and abilities of program deliverers to implement the program needs to be determined to support program implementation. Trial registration. ACTRN12614000446662. April 30th 2014.
Linking physical education with community sport and recreation : A program for adolescent girls
- Casey, Meghan, Mooney, Amanda, Eime, Rochelle, Harvey, Jack, Smyth, John, Telford, Amanda, Payne, Warren
Authors: Casey, Meghan , Mooney, Amanda , Eime, Rochelle , Harvey, Jack , Smyth, John , Telford, Amanda , Payne, Warren
Relation: Health Promotion Practice Vol. 14, no. 5 (2013), p. 721-731
Description: The engagement of adolescent girls in physical activity (PA) is a persistent challenge. School-based PA programs have often met with little success because of the lack of linkages between school and community PA settings. The Triple G program aimed to improve PA levels of secondary school girls (12-15 years) in regional Victoria, Australia. The program included a school-based physical education (PE) component that uniquely incorporated student-centered teaching and behavioral skill development. The school component was conceptually and practically linked to a community component that emphasized appropriate structures for participation. The program was informed by ethnographic fieldwork to understand the contextual factors that affect girls' participation in PA. A collaborative intervention design was undertaken to align with PE curriculum and coaching and instructional approaches in community PA settings. The theoretical framework for the intervention was the socioecological model that was underpinned by both individual-level (social cognitive theory) and organizational-level (building organizational/community capacity) strategies. The program model provides an innovative conceptual framework for linking school PE with community sport and recreation and may benefit other PA programs seeking to engage adolescent girls. The objective of this article is to describe program development and the unique theoretical framework and curriculum approaches.
Description: The engagement of adolescent girls in physical activity (PA) is a persistent challenge. School-based PA programs have often met with little success because of the lack of linkages between school and community PA settings. The Triple G program aimed to improve PA levels of secondary school girls (12-15 years) in regional Victoria, Australia. The program included a school-based physical education (PE) component that uniquely incorporated student-centered teaching and behavioral skill development. The school component was conceptually and practically linked to a community component that emphasized appropriate structures for participation. The program was informed by ethnographic fieldwork to understand the contextual factors that affect girls' participation in PA. A collaborative intervention design was undertaken to align with PE curriculum and coaching and instructional approaches in community PA settings. The theoretical framework for the intervention was the socioecological model that was underpinned by both individual-level (social cognitive theory) and organizational-level (building organizational/community capacity) strategies. The program model provides an innovative conceptual framework for linking school PE with community sport and recreation and may benefit other PA programs seeking to engage adolescent girls. The objective of this article is to describe program development and the unique theoretical framework and curriculum approaches. © 2012 Society for Public Health Education.
Triple G (Girls Get Going): Design of an intervention to foster and promote sport and physical activity among adolescent girls
- Casey, Meghan, Mooney, Amanda, Harvey, Jack, Eime, Rochelle, Telford, Amanda, Smyth, John, Payne, Warren
Authors: Casey, Meghan , Mooney, Amanda , Harvey, Jack , Eime, Rochelle , Telford, Amanda , Smyth, John , Payne, Warren
Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 14, no. Supplement 1 (December 2011 2011), p. e78
Description: C1


Dr. Sankar Srinivasan is a Medical Oncologist and General Physician in Teynampet, Chennai and has an experience of 28 years in these fields. Dr. Sankar Srinivasan practices at Apollo Speciality Cancer Hospital in Teynampet, Chennai. He completed MBBS from Madras University, Chenai, India in 1990,AB (Internal Medicine) from Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan,USA in 1995 and AB (Medical Oncology / Hematology) from Case Western Reserve University in 1998.
He is a member of Indian Medical Association (IMA). Some of the services provided by the doctor are: Melanoma Treatment,Human Papilloma Virus – HPV, Head and Neck Tumor / Cancer Surgery,Insulin Free Treatment and Chemotherapy of Haematological Malignancies etc.


text:
Q: Design pattern for DTO I have a web application using jdbc for database calls.
I have a service, dto and dao layer.
I have a request xml which is huge. Can I pass the request object to dao method or should I transfer the request to a dto model and then pass the dto object as a paramter to my dao method?
Which is the right approach??
public TestServiceClass addSurveySubmitDetails(TestRequestXML testRequestXML){
          //call to dao method
          TestDao = testdao = new TestDao(testRequestXML);

   }

         OR

    public TestServiceClass addSurveySubmitDetails(TestRequestXML testRequestXML){

         //create dto object
         TestDTO testDTO = new TestDTO();
         testDTO .setId(testRequestXML);

          //call to dao method
          TestDao = testdao = new TestDao(testDTO );

   }

Which is the right approach??

A: It depends on your architecture, but as DTO is Data Transfer Object there's no reason to use them between service and dao layers.
You can have one for service layer I suppose like in code sample below, but anyway it depends on your application's architecture.
   public TestServiceClass addSurveySubmitDetails(TestDTO testDTO){
          TestRequestXML testRequestXML = testDTO.getId();
          TestDao = testdao = new TestDao(testRequestXML);

   }

More on DTO's
Data Transfer Object
LocalDTO

A: I don't think there is a right or wrong answer. It's pretty subjective in my opinion.
But I personally like to have a thin layer between the controllers and the services (assuming you're using the MVC pattern), that its only task is to convert requests (XML, Json, etc) to domain objects.
It is quite useful when you have complex domain objects or aggregates of which you need to show information in a view.

