Optimizing Child & Youth Health & Wellbeing
The INCH lab is working to develop interventions to help increase physical literacy and activity in children and adolescents.
The overarching objective of the Application of integrateD Approaches to understanding Physical activity during Transition into emerging adulthood (ADAPT) study is to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the salient factors predicting changes in physical activity during adolescents’ transition into emerging adulthood. The ADAPT study is a 4-year project comprised of two interrelated studies. Study I is a large prospective cohort study involving an online questionnaire. Study II involves a subset of the participants, who wear an accelerometer and complete Ecological Momentary Assessments 5 times a day over a 7-day study period.
The aim of IPLAY is to understand the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of a Physical Literacy (PL)-based program designed for new immigrant youths. We are developing the IPLAY program in collaboration with WinSport and are conducting a mixed methods evaluation across three time points. The quantitative stream will consist of an assessment of movement competence, task self-efficacy, confidence, perceptions of competence, motivation, and enjoyment, affective states, knowledge and understanding and mental health & wellbeing. The qualitative stream will use a grounded theory approach to explore past experiences with physical activities in Canada, self-assessments of each PL domain, and the general expectations/experiences of participating in the IPLAY program.
FADS
The Family Activity and Determinants Study (FADS) aimed to examine the familial, social, and environmental influences of children’s physical activity. A total of 20 families were recruited to complete a questionnaire and wear an activity monitor for 7 consecutive days for 4 times in the year (once per season). This study shed light on whole family dynamics and how factors at home can impact levels of children’s physical activity and, subsequently, a healthy lifestyle.
PLUS Study
The Physical Literacy for University Students (PLUS) was a pilot physical literacy-based intervention aimed at understanding how we can prevent or attenuate the significant declines in physical activity that are associated with the transition to university. Using a quasi-experimental design, we set out to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the behavioural (i.e., physical activity behaviours), fitness-based, motivational, and mental health outcomes associated with taking part in a physical-literacy intervention.