The Czech Republic's 2022 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth: A rationale and comprehensive analysis.

Background/Objective: The second edition of the Czech Republic's Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth was released in 2022. This paper describes the development of the Report Card and presents a comprehensive summary of the main findings. Methods: The multi-level search strategy was developed by the national expert panel to identify the available sources that provide data related to the physical activity of Czech children and adolescents. The data were used to assign grades to ten core and two additional indicators. Results: A total of 28 sources provided data that allowed grades to be assigned to 11 out of the 12 indicators. Grade B was assigned to six indicators (School: B+, Community and Environment: B, Organized Sport and Physical Activity: B-, Active Transportation: B-, Family and Peers: B-, Sleep: B-), grade C to three indicators (Overall Physical Activity: C+, Active Play: C, Physical Literacy: C), and grade D to two indicators (Government: D+, Sedentary Behaviors: D). No grade for the "Physical Fitness" indicator could be assigned due to a lack of data collected in the reference period 2018-2019. Conclusions: Although the family, school, and built environment provided a variety of opportunities to be physically active, a high proportion of children and adolescents did not meet the current physical activity guideline and were exposed to excessive sedentary behavior. A multisectoral and multidisciplinary response is required to reduce the health and economic burden of physical inactivity and excessive sedentary behavior among Czech children and adolescents.

Associations between adolescents' preference for fitness activities and achieving the recommended weekly level of physical activity.

This study aimed to explore differences in rates of achieving the weekly physical activity (PA) recommendation between adolescents who preferred fitness PA and those who did not. Furthermore, we investigated the types of PA practiced by adolescents. In total, 9513 participants from the Czech Republic and Poland, aged 15-18 years took part in the study between 2009 and 2016. Out of this source sample, 4977 self-reported their weekly PA using the IPAQ-Long Form, and 1348 objectively monitored their weekly PA using pedometers and recorded the type of PA. Boys ranked fitness PA third, after team and individual sports. For girls, the preference for fitness PA grew at the expense of dance and outdoor PA. Among Czech and Polish boys as well as Czech girls, those who preferred fitness PA were more likely to achieve the recommended weekly PA level than those who did not prefer fitness PA. We did not find a significant difference in other types of PA and rates of achieving the recommendation of 11,000 steps/day. Preference for fitness PA was associated with an increased likelihood (OR = 1.30; 95% CI = 1.12-1.52; p < 0.001) of achieving the recommendation for PA. When promoting adolescents' PA, it is necessary to consider preferred PA types. The PA recommendation was met by almost 33% of adolescents who indicated a preference for fitness PA, but only by 22% of those not preferring fitness activities. Organized PA is also important for meeting PA recommendations.

Does sports club participation contribute to physical activity among children and adolescents? A comparison across six European countries.

Aims: Insufficient physical activity (PA) is one of the largest public health challenges of our time and requires a multisectoral public-health response. PA recommendations state that all children and adolescents should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) daily and carry out vigorous PA (VPA) three times weekly. While participation in sports club activities is known to enhance the probability of reaching the recommended overall PA level, less is known about the contribution of sports club participation to VPA, and few cross-national comparisons have been carried out. The purpose of this paper is to study whether participation in sports club activities is associated with meeting the overall PA and VPA recommendations among children and adolescents across six European countries, namely Belgium (Flanders), Czech Republic, Finland, France, Ireland and Sweden. Methods: Analyses were carried out on existing self-reported national data sets using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results: Results indicate that approximately two-thirds of children and adolescents take part in sports club activities in the given countries. Sports club participants were more likely to meet the overall PA recommendations (OR 2.4-6.4) and VPA recommendation (OR 2.8-5.0) than non-participants. Conclusions: The extent to which overall PA and/or VPA is gained through sports club participation versus other settings needs to be further studied. Nonetheless, it can be argued that sports clubs have an important position in PA promotion for younger populations.