A: YAGNI is good idea, keep it simple design, where possible

A: DTOs are really intended for remote calls. If you're sending data over the network to a different virtual machine, use a DTO. If you're sending data to another local class on the same virtual machine, don't bother with a DTO. A DTO is just an efficient way to transfer data remotely. It doesn't really have any advantages anywhere else.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Whether or not next is a better name than dev is your opinion, it isn't necessarily a fact. I for one like dev and find it a name better than next.
We could run a poll and see what name comes out and change to that. But is it really worth the effort and disruption? I'm not convinced that it is.
I think 'next' work tell people, it's the next release, for now it's unstable.
But 'dev' don't tell people anything.
Because all of the branch should being develop state. except the release branch, e.g. '5.3.x'.
Why this 'dev' branch is special?
Why don't use a better name?
anything new, other than confusion.


Couples pose for souvenir pictures in front of the Ottoman-era Ortakoy Mecidiye mosque by the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul, Turkey, Jan. 5, 2015.
The number of foreign visitors to Turkey fell in the first half of the year and the outlook for the rest of 2015 looked gloomy as heightened security risks weigh on tourists' appetite for visiting the country.
Foreign arrivals fell 2.25 percent to 14.89 million people in the first six months, data from the Tourism Ministry showed on Wednesday. Tourism revenue is the biggest component of financing for Turkey's large current account deficit.
Last week, Turkey started bombing Kurdish militant group PKK's camps in northern Iraq as well as Islamic State militants in northern Syria after a suicide bomber killed 32 people in the EU candidate's southeast.
Many countries including the United States, Great Britain and Germany have issued travel advisories for their citizens in recent months. The biggest fall was recorded for Russian tourists, with a fall of almost 25 percent.
"With the ongoing security situation in southeast Turkey and the possibility of spontaneous demonstrations, the U.S. Embassy reminds U.S. citizens to maintain a high level of vigilance, avoid demonstrations, review personal security plans and be aware of your surroundings," the embassy said on its website.
"U.S. citizens should follow local news sources for any potential areas of concern. Travel to southeast Turkey is restricted for U.S. government employees, and, if possible, U.S. citizens should defer travel to these areas as well," it added.


Check it out over on De Rerum Natura...links to good biology stories. You can find more general information on what the Tangled Bank is about at the Tangled Bank website.
If you're inspired and have your own science writing to brag about, send submissions to host@tangledbank.net—there'll be another on 16 June at Borneo Chela.


Has Racial Inequality Reached the Tipping Point?
Women's Rights = Human Rights?
How Do Protests and Social Movements Effect Change?
Policing the Police: How Can Communities Transform Law Enforcement?
Do Words Matter? Do Actions Really Speak Louder Than Words?
A War on Drugs or a Public Health Crisis?


Louis Mendes and his jumbo Speed Graphic camera have been fixtures on New York City's streets for more than fifty years.
Louis Mendes has been photographing people on the streets of New York City for more than fifty years. You may have seen him around: looking dapper in a suit and fedora, his jumbo Speed Graphic camera—the old-fashioned kind the press used to use, with extending bellows and a flashbulb—strapped to his chest. One recent sunny morning, on the corner of Forty-second Street and Sixth Avenue, he was wearing an "I Heart New York" tie, his pockets stuffed with Fuji instant film and small individual flashbulbs. He had been taking pictures since 6 A.M. "In New York, you've gotta get up early," he said. "'Cause things change fast." Accompanied by his friend, protégé, and de-facto manager, Ray Ortiz, Mendes walked south down Fifth Avenue, past the New York Public Library, where tourists took selfies with their cell phones.
Like the late Bill Cunningham, who documented New Yorkers' fashion choices for the Times for nearly four decades, Mendes is out on the streets taking pictures almost every day. But where Cunningham's strategy was to blend in with the crowds, Mendes's is to stand out. "Good morning. Can I take your picture?" a man standing with his wife outside Willoughby's camera store, on Fifth Avenue at Thirty-first Street, said, his small camera dwarfed by Mendes's. "Certainly. Can I take yours?" Mendes said without missing a beat. He named his price. "Twenty dollars a photo—that sounds fair," the man said, smiling, and they exchanged shots. Mendes peeled apart the instant film, exposing a rich, grayscale portrait of the couple, and inserted it into one of his signed paper frames.
Mendes gives away the majority of his photos, so his own personal archive is thin. Unlike Brandon Stanton's Humans of New York series, in which the portraits are designed to be shared and liked on social media, Mendes's images seldom end up online. (Ortiz runs his Facebook page, but it contains few of Mendes's own photos.) He has exhibited his work only once, in 1995, in Harlem, where he lived for many years before moving into subsidized housing in midtown. "I don't like exhibits, 'cause people don't buy no pictures!" he said, hamming it up but not entirely joking.
If his standard fee of twenty dollars is too high, Mendes accepts donations. At times, over the years, he has earned enough this way to get by, but he worked a range of day jobs as well, before Social Security kicked in. In the late nineteen-fifties, when he bought his first Speed Graphic camera, he was working as a stock clerk in Macy's while going to school to study radio electronics. In the late sixties, he was a building attendant at Port Authority. His supervisor at that job, who was white, didn't like it when he bought a new car with his savings. Then, one day, in April of 1968, a white police officer said to him, "Your friend got killed today." Martin Luther King, Jr., had been shot. "The way he said it, like he was glad," Mendes said, was the last straw. He decided to pursue photography full time.
Leaving the flea, Mendes ran into an old friend, Geoffrey Berliner, the executive director of the nearby Penumbra Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving historical and emulsion-based photography. They talked shop for ten minutes, lamenting the discontinuation of the Fuji peel-apart film they both love. The flashbulbs that Mendes uses haven't been made since the sixties, but he has so far been able to find enough of them at flea markets, auctions, and through old photography connections. Mendes has cultivated friendships with many of the city's other roving photographers. Walking across Fourteenth Street, he ran into a gray-haired street photographer in a red baseball cap. "He's a New York icon," the photographer said. The two made plans to meet up at the upcoming Veterans Day Parade. Another photographer, beefy and wearing a black bandanna, was on his way to shoot an assignment when he noticed Mendes. "Hey, chief, I haven't seen you in sixteen years!" They took each other's picture. The photographer tucked Mendes's portrait of him into his pocket as he rushed to the subway.
Lucy McKeon is a writer based in New York.
The photographer often took her black-and-white photographs in grand but ruined spaces.
Like the director Barry Jenkins, the photographer Johanne Rahaman captures Florida's African-American communities with the tenderness of an insider.


