Cross disciplinary teaching : a pedagogical model to support teachers in the development and implementation of outdoor learning opportunities
- Authors: Neville, Ian , Petrass, Lauren , Ben, Francis
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education Vol. 26, no. 1 (2023), p. 1-21
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- Description: There is a growing body of empirical evidence documenting the positive effects associated with participation in environmental education and outdoor learning for students, teachers and the wider community. Despite this, there has been a substantial reduction in outdoor learning opportunities for school students, possibly due to the focus on evidenced-based outcomes, high-stakes standardised testing programs, and a lack of teacher knowledge, confidence and expertise in teaching and learning outdoors. Accordingly, this study presents an evidenced based model to support teaching practice. The model will assist teachers in the development and implementation of outdoor learning opportunities and offers applied examples that address curriculum outcomes. A comprehensive literature review methodology was implemented to identify peer-reviewed literature on teaching and learning outdoors and outdoor pedagogies. A thematic synthesis and constant comparative technique enabled development of themes, from which three themes emerged: the environment; the learner; and the educator, which inform the proposed model offered by the authors. The three interrelated components (the environment, the learner and the educator) require consideration for students to gain maximum benefit from outdoor learning experiences. The model, coupled with the applied examples, supports teachers to plan and facilitate immersive outdoor experiences that promote learning. © 2022, The Author(s).
The impact of an outdoor learning experience on the development of English creative writing skills : an action research case study of year 7 and 8 secondary school students in Australia
- Authors: Neville, Ian , Petrass, Lauren , Ben, Francis
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning Vol. 23, no. 2 (2023), p. 132-145
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- Description: Standardized literacy assessments that place emphasis on testing and attainment of results have caused many students, particularly in middle years schooling to be disenfranchised by literacy teaching and learning practices. This study employed an action research methodology to investigate whether an outdoor learning experience in a Year 7/8 English Writers Workshop course (including students aged 13–14 years) at a secondary school in Victoria, Australia enhanced creative writing capacity and engagement. This study was conducted in three stages, with qualitative and quantitative data collected. Wilcoxon signed-rank and Mann-Whitney U tests demonstrated significant improvement in creative writing from pre-intervention to post-intervention (z =
A systematic review of alcohol education programs for young people : do these programs change behavior?
- Authors: Calverley, Hannah , Petrass, Lauren , Blitvich, Jennifer
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Health education research Vol. 36, no. 1 (2021), p. 87-99
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- Description: Numerous education programs have addressed young peoples' alcohol use. To date, no peer-reviewed publication has evaluated the effectiveness of such programs delivered across a range of contexts to change alcohol-related behaviors, attitudes and/or knowledge. This systematic review aimed to identify alcohol education programs addressing young people, and determine whether they changed alcohol-related behavior, knowledge and attitudes; and, ascertain components of successful programs. Studies were identified, guided by the PRISMA review process, from the earliest records until June 2020. Included studies (N = 70) comprised an alcohol education program which focused on young people (15-24 years). Forty programs reported behavior changes, and these programs were the highest quality. Others impacted attitudes and/or knowledge only (n = 12); or reported no impacts (n = 17). Recent programs were more likely than older programs to feature online delivery and report behavior changes. To enhance alcohol education, future programs should include the identified quality criteria, alongside process and long-term outcome evaluations, to better monitor effectiveness. Findings indicated some education programs have capacity to positively change alcohol-related behavior; however, outcome consistency varied even in high-quality programs. Alcohol education programs should be designed alongside health education/promotion models and best-practice recommendations, to improve the likelihood of desirable behavior-related outcomes. © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
