Health promotion profile of youth sports clubs in Finland: club officials' and coaches' perceptions

The purpose of this article is to examine the current health promotion orientation of youth sports clubs in Finland in view of the standards created previously for the health promoting sports club (HPSC). Ninety-seven youth sports clubs participated, and 273 sports club officials and 240 coaches answered the questionnaires. To describe clubs health promotion orientations, an HPSC index was created. The HPSC index was formulated on sub-indices by factor analysis. The sub-indices were: policy, ideology, practice and environment indexes. The results indicate that youth sports clubs are fairly health promoting in general. On average, the clubs fulfilled 12 standards for HPSC out of 22. Every fourth club was categorized as higher health promoting (≥ 15 fulfilled standards), and every third as lower health promoting (<11 fulfilled standards). The variation between clubs was wide. The clubs that had been recognized as exemplary and hence certified by the Young Finland Association were more likely to recognize health promotion than non-certified clubs (OR = 2.36, p = 0.016). The sports club officials were twice as likely to evaluate their clubs as higher health promoting than the coaches (OR = 2.04, p = 0.041). Under the sub-indices, ideologies were recognized best, others less. These findings indicate that minority of the youth sports clubs have realized health promotion comprehensively as a part of their activities. There is a lot of need for development, especially in the area of health promotion policies and practices. The instruments used proved valid and reliable and can therefore be recommended for international use.

Attempts to lose weight among overweight and non-overweight adolescents: a cross-national survey

BACKGROUND

Despite the global obesity epidemic, few studies have performed cross-national comparisons of adolescents' attempts to lose weight and weight control practices. This study aims to investigate matters mentioned above by weight status in Europe, Israel, and North America.

METHODS

Nationally representative samples of adolescents from over 30 countries completed an anonymous, standardized questionnaire as part of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children 2001/2002 survey. The prevalence and likelihood of attempts to lose weight were determined. The effect of weight status, self-perception of overweight, age and country of residence upon the likelihood of current attempts to lose weight were evaluated using multilevel multivariate logistic regression in separate analyses for boys and girls. The study also presented the prevalence of weight control practices of overweight and non-overweight adolescents who had controlled their weight in seven countries.

RESULTS

In general, overweight and obese adolescents were more likely to be engaged in current attempts to lose weight and had tried to control their weight during the past 12 months more often than non-overweight adolescents. Besides weight status, self-perception of overweight and age were significant individual-level factors determining current attempts to lose weight. Country of residence was a significant second-level factor but no clear geographical pattern was found. Several gender-related differences existed.

CONCLUSION

The findings indicated that most overweight adolescents were motivated to reduce their weight. The importance of promoting a healthy body image for all adolescents was highlighted by the fact that self-perception of overweight was found to be the most important factor leading to attempts to lose weight.

Trends in vigorous physical activity and TV watching of adolescents from 1986 to 2002 in seven European Countries

BACKGROUND

The aim is to study trends in physical activity and TV viewing in seven European countries in the period 1985-2002.

METHODS

The data are collected through questionnaires in the survey 'Health Behaviour in School-aged Children. A WHO Cross-national study', using nationally representative samples of 11-, 13-, and 15-year-olds. Between 1985/86 and 2001/02, a standard set of items was used to measure vigorous physical activity and TV watching in the study. Austria, Finland, Hungary, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, and Wales used these measures in all surveys.

RESULTS

Between 1985/86 and 2001/02, there was a slight increase in Finland in the proportions reporting vigorous physical activity 4 or more times a week, whereas as pattern of stability was observed for the other countries. Across all surveys and countries boys were more likely to report regular vigorous physical activity than girls. No clear pattern emerges when examining trends over time in TV watching. Boys reported spending more time watching TV than girls in all countries. The correlation between the two behaviours at the 1986 and 1998 measurement points was non-significant.

CONCLUSION

The finding that boys were more likely to report regular vigorous physical activity and TV watching confirms results of previous studies. The present study of seven European countries generally indicates stability or a small increase in physical activity of boys and girls aged 11-15 from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s.

Developing empowering health counseling measurement. Preliminary results

OBJECTIVE

This article describes the derivation of an instrument (Empowering Speech Practices Scale) for assessing the empowerment of dyadic counseling, the evaluation of the validity and reliability of the ESPS and the results acquired with the instrument from hospital counseling.