text:
Home Health + Beauty Using Mindfulness Meditation for a Steady Start to the New Year
Using Mindfulness Meditation for a Steady Start to the New Year
• Paris Giles
Proponents of mindfulness meditation claim benefits like reduced stress, self-awareness and even improved physical health. As we shuck 2019 and cozy up to a new year, is it time to revisit an ancient tradition?
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. This is a beautifully simple prayer. But, cloaked in its conciseness perhaps, is that this level of objective insight requires an incredibly strong mind.
Whether you're of the philosophy that our thoughts become things outside of ourselves – think of a million-dollar check long enough, and it's only a matter of time before it manifests – or if you're a little more down-to-earth, we can agree, our minds are powerful. How we process and react to the thoughts that invade our psyche can affect our mood, our mental and physical health, and our actions – or inaction.
For millennia, meditation has been used as a tool to strengthen the mind and achieve what we like to call today mindfulness. It's a mostly secular practice in present-day Western culture, but mindfulness meditation has roots in ancient Buddhism and Hinduism.
An article titled "Buddha's Original Teachings on Mindfulness" published in Tricycle: The Buddhist Review – a magazine published by The Tricycle Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to making Buddhist teachings and practices broadly available – reads, "Mindfulness means the ability to keep something in mind. On the Buddhist path, it functions in three ways: remembering to stay alert on what you're doing in the present moment; remembering to recognize the skillful and unskillful qualities that arise in the mind; and remembering how to effectively abandon the qualities that get in the way of concentration, then developing the skillful ones that promote it."
Intro to Basics
As a chronic overthinker riddled with anxiety – and occasional depression – I've always suspected that a habitual meditative practice could help to aid what ails me. I love that meme that goes something like: "My mind is like an internet browser. There are 19 tabs open, three of them are glitching and where the fuck is that music coming from?"
I've dabbled in guided meditation, using the assistance of the app Headspace, but I abandoned that when the seven-day free trial ended. In preparation for this story, though, I signed up for a half-day silent meditation retreat at Still Point Zen Buddhist Temple in Detroit; along with regular community meditation sessions, they offer the retreat the first Saturday of most months.
True to form, I arrived promptly five minutes late. The teacher ushered me in whispered breath into a large room, Buddha at the helm. My fellow meditators were already in position, sitting cross-legged on large pillows, bean bag cushions under their bums and facing the walls. The instructor led me to one of the few remaining spots, right near him at the head of the class, as karma would have it.
He gave a few last-minute instructions as I locked eyes with a cute, dreadlocked girl seated right next to me. I was happy to see another brown face. She and I silently mouthed "hi." The teacher said to us, "I'd tell you to have fun, but have whatever you have," and we were off.
I sat up straight, legs crossed, hands resting lightly on my knees and aimed to focus on my breath and nothing else. Well, the thoughts came knocking, but as I'd read to do, I tried my best not to rudely shoo them away or chastise them for having dared to interrupt but to instead acknowledge the intrusion, politely explain that I was currently engaged and send them off.
This worked pretty well, but I found that just as I'd get back to my breathing, another thought would come knocking. Oh well. I'd get back into my groove. A lot of it felt like that 10 minutes between tucking yourself into bed and actually falling asleep. I'd embrace that fuzzy feeling for a while, but then that felt too passive, and also, I was worried I'd actually fall asleep.
The other problem was the burn. I'm a notorious sloucher, so to align my spine, unsupported, for that extended time forced me to engage muscles in my back, shoulders and chest that are used to just phoning it in. Workout or meditation? I couldn't tell. But I tried, as best I could, to ignore the pain, remind myself that it existed apart from the me in my mind and return to my breath. It got easier after a while, and the schedule was mercifully 20 minutes on, 10 minutes off with a walking meditation tossed in the middle.
Afterwards, I cornered the dreadlocked girl, Reatta Jefferson of Detroit, in the temple's kitchen. This was her first retreat as well, though she told me she'd attended a few of the temple's community sessions, and she's been meditating on her own, on and off, for about four years, "since I've been on my spiritual journey."
Jefferson said she was first introduced to Buddhist principles by the lessons her kids' martial arts teachers impart during classes and training. She says, "I just want to give my children solid foundational principles. They go to church with their dad, and I don't go to church. So, they're like, 'OK mom, we know you're about peace and love but . . . '" She says she wants to be able to frame her principles in a digestible format and be able to field questions about her personal philosophies and spirituality – and have information to back it up.
Though Still Point Abbott "Anzen" Melanie Davenport reminds that mindfulness meditation is not at odds with the Christian faith. She says, "I think the practice is a great way for black people to practice compassion for themselves, especially when the world is closing in on us. I've heard meditation and mindfulness practices described as 'listening to God instead of just to talking to Him or Her.'"
Davenport adds, "Your first task, just embarking on a regular meditation practice, is to learn how to exist in the moment and not time travel. Meaning, when you're sitting, you're not thinking about what happened before that moment or what happens after. You learn to exist with things the way they are – in your own head, rather. Mindfulness – as they call it these days – is just an offshoot of learning how to do that. If you can't learn how to quiet or control your own mind, how much effort are you going to extend to controlling anything else outside of you?"
Renowned psychologist Dr. Gail Parker says, "A meditative mind is not a quiet mind. It is an observed mind." Parker shuttered her traditional practice about four years ago and is now a certified yoga therapist and yoga therapy educator with the Beaumont School of Yoga Therapy in Royal Oak. Here, she employs yoga and meditation as therapeutic healing modalities for self-care practices and to restore and maintain emotional balance, with a focus on race-based stress and trauma.
"In meditation, as well as in all forms of yoga – particularly in restorative yoga – you use breath as a focal point. We're always breathing no matter where we are, no matter what's going on. And once you learn that your breath is a conduit and a way of supporting health and restoration and growth, and once you learn how to utilize your breath in that way, you can do that anywhere," she says.
"You can decrease anxiety by using certain breathing techniques. You can elevate a mood by using certain breathing techniques and move beyond depressive states, for example. These are not miraculous cures and they're not quick fixes, but over time, as you become more involved and engaged in a meditation practice – particularly like in recovery – it teaches self-regulation. It teaches you how to pause before you act on the impulse to do something that may not be in your best interest."