Test-retest reliability of selected HBSC items measuring problem behaviour among Slovak and Czech adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the test-retest reliability of selected items based on self-reports, measuring problem behaviour in the Slovak and Czech version of the HBSC survey questionnaire. METHODS: The data from test-retest study, based on an international Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study and consistent with its methodology, were analysed. A sample of 580 primary school pupils (51.2% of boys), grades five and nine participated in a test and retest with a four-week interval. Six items concerning problem behaviour were evaluated overall and stratified by gender and age. RESULTS: Analyses of test-retest reliability indicated modest (0.30 to 0.49), moderate (0.50 to 0.69), or high (0.70 to 1.00) reliability across nearly all questions, with some reliability differences in analyses by gender and age. In general, findings of present study suggest the moderate reliability of measures of smoking, drunkenness, fighting and negative relationship to school, modest reliability of measures of bullying behaviour, and low reliability of measure of truancy. CONCLUSIONS: The overall findings of this study suggest that most of selected indicators in the HBSC survey questionnaire have satisfactory test-retest reliability. Further test-retest studies in a large and diverse sample, as well as validity studies, should be considered for the future HBSC study.

Associations between preference and participation in team sports: Physical activity promotion among adolescents.

Background: The level of physical activity (PA) in adolescents is highly dependent on their PA preferences. PA preferences among adolescents are dominated by team PA, mostly team sports (TS). The aim of this study is to identify (a) the status and trends in the preferences of TS among Czech and Polish boys and girls in different educational and sports environments, and (b) the impact of the agreement between the preferred and simultaneously pursued TS on the structure of weekly PA and on the meeting of PA recommendations. Methods: The research was carried out between 2009 and 2022 in the Czech Republic and Poland and included 2,939 boys and 4,427 girls aged 15-19 years. Preferences and participation in TS were identified using a PA preference questionnaire and weekly PA using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long Form. Trends in TS preferences were analyzed over 27-year periods. The participants were divided into groups by agreement and disagreement between the preferred and pursued TS, and by agreement and disagreement between the preferences of TS and participation in organized TS. Results: Throughout the 14-year study period, boys in both countries preferred soccer, whereas girls favored volleyball. Agreement between preferences and participation in TS increased vigorous PA in Czech and Polish boys and girls. The agreement between the preferences for TS and participation in organized TS had the most significant effect on increasing vigorous PA in Czech and Polish boys and girls and on total PA in boys in both countries. Those who preferred and participated in TS were more likely to meet PA recommendations. Conclusion: Respecting the status and trends of TS preferences in supporting participation in TS increases adolescents' PA and their achievement of PA recommendations. Increasing active participation in organized TS among boys and girls may support regular PA and help eliminate the negative effects of the pandemic on adolescents' PA.

Individual vs. Team Sports-What's the Better Strategy for Meeting PA Guidelines in Children?

There is insufficient evidence from previous studies dealing with structure of sport preferences referring to the interconnection between individual factors (socio-economic status, organized/structured physical activity (PA), location, etc.), although these factors can considerably influence total level of PA as well as the structure of sport preferences. The study investigated associations between PA frequency and specific sports activities according to the intensity with the impact on leisure, sport, and education domain, using data from an international health behavior in school-aged children survey. Participants were fifth and ninth grade students in the Czech Republic (seven schools) and Slovakia (nine schools). The results showed a significant association between intensity in team sports and PA frequency per week. Those who participated in high-intensity team sports were 2.5 times more likely to be more physically active.

Health Promotion Interventions in Sports Clubs: Can We Talk About a Setting-Based Approach? A Systematic Mapping Review.