METHODS

ESPS was constructed on the basis of empowerment theory and foregoing conversation analytic research. Nurses and patients assessed the same counseling session by way of parallel statements. Structure and reliability of the scale were evaluated with Cronbach alpha, percentage of agreement, factor analysis and logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

According to these preliminary results, ESPS described the realization of empowerment, directing attention to patient participation. By means of the scale, we assessed 127 counseling sessions and found evidence of the realization of empowering counseling. According to the results, nurses were the most successful in constructing a positive emotional atmosphere and in giving information.

CONCLUSION

We found evidence that nurses need to improve the active mutuality of the counseling relationship by asking for patients' opinions and views, by facilitating the patients' assessment of their personal health and their participation in decision-making and coming up with options for their individual treatment.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

The developed scale can be utilized, in addition to assessing the quality in hospital care, for improving nursing education programs. Further study is needed to evaluate the usability of the scale and to examine its stability and validity.

Cultural and communicational traits of oral health care: results of a Finnish case study

PURPOSE

This paper aims to describe the cultural and communicational traits of Finnish oral health care. First, employees' views and experiences regarding their organization and their position within it are investigated and, second, relations between different individual and organizational factors are analyzed. Finally, a conceptual framework of organizational coherence is constructed.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

The paper shows that data collection (n = 58, 84 percent response rate) was carried out in 2002 at a Finnish dental clinic by using a semi-structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed statistically by using, among other things, non-parametric tests and a structural equation model (LISREL) and qualitatively by using content analysis.

FINDINGS

The paper finds that the organization was described as role-dependent and task-centered. Unidirectional chain of communication and responsibility for interaction were observed as the descriptive traits of communication, regardless of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the communication. Developmental challenges involved opportunities to exert influence in the organization as well as giving and receiving feedback in leadership relations. It was found that a good sense of one's position in the organization was positively associated with several essential experiences (e.g. confidence, openness and equality), regarding organizational factors.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

It appears in this paper likely that, by adopting the perspective of organizational coherence, it will be possible to approach the reality of an oral health care organization. As such a new and informative perspective is added.

The health promoting sports club in Finland--a challenge for the settings-based approach

The purpose of this article is, first, to compile a frame of reference for the health promoting sports club and, second, to develop standards for the concept. This concept is based on the settings-based health promotion approach. Sports clubs are a new setting for health promotion, which until now has been little examined from a settings point of view. Nevertheless, this concept has much potential. For example, sports clubs attract a large number of children and adolescents and their educational nature can be considered to be informal. The present standards were developed using the Delphi method. The researcher, in cooperation with a panel of experts (experts in health promotion, n = 11, and experts in sports clubs, n = 16), sought to create a consensus statement on the standards. At the preliminary stage of the study 64 original standards were created on the basis of existing literature and the principles of the Ottawa Charter. During the three rounds of the Delphi process 15 standards were evaluated as the most important. After the Delphi process, the researcher modified the standards by eliminating overlap, interpolating seven standards to involve all strategic areas of the Ottawa Charter and creating a preliminary typology of the standards. At the subsequent stages of the study, indicators for these standards will be drafted and tested in practice. Therefore, this study would provide tools for determining and evaluating how health promoting a particular sports club is.

The reliability, distribution, and responsiveness of the Postural Control and Balance for Stroke Test

OBJECTIVES

To determine the inter- and intrarater reliability of the Postural Control and Balance for Stroke (PCBS) test and to assess its distribution and responsiveness to changes during 1-year follow-up.

DESIGN

Intrarater reliability of the PCBS test was assessed by comparing the repeat ratings of videotaped test performances by each of the 5 raters. Interrater reliability was assessed by comparing the ratings of the videotaped test performances between the raters.

SETTING

Hospital neurologic ward and outpatient department of physiotherapy as well as health centers in Finland.

PARTICIPANTS

Fifty stroke patients (age range, 42-89 y) were measured 7, 120, and 360 days poststroke for the study of distribution and responsiveness and 19 patients (age range, 55-85 y) were measured during a period between 7 and 60 days poststroke for the reliability study.

INTERVENTIONS

Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The distributions of the scores of the PCBS test, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and weighted kappa values, and Wilcoxon matched-pairs tests.

RESULTS

The PCBS test had limited floor and ceiling effects at 7, 120, and 360 days poststroke. The differences between scores 7 and 120 days poststroke were significant (P<.001). The differences between scores 120 and 360 days poststroke were not significant (P>.05). The Cronbach alpha for all the items combined was .96. The ICC values for the interrater and intrarater reliability of the PCBS test were .94 and .96, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The PCBS test showed an acceptable level of reliability and the responsiveness results indicated a good level before 120 days but not between 120 and 360 days after stroke.