Before Beaumont, Parker taught meditation training to peer recovery coaches at Detroit Recovery Project, the drug rehabilitation nonprofit. "The model was designed to be culturally relevant for the primarily African American population that the organization served."
In 2014, researchers at Johns Hopkins published a study for which they combed through nearly 19,000 meditation program studies, including 47 trials for which self-selection biases were accurately accounted. They concluded that mindfulness meditation programs, in particular, produced small improvements in anxiety, depression and pain, with moderate evidence and small improvements in stress. The evidence gathered was insufficient to indicate a significant improvement in attention, substance use, eating habits, sleep or weight.
It's thought that meditation works by quieting the sympathetic nervous system – the fight or flight system responsible for anxiety, tension, fatigue and depression – while activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which slows heart rate and lowers blood pressure.
The Journal of the American Heart Association published a study in 2009 for which researchers randomly assigned 201 African Americans the task of either transcendental meditation (not the same as mindfulness meditation) or attending educational classes in traditional risk reduction, like dietary changes and exercise.
After nine years, the group that meditated showed a 47% reduction in heart attacks, strokes and death. The AHA analyzed this and multiple other studies in 2017, and deduced a possible benefit of meditation on cardiovascular health – but said that the quality and quantity of the data was modest and that more research is needed.
Data shmata. Top meditation apps Calm and Headspace enjoyed 8 million and 5 million downloads respectively in 2018 alone, according to Sensor Tower, which analyzes app figures. Like our ancient ancestors, we're still in search of enlightenment and clarity, and these and similar apps are promising to show you the path, if you can afford it. Headspace offers an annual subscription for $69.99, billed after a 14-day free trial, or you can opt for a month-to-month commitment for $12.99 per month, billed after a seven-day free trial, which works out to $155.88 annually.
Most meditation and yoga instructors are white. Parker says her black patients and others she's spoken to in her work believe that the benefits offered by meditation would be enhanced if the instructors looked like them and shared the culture, but she says yoga and meditation training is very expensive.
"The expense factor in and of itself kind of makes it challenging for members of our community to participate in those particular trainings," she says. "Bringing the conversation about racially and culturally relevant modalities is important. It's time for us to start having the conversation if yoga and meditation are to benefit all of us."
Of African Americans in particular, Parker says, "We live in a culture that is embedded in trauma, unhealed trauma" cause by wars, street violence and centuries of racism, experienced firsthand and indirectly. "When you are chronically stressed, that means you're not even aware that you're stressed. You're just – quote – 'managing your stress.'" Which she says is not the same as actually dealing with it and working to heal it.
Head of wellness brand W.I.F.E. Comma (soon to be W.I.F.E. Your Life), Toni Jones echoes the doctor's sentiments. She says, "The black community, first of all, has to understand how rooted they are with divinity. We have been indoctrinated with so much carnality and ego and trauma that we almost have a cultural identity with struggle. But, before that, our identity was rooted in divinity and royalty, and when we connect to that, we can give ourselves more permission to remember our souls and remember spiritual maintenance."
That one retreat at Still Point, lengthy as it was, didn't transform me in any profound way, but I'm even more intrigued and more apt to give meditation a real try in the new year. If nothing else, it felt strangely productive to sit silently with myself and do nothing, something I hardly ever do. Somehow my barrage of thoughts seemed way less scary in the quiet place; could it be that the noise I use to distract is actually counteractive?
It felt mighty to take some semblance of control over my own thoughts, to wear my angst instead of letting it wear me. As we wrapped the session, the teacher read from The Way of the Bodhisattva, a text written in 700 A.D. by the Buddhist monk Shantideva. The passage concluded: "… For the sake of all that lives do I conceive the Spirit of Enlightenment, and likewise shall I too follow these practices."
Paris Giles
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
3 Things To Know About Queen Elizabeth II & Her Ties With Pakistan
by Anooshah Shuja
September 9, 2022 - 3 minutes read
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II passed away yesterday at Balmoral. She became Queen on February 6th, 1952 after the death of her father King George. Her reign lasted for 7 decades and saw 15 Prime Ministers. Throughout her rule, she has been actively involved in international ties with countries outside Britain. As England mourns her demise, let's take a look back at her ties with Pakistan.
Here are 3 things you should know about Queen Elizabeth & her affiliation with Pakistan.
1. She Was The Queen Of Pakistan For 4 Years
This may come as a surprise to us Pakistanis but Queen Elizabeth II ruled over Pakistan for 4 years as 'Queen of Pakistan.' her father was the King of India and Pakistan until India became a republic in 1950. However, after his demise, in 1952, Elizabeth II took over as the queen of Pakistan till 1956 when Pakistan became a republic. Even though she was the Queen of Pakistan, her involvement in the state's affairs was intentionally kept minimal.
2. Her First Visit To Pakistan
Queen Elizabeth II's first royal tour to Pakistan in 1961 was 16 days long. She along with her husband Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip visited Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and the Northern areas of Pakistan.
Their first stop was in Karachi on 1st February, where they were greeted by President Ayub Khan. Their visit to Karachi included tours of Mazar-i-Quaid, Frere Hall, and Korangi Township. They stayed at the presidential residence until 4th February and left for Peshawar.
"I feel at home in Karachi as we share the same culture and understand each other well"
Queen Elizabeth II (Source: Dawn)
3. She Expressed Her Grief Over The Devastating Floods In Pakistan
Queen Elizabeth II lent her support to the people of Pakistan currently engulfed by floods and those who are working tirelessly to rehabilitate and bring relief to the flood affectees. She expressed her grief over the situation.
"The United Kingdom stands in solidarity with Pakistan as you recover from these terrible events," she stated.
Her last rites will stretch over a period of 10 days. The Queen's funeral will be held in Westminster and she will be buried in King George VI Memorial Chapel in Windsor. (The News)
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Arif Alvi expressed their condolences over the Queen's demise. Notable Pakistani celebrities have also shared heartfelt words on Her Majesty's passing.
Queen Elizabeth II Passes Away At 96 After Reigning For 70 Years
Sources used in this article include The Diplomat, Dawn, and Business Recorder.
Tags: queen elizabeth II
Twitter Gushes Over Farhan Saeed's Performance In The Latest Episode Of Mere Humsafar
Money Back Guarantee Teaser Leaves Us Wanting More!
Anooshah Shuja
Just a 23-year-old writer trying to find her place in this fast-paced, questionable world while also trying to express herself & her ordeals as best one can. Enjoy!


