Magister Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science - MSRES

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https://hdl.handle.net/10566/11258

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Browsing by Author "Bassett, Sue"

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    The effect of Indian dance on gait and balance of children : comparing Grade R and Grade 7 children
    (University of the Western Cape, 2016) Cara, Nikita; Andrews, B.S.; Bassett, Sue
    Through the process of motor learning and control, new skills are then developed. There are various physical activities that enable the development of new motor skills, one being dance. Numerous studies have found that dance has improved sensorimotor control of body sway following just a single dance session. Furthermore, learning dance engages a variety of cognitive resources that improve postural control of children. Dancing therefore contributes to the development and refinement of the fundamental motor skills like gait and balance. The aim of this research was to determine the effect of dance training on gait and balance of Grade R and Grade 7 school children, and to investigate which age group would best demonstrate these effects. This study was conducted using an intervention and control group. The Grade R intervention group constituted a sample of thirty-four participants, the Grade R control consisted of twenty-seven participants, the Grade 7 intervention group and control group consisted of twenty-one participants each. Three different testing instruments were used; a 10-meter walk test for stride pattern analysis, a dynamic balance test known as the tandem gait and the static balance test known as the tandem stance balance test. Both the control and experimental group were required to perform these tests before and after the intervention period. The dance training lasted a period of six weeks and was conducted on a weekly basis. Following the intervention it was found that only Grade R stride pattern in terms of stride frequency was significantly changed and that no significant changes were seen at any time for Grade 7 children stride pattern and balance. The balance changes were seen for both Grade R intervention and control groups, showing that the children were improving with physical activity, which cannot be attributed to dance alone. This highlights that training should be started at the young age, and that physical activity programs like dance are good and diverse options to consider when designing such activities.
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    Factors influencing particpation in physical activity in 11-13 year-old primary school children in the Western Cape
    (University of the Western Cape, 2014) Cozett, Colleen; Leach, L.; Bassett, Sue
    Physical inactivity is increasing among adolescents worldwide and may be contributing to the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity. South African adolescents are physically inactive and obesity has become an alarming trend. Physical activity behaviours have multiple levels of influence that include predisposing factors, reinforcing factors and enabling factors. This study aimed to identify the predisposing, reinforcing, and enabling factors of physical activity and which ones were the strongest predictors of physical activity participation among adolescents in the Western Cape. The study sample was conveniently selected from two schools in the Metropole South Education District. Using the children’s physical activity questionnaire and the children’s physical activity correlates questionnaire, a sample of 348 participants completed the questionnaires. Demographic variables were analysed using descriptive statistics which included means and standard deviations. Pearson correlation and regression analysis were performed to determine the relationship between the variables and to determine the strongest predictors of physical activity overall. Parental influence (r=0.236, p<0.01), peer influence (r = 0.012, p<0.05), perceived physical activity self-efficacy (r=0.212, p<0.05) and perceived physical activity competence (r = 0.192, p < 0.05) were all strong predictors of PA. However, parental influence was the strongest predictor overall (r=0.236, p<0.01). Adolescents are more likely to participate in physical activity if their parents encourage, support and participate in physical activity with them.
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    Insulin resistance, physical activity and physical fitness in adults residing in a northern suburb of Cape Town
    (University of the Western Cape, 2011) Bartels, Clare; Bassett, Sue; Erasmus, R; Dept. of Sports, Recreation and Exercise Science; Faculty of Community and Health Sciences
    Insulin resistance has shown to be a precursor to a number of lifestylerelated chronic diseases and abnormalities in adults and is affected by a number of factors including genetics, age, physical activity and acute exercise, diet, obesity, body fat distribution and medication. Physical activity has shown to have marked effects on improving sensitivity to insulin though various physiological mechanisms, and numerous correlation studies have identified a relationship between these two variables, suggesting the beneficial role of exercise on insulin resistance. This study aimed to identify a relationship between current levels of physical activity, physical fitness and insulin resistance in adults between the ages of 35 and 65 years of age residing in a northern suburb community in Cape Town. A total of 186 volunteers participated in this study ranging from healthy individuals to those with diagnosed chronic conditions. Insulin resistance (determined by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance), physical activity (measured by the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire) and five health-related physical fitness tests were measured. The five components included body composition, determined by body mass index and waist circumference, the 3-minute cardiorespiratory step test, the handgrip muscle strength