Many researchers and authorities have recognized the important role that sports clubs can play in public health. In spite of attempts to create a theoretical framework in the early 2000s, a thorough understanding of sports clubs as a setting for health promotion (HP) is lacking. Despite calls for more effective, sustainable, and theoretically grounded interventions, previous literature reviews have identified no controlled studies assessing HP interventions in sports clubs. This systematic mapping review details how the settings-based approach is applied through HP interventions in sports clubs and highlights facilitators and barriers for sports clubs to become health-promoting settings. In addition, the mapped facilitators and barriers have been used to reformulate previous guidelines of HP in sports clubs. Seven databases were searched for empirical research published between 1986 and 2017. Fifty-eight studies were included, principally coming from Australia and Europe, describing 33 unique interventions, which targeted mostly male participants in team sports. The settings-based approach was not yet applied in sports clubs, as more than half of the interventions implemented in sports club targeted only one level of the socio-ecological model, as well as focused only on study participants rather than the club overall. Based on empirical data, the analysis of facilitators and barriers helped develop revised guidelines for sports clubs to implement settings-based HP. This will be particularly useful when implementing HP initiatives to aid in the development of sports clubs working with a whole setting approach.

Promoting Healthy Lifestyle and Well-Being in Adolescents through Outdoor Physical Activity.

Health-enhancing physical activities (PA) performed outdoors could markedly contribute to the adoption of a healthy lifestyle in adolescence. The differences between PA preferences and actual opportunities for these PA are an issue that has received frequent attention. To date, the extent to which these differences are reflected in adolescents meeting PA recommendations and their well-being has not been explored. In total, 10,086 respondents took part in an on-line research project regarding PA preferences. Of them, 2446 also completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (Long Form) and the World Health Organization (WHO) W-5 questionnaire to assess well-being. Finally, 1278 of these respondents were involved in objective PA monitoring using pedometers. The study aimed to explore the prevalence and trends regarding outdoor PA. Moreover, we assessed whether the agreement between preferred PA and PA actually undertaken was associated with higher odds for meeting PA recommendations and achieving a higher level of well-being. Of a selection of outdoor activities, Czech and Polish boys preferred cycling, swimming, and downhill skiing, while girls preferred swimming activities, skating, and cycling. The agreement between preferred and PA actually undertaken was associated with higher odds for meeting the weekly PA recommendations and higher levels of well-being both in boys and girls. Evaluation of outdoor PA preferences and taking these preferred activities into account when forming conditions for them was important in the efficient promotion of the physical and mental health of adolescents.

Compensation for Adolescents' School Mental Load by Physical Activity on Weekend Days.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Increasing mental load and inadequate stress management significantly affect the efficiency, success and safety of the educational/working process in adolescents. The objective of this study is to determine the extent that adolescents compensate for their school mental load by physical activity (PA) on weekend days and, thus, to contribute to the objective measurement of mental load in natural working conditions. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2013 and April 2014. A set of different methods was employed-self-administered questionnaire (IPAQ-long questionnaire), objective measurements-pedometers, and accelerometers (ActiTrainers). They was distributed to 548 students from 17 high schools. Participants' mental load was assessed based on the difference between PA intensity and/or physical inactivity and heart rate range. RESULTS: The participants with the highest mental load during school lessons do not compensate for this load by PA on weekend days. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents need to be encouraged to be aware of their subjective mental load and to intentionally compensate for this load by PA on weekend days. It is necessary to support the process of adopting habits by sufficient physical literacy of students, as well as teachers, and by changes in the school program.

Differences in the intensity of physical activity during school days and weekends in Polish and Czech boys and girls.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The physical, mental and social development that occurs in young people through physical activity (PA) is primarily through extracurricular activities. Family, peers and social environment, in addition to schools, interest groups and school sports, play a unique role during this developmental period. The objective of the study was to examine the differences in the intensity of PA during school days and weekends and the relationship between PA and physical inactivity (PI) during these days in Polish and Czech boys and girls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, there were 816 participants among whom 333 met the requirements of 8 hours of continuous recording of PA (ActiTrainer accelerometers) during at least one school and one weekend day. RESULTS: Boys and girls from both countries engaged in virtually the same amount of PA during school and weekend days, and participated in more PA at lower intensities on the weekends compared with school days. CONCLUSIONS: This study surveyed important issues related to global public health, specifically for the school environment and school settings. The important and crucial relations with family were emphasized, which should increase the awareness and understanding of public health problems of this particular research sample. The results indicated that less time was spent in PI, but also that the largest amount of time during the weekends was spent in front of a screen.