text:
Microsoft's Fake Patent Attack: Should You Care?
By Rob Enderle
A few days ago Fortune ran a story which has been getting broad coverage on the 235 patents that they, and others, believe Open Source infringes. The coverage is, as should have been expected, the typical "Microsoft is evil, put up or shut-up," kind of thing that typically happens after a statement like this.
What I'd like to suggest is that just maybe this initial article's tone was more Fortune than Microsoft and that the purpose was not to scare folks away from Open Source but to increase page views. I also write provocative pieces so I understand the need to do this, but people seem to be getting rather worked up for nothing.
This isn't the only thing out of Microsoft that is causing a lot of excitement. In another piece, Bill Hilf, Microsoft was reported to have said that Free Software is dead, which had a very similar response. That, too, seemed to have a purpose that was less accuracy and more traffic. Given that, in the current world, revenue is tied to traffic, neither should be a surprise.
In short let's take this opportunity to see if there is really something to be concerned about, and particularly whether Microsoft has some form of Mad Cow disease.
Microsoft's Patents
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Microsoft vs. Open Source: What's 235 Patents Among Friends?
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In reading through the initial Fortune piece, and because I've been working with Microsoft for a number of years, my general sense is they were trying to convey the message that they were aggressively licensing, and not using patents to keep people from entering, or competing, in the market. I don't think they intended to go to war with Open Source and Foss. But that now does seem to be the outcome, regardless of the intent.
The reason I believe this wasn't their intent is because Microsoft has been going out of its way, of late, to try not to attack Linux, largely because the attacks not only didn't do them any good, they provide a huge free marketing push for Linux. In short, I think Microsoft now understands that they have largely been the marketing push behind Linux and, as a result, didn't want to do that anymore. Can't say I blame them.
In addition, they are still under review by the European Union, who wants them to more aggressively cooperate, and share, their technology with competitors, and Microsoft is trying to showcase they are doing exactly that. Finally, Microsoft has been trying to get the Novell partnership to work and they had to know Novell would not support any aggressive patent move. Popping up talking about enforcing patents would seem just slightly counter-strategic right now, regardless of motive and (with some exceptions) Microsoft does seem to try and not do stupid things.
However, talking about Microsoft wanting to license to others is kind of dull but Microsoft taking on the Free Software World is vastly more interesting. Now Steve Ballmer may, from time to time, take a swipe at Linux (which makes the Linux folks just love him to death) just as Stallman may do foolish things (which the Microsoft people like to see him as visible as possible). But the rank and file, at least at Microsoft, really appear to have learned their lesson and aren't trying to stir up the hornets' nest.
Death of Free Software
Of course flying against this was the a reported statement by Bill Hilf that Linux was dead. Of course, when you actually read the piece, (I'm not sure most got past the headline) what he was actually saying was that most who work on the core parts of a Linux distribution are paid to do so. He clearly could have worded what he is reported to have said better.
Whether true or not, paying people to develop Linux would have virtually nothing to do with killing Linux, and it doesn't even mean there is no free software. Microsoft pays its developers and there are a number of free Microsoft products, so getting paid really doesn't mean the product doesn't exist or can't be free.
This was helped by the fact that Bill weighed in personally on the subject, and while purists that think folks shouldn't be paid to work on software might disagree, most of us who have to pay bills probably have no real problem with people getting paid to do work.
From a Linux perspective, far from making the product appear dead, the implication is actually that it is maturing, and credible organizations can pay folks to work on core aspects of any application that should result in a better product, or at least a more consistent one.
But outside of a few folks who are likely a few beers short of a six-pack, and of course the people doing the work, I doubt many really care if folks are paid to work on Linux or not, and that most who use Linux today in IT shops probably think that paid developers are a good thing. Probably because most are paid and like being paid themselves.
So, even here, Microsoft wasn't really trying to scare anyone. Bill Hilf was simply addressing what he thought was a misconception that is important to him as a paid programmer, and that is that folks doing good work on products, open source or otherwise, are being paid. And seriously, I doubt even he thinks that is a bad thing.
Adverse Impact
The problem we are increasingly faced with is getting all of this stuff to work together. Whether you like the Novell/Microsoft deal or not, at least it had one clear benefit: the promise that at least one Linux distribution would work seamlessly with Windows.