test, one-minute crunches for muscle endurance and the sit-and-reach flexibility test. Spearman correlation was used to identify the relationships between the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, age, body composition and physical activity and fitness.Results showed that body mass index and waist circumference were the only two variables which produced significant correlations with the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (p < 0.019). No physical activity or fitness data produced significant scores with the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance. Body mass index in men was the only significant predictor of HOMA-IR and explained 37% of the variance in insulin resistance, whereas in women, only waist circumference was related to HOMA-IR, but explained less than 16% of the variance. Associations between reported MET-minutes from the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire and the four fitness tests indicated significance with handgrip strength (ρ = 0.17; p =0.039), one-minute crunches (ρ = 0.18; p = 0.024) and sit-and-reach flexibility (ρ = 0.17; 0.034). This study has shown that body composition is an important component in influencing insulin resistance therefore physical activity interventions should be targeted at increasing physical activity levels and reducing body weight.
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    Participation in sport and the perceptions of quality of life amongst high school learners in the Theewaterskloof Municipality, South Africa
    (University of the Western Cape, 2011) Van Hout, Roel Cornelis Henricus; Young, Marié; Bassett, Sue
    In South Africa, sport can unite the country because it can transcend race, gender, politics or language groups. Much of the youth of the country are in the developmental phase where critical decisions are being taken on key life transitions including; education, work, lifestyle, participation in society and other psycho-sociological aspects. In this life phase, learners in high school within the previously disadvantaged communities form a crucial part of South Africa‘s future. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to determine how high school learners in the Theewaterskloof Municipality in South Africa, perceived the influence of sport participation on their quality of life. To specify the perceptions of the learners on the influence of sport participation, the research described quality of life according to six domains: drugs, alcohol and crime; mental health; social contact, culture and safety; happiness and wellbeing; physical health and diseases; and academic achievement. It was hypothesized that learners of high schools within the previously disadvantaged communities in the Theewaterskloof Municipality, who participated in sport, perceived a better quality of life than learners who did not play sport at all. The research was conducted at three high schools located in the Theewaterskloof Municipality of the Western Cape Province. A questionnaire was used to collect information from 484 learners aged 13 to 18 years. The questionnaire was structured according to the six domains of quality of life. The findings were described for each domain of quality of life and revealed multiple significant outcomes when compared to sport participation. A significant and/or practically significant relationship was noted for variables of each domain, except academic achievement. The domain of drugs, alcohol and crime was not statistically significant, but is considered to be practically significant. Thus, learners perceived that increasing sport participation resulted in a significantly more positive response of at least one variable for the domains social contact, culture and safety; drugs, alcohol and crime; physical health and diseases; mental health; and happiness and wellbeing. These findings of the study only addressed actual sport participation, while there were also significant relationships found between the quality of life variables and the question; ―I like playing sports and being physically active‖. It indicated the relationship between the interest of the participants to play sport and a possible increase on the domains of quality of life. Those variables that were significant to both sport participation and the interest of learners to play sport, were most meaningful. The general hypothesis was supported and it may be concluded that learners within the previously disadvantaged communities in the Theewaterskloof Municipality, who participated in sport, perceived a better quality of life than learners of the same age group who did not play sport at all. Each domain of quality of life was judged by an independent secondary hypothesis and five of the six domains identified that learners perceived a significantly more positive response for at least one variable of that domain, when they participated in sport.
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    Physical fitness of elite women's rugby union players over a competition season
    (University of the Western Cape, 2011) Hene, Nceba Mzimkulu; Bassett, Sue; Dept. of Sports, Recreation and Exercise Science; Faculty of Arts
    The primary aim of this study was to investigate the changes in physical fitness characteristics of elite women's rugby union players over the duration of the season. Thirty two elite female rugby players who were identified as members of the South African Rugby Union High Performance Squad were assessed on three separate occasions (pre-season, mid-season and post-season) throughout the competition season. The players were sub-divided into two positional categories consisting of 17 forwards and 15 backs. On all testing occasions, players underwent anthropometric (stature, body mass and sum of 7 skinfolds) and physical performance measurements (sit-and-reach, vertical jump, 10m and 40m speed, 1 RM bench press; pull-ups;1 min push-ups and multi-stage shuttle run test). A two-factor analysis of variance evaluated differences in the physical fitness variables between and within playing positions over the competition season.