Let's be real here, Linux isn't going away and neither is Microsoft, and increasingly both find themselves in mixed shops. Highlighting adversity is one thing but allowing artificial adversity to distract you from the goal that most buyers of technology have always wanted – seamless interoperability – is counterproductive for all parties. Kind of helps provide another perspective to the whole Microsoft/Novell thing huh?
How Could Microsoft Kill Linux, How Could Linux Kill Microsoft?
Now, having said all of this, what if Microsoft wanted to kill Linux, or FOSS wanted to kill Microsoft, how could they do it successfully?
Well. taking everyone that uses or develops the product to court is not only not practical, even if you could do it, it simply wouldn't work. And flaming emails and comments are so high school. Look at the RIAA and piracy, that is a cake walk compared to what Microsoft would have to do and, at least to me, the RIAA's (and the related MPAA's) efforts so far have effectively increased piracy and made both organization's members less profitable.
Netscape died not because Microsoft used their monopoly power (they tried, it backfired) but because Netscape screwed up Netscape screwed up on a massive scale and Microsoft executed reasonably well. PlayStation 3 wasn't killed by Microsoft, it was jointly killed by Sony screwing up and both Nintendo and Microsoft executing. Microsoft beat Novell as a result of Novell's announcing, and then failing to build, a Windows NT clone (SuperNOS) and then failing to actually ship it.
Microsoft didn't beat IBM by being bigger, stronger or more underhanded, Microsoft built what the market wanted and IBM didn't. And Google isn't winning because they are the nastiest guys out there, at least not yet (but that may be changing), they are winning because they figured out who the customer was and focused like a laser on them (watch them, they really don't care what Microsoft does that much), and then executed. iPod vs. Creative Labs and S3 was a similar lesson, and Zune showcased what happens when your forget who the customer actually is.
Sun and Netscape are both examples of what happens when Microsoft competitors focus on Microsoft and not their customers. The massive number of Linux distributions and the GPL3.0 draft is what happens when you don't even seem to remember who the customer is (and seem to think it is you).
For either side to win decisively against the other, they have to identify and focus on their customers and not each other. The GPL3 is just as stupid as Get the Facts was and neither is what the customer wants. We all need to remember that the cost of software is a trivial part of the entire solution and that free crap is still crap no matter who sells it or how trendy the name.
Happy Microsoft customers don't replace Microsoft products with open source offerings and if Linux is scarier than Microsoft only idiots will move from the frying pan into the fire. Of course this is an incredibly selfish position, because if both sides focused on building great products most of us would win regardless of the outcome of this fight, and I could stop talking about this BS and focus back on having fun with technology. In the end, however, the only way to win decisively is to build the best solution from the customer's perspective.
It is my view, whichever side gets this first wins and the other side goes home looking like fools.
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Kangana Ranaut strong look revealed from Dhaakad came with machine guns in her hand
Actress Kangana Ranaut, who is known for her strong acting, is currently in discussion about her upcoming film 'Dhaakad'. The shooting of the film is going on in Madhya Pradesh these days. Kangana is working very hard for this film, she keeps sharing pictures and videos related to the film. Recently, a few days ago, he shared some photos and videos from the film's set, which was also liked by all. Now recently Kangana Ranaut has shared her look from the film on her social media.
Kangana's strong look revealed:
Actress Kangana Ranaut has released a new poster from her upcoming film 'Dhaakad' today i.e. on Monday. Kangana strong look is seen in this poster that surfaced. In the poster, Kangana is seen as an agent, with machine guns in hand. Burning vehicles are visible around them. Kangana Ranaut shared the picture, writing, "They call her Agni … the brave one, I say she is my depiction of Bhairavi, the goddess of death."
Let me tell you, the film 'Dhaakad' has a spy-action film, in which Kangana Ranaut will be seen playing the role of a Secret Service Agent. She will be seen doing tremendous action in the film. Kangana Ranaut's film can be released in theaters on 1 October this year. Recently, Kangana Ranaut announced this by sharing a poster on her Instagram. Kangana will be seen doing an action in this film. Arjun Rampal and Divya Dutta will also be seen with him in the film. The film is being directed by Rajneesh Raji Ghai.
25 crores spent shooting a scene:
Recently, Kangana Ranaut shared a video related to the shooting of the film on her Twitter handle a few days ago. With this, the actress has told that, the makers are spending a lot of money on the film. Kangana shared the post, writing, "I have not seen any director who gives so much time and importance to rehearsals. The biggest action sequence will be shot so far from last night, but I am surprised to see his preparation. I learned a lot. Is getting. More than 25 crores rupees are being spent on just this one action sequence. "
On the other hand, if we talk about Kangana Ranaut's work front, in the coming time, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's biopic will be seen in 'Thalaivi'. Directed by AL Vijay, the film will be released in Hindi, Tamil Telugu. Apart from this film, Kangana Ranaut will be seen working in the film 'Tejas'. In this film, she will play the role of Air Force fighter pilot.


A former collegiate rower and world champion in whitewater racing, Juliet Starrett founded the first CrossFit gym in San Francisco.
Juliet Starrett never intended to become a founder of a highly successful CrossFit franchise or a passionate advocate for kids' standing desks. Actually, she never really intended for any of this: her brush with thyroid cancer or the two world championship titles in whitewater racing -- or leaving it all to become a lawyer. But each thing has brought her to the next.
"I haven't followed a normal path at all," she said.
After a childhood growing up outdoors in Colorado and rowing competitively, Juliet started as a rower at the University of California, Berkeley -- a program known for its long history of grooming of Olympians. But she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer during her sophomore year. She had surgery almost immediately, then radiation treatment. After getting the all clear, she went back to rowing -- but she found herself burned out, done with the long hours and single-mindedness of the sport.
In the summers, she started leading river rafting trips. It gave her so many things she loved: the wild water, the winging it and pushing herself, the hard work of leading people downriver.
When you train with Juliet, you cannot out-suffer her.
"I learned the most about how to be awesome in life at that job," she said. At just 19 years old, she was taking people on multiday trips, in charge of first aid and logistics. She eventually became manager for the rafting company.
What followed after college was (sort of) the usual athlete bum existence. She raced for the national women's extreme whitewater team for five years, even winning two world championships. She worked odd jobs outdoors and led more rafting trips. On one trip, after the Whitewater World Championships in Africa, she was attacked by a hippo on the Zambezi River and had to swim to shore -- escaping unscathed save for one minor nick from the hippo's teeth. And she met her future husband, Kelly, who also was a fixture on the international whitewater scene.
Then she decided it was time for a new challenge. "I'm ready to not live in my car" -- she wrote about her adventures in her law school admissions essay -- and she started school at the University of San Francisco. For lots of people, that might be the end of the story: time to be an adult and get down to serious lawyering.
She and Kelly still worked out regularly, but it was boring. "We were training all the time, but we were totally uninspired," she said. They were looking for something new again, and so they tried CrossFit. "[This was when] like three people did CrossFit," she joked.
Juliet was immediately drawn to the challenge of the sport. "When you train with Juliet, you cannot out-suffer her," Kelly said.
Kelly and Juliet Starrett, with daughters Caroline (left) and Georgia.
He was in physical therapy school at the time and was intrigued by ideas about functional strength and movement. The two of them started brainstorming on what they could do around these ideas. Soon, whenever she could spare a minute from her high-powered job at the law firm Reed Smith, Juliet was operating the business side of a gym run out of a parking lot behind the Sports Basement store in downtown San Francisco.
While they were both still working other jobs, San Francisco CrossFit grew into a bigger gym with employees. Still, "it took me 18 months to just, like, quit [Reed Smith]," said Juliet. "I thought, 'Is this the dumbest thing I've done in my life?'"
It turned out, no, it was definitely not dumb.
These days, San Francisco CrossFit has a large space that's no longer in a parking lot, with dozens of classes and professional athletes who come in to consult with Kelly and Juliet. They run workshops and offer stretching and strength seminars. In 2009, the pair started MobilityWOD, as a series of seminars and workshops on movement that has now expanded into an extensive website and subscription video service.
They wrote the book "Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World" about the health hazards of a sedentary lifestyle -- then decided to expand that thinking to kids after an experience at their daughter Georgia's elementary school field day. "We were volunteering at the sack races and the kids literally could not get into the sack," said Juliet.
The kids struggled to jump or forward roll. "It blew our minds. The physical literacy of these kids was horrible," she said. And the schoolchildren lived in Marin County, just outside of San Francisco, generally considered the birthplace of mountain biking and, by most statistics, one of the healthiest counties in the state.
So Juliet prepared a proposal for standing desks in a few classrooms, and the principal jumped on board. The Starretts paid to outfit the first few classrooms, which included Georgia's fourth grade class, but soon more teachers wanted the standing desks.
The Starretts started a nonprofit, Stand Up Kids, and they raised $150,000 in a matter of weeks. In 2015, Vallecito Elementary became the first school in the country to give all the students standing desks. Each classroom has five stools for sharing -- if a child needs to sit down -- but otherwise, the kids stand or walk around or sit on the floor.
There were concerns, of course. Teachers were worried about the students being harder to manage. Parents were worried about their kids being tired. There was a transitional period, just like when adults switch to standing desks, said Juliet. But what research has found, is that the kids with attention issues actually have an easier time focusing when they're able to fidget and move around. And according to a Texas A&M School of Public Health study, kids burn a base level of about 15 percent to 25 percent more calories during the day when using standing desks.
Their younger daughter, Caroline, a first-grader, has only had a standing desk in her school career. She went from running around in preschool to moving around in kindergarten to standing and moving in first grade. Caroline doesn't think it's weird, her parents say. She just thinks it's school.
The Starretts have teamed up now with Donors Choose and with Michelle Obama's Let's Move program and are hoping to raise $50,000 a year to bring standing desks to low-income classrooms where teachers have requested the change but can't afford it.
Being the face of healthy living has to wear on the family, though, right?
"I think there's a certain amount of pressure in that way," Juliet said. "But fortunately, it's not hard for us to manage that pressure, because we went into this because we love this stuff."
During school vacation this year, the family took a trip to Tahoe, where they skied in the mornings and completed CrossFit workouts in the afternoons. Their pace is nonstop, and they love it. Juliet may not have necessarily intended for all of this -- but she also wouldn't have it any other way.


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David Blumenthal, M.D.
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What's Driving Health Care Costs?
National health care spending reached $1.6 trillion in 2002, accounting for one-seventh of the U.S. economy, or 14.9 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Federal Medicare and Medicaid spending accounted for one-fifth of total federal outlays in fiscal year 2002, with Medicare at 12.7 percent and Medicaid at 7.4 percent of outlays. Health care costs are a longstanding concern to policymakers. For years, health care spending has been rising faster than the rate of economic growth, raising the question of whether we are getting good value for the spending.
This Issue Brief was prepared for The Commonwealth Fund/John F. Kennedy School of Government Bipartisan Congressional Health Policy Conference, January 15–17, 2004.
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Author: Patricia Seliger Keenan, M.H.S.
What's Driving Health Care Costs?, Patricia Seliger Keenan, M.H.S., The Commonwealth Fund, November 2004
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A Numbered, Limited-Edition, 180-gram LP, Sourced from Original Master Tapes.
Ry Cooder's exceptional Paradise and Lunch takes a popular precept – music as the common denominator across all languages and styles – to extremes few artists have envisioned let alone fulfilled.
Considered by many diehards to be the California native's finest hour, this 1974 set unfurls with rarified levels of joyousness, ingenuity, and sophistication. A prime contender for any Desert Island list and an album that repeatedly restores your faith in the inimitable effects experienced upon listening to special performances, Paradise and Lunch is an eternal "musicians' musicians" record – an adventurous, ambitious, soulful leap down roads well-traveled and paths less known.
On the surface a collection of seemingly disparate jazz, blues, spiritual, and roots songs, the diversified album comes across as a secret history of music. It remains a paragon of seamless convergence in which sonic DNA differences reveal shared traits and quilt a fabric united by feeling, reinvention, and elation. Beginning with a recast rendition of a traditional folk number, "Tamp 'Em Up Solid," believed to be a close descendant of the group-vocal tune sung by field hands when they stacked bales of cotton, and ending with a stirring stripped-down cover of Arthur Blake's "Ditty Wah Ditty" – a show-stealing duet sent up with just an acoustic guitar and jazz icon Earl ֧Fatha" Hines' spritely walking-the-line piano riffs – Paradise and Lunch charms with exquisite interplay, inspirational harmonies, and innate flair.
At no point do the experimentations sound forced, artificial, or retro. Cooder transforms what initially appear to be obscurities into coherent, approachable songs that could have been recorded yesterday – or decades ago. In his world, a marvelous reggae-spiced and R&B-driven rendition of Bobby Womack's "It's All Over Now" coexists with a sanctified, harmony-based march through the gospel hymn "Jesus on the Mainline" anchored by restrained Dixieland accents and tolling bells. Another standard, albeit more modern, Burt Bacharach's "Mexican Divorce" strolls across dusty plains via gently clopping beats, shimmering Spanish motifs, and sympathetic support vocals.
Cooder also turns up the electricity a smidge for his idea of Bobby Miller's "If Walls Could Talk," a melodic snapshot of doo-wop shot through with reverb-drenched grooves. He rains funky vibes, chicken-scratch slide guitar, and churchgoing lessons down on a top-to-bottom remake of Blind Willie McTell's "Married Man's a Fool," the revision evocative of the imagination, proficiency, and blending that help make Paradise and Lunch an absolute must-own album – and now, an audiophile choice for those wished-for Desert Island trips.


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