- Description: Numerous education programs have addressed young peoples' alcohol use. To date, no peer-reviewed publication has evaluated the effectiveness of such programs delivered across a range of contexts to change alcohol-related behaviors, attitudes and/or knowledge. This systematic review aimed to identify alcohol education programs addressing young people, and determine whether they changed alcohol-related behavior, knowledge and attitudes; and, ascertain components of successful programs. Studies were identified, guided by the PRISMA review process, from the earliest records until June 2020. Included studies (N = 70) comprised an alcohol education program which focused on young people (15-24 years). Forty programs reported behavior changes, and these programs were the highest quality. Others impacted attitudes and/or knowledge only (n = 12); or reported no impacts (n = 17). Recent programs were more likely than older programs to feature online delivery and report behavior changes. To enhance alcohol education, future programs should include the identified quality criteria, alongside process and long-term outcome evaluations, to better monitor effectiveness. Findings indicated some education programs have capacity to positively change alcohol-related behavior; however, outcome consistency varied even in high-quality programs. Alcohol education programs should be designed alongside health education/promotion models and best-practice recommendations, to improve the likelihood of desirable behavior-related outcomes. © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Alcohol consumption in aquatic settings: a mixed-method study exploring young adults’ attitudes and knowledge
- Authors: Calverley, Hannah , Petrass, Lauren , Blitvich, Jennifer
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy Vol. 28, no. 6 (2021), p. 595-605
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- Description: Retrospective studies have identified alcohol as a significant risk factor in drownings involving young adults. Few studies have explored this issue, therefore the current contextual understanding of alcohol consumption in aquatic settings is limited. This study used a survey (n = 182) and one-to-one and small group interviews (n = 23) to investigate knowledge and attitudes of United Kingdom and Australian young adults (aged 18–24 years) towards involvement in aquatic activity after consuming alcohol. Findings illustrated a poor level of general and aquatic-specific alcohol knowledge. Australian educated participants, and those self-reporting: stronger swimming competence; and/or completion of alcohol and water safety education; and/or participation in aquatic activity following alcohol consumption, achieved significantly higher knowledge scores. Most reported a neutral attitude, and those with previous experience of alcohol consumption in aquatic settings had more accepting attitudes of this behavior (p < 0.001). The aquatic activity, context and amount of alcohol consumed influenced attitudes. Participants reported a lack of alcohol-focused drowning prevention or water safety education for their age group, and many referred to their upbringing and parents’ behaviors as reference for what was safe. Drowning prevention practitioners should consider these results to ensure young adults understand the risks of consuming alcohol in all aquatic contexts. © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Exploring the impact of a student-centred survival swimming programme for primary school students in Australia : the perceptions of parents, children and teachers
- Authors: Petrass, Lauren , Simpson, Kate , Blitvich, Jennifer , Birch, Rhiannon , Matthews, Bernadette
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: European Physical Education Review Vol. 27, no. 3 (2021), p. 684-702
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- Description: Teaching basic swimming, water safety and rescue skills is recommended by the World Health Organization for all school-aged children. However, there is a lack of evidence on effective pedagogies to develop swimming competency and the success of swimming lessons as a drowning prevention intervention. This study used a self-report questionnaire and practical testing procedures to examine the effectiveness of a 10-week student-centred aquatic programme designed for children aged 10–12 years. The study also determined whether the non-traditional swimming programme was accepted by swim teachers, school teachers and principals, and parents from a range of schools from different geographical regions in Victoria, Australia. A total of 204 students were enrolled in the programme. The pre-programme results indicated a good level of swimming, water safety and aquatic knowledge, but low swimming ability. Swimming ability significantly improved from pre-programme to post-programme, with no significant post-programme ability differences between male and female children or for participants from different programmes. Qualitative feedback collected through questionnaires, interviews and/or focus groups from students (n = 73) and parents (n = 69), school teachers and principals (n = 14), swim teachers and swim school managers (n = 21) indicated strong support from principals and swim teachers for the student-centred pedagogy, and all stakeholders valued the focus on survival swimming competencies. This research highlights the importance of including stakeholders when designing and implementing aquatics programmes. The study has resulted in a well-founded, effective programme with tailored resources and instructional materials that are available for swim centres and schools that would enable schools globally to adopt and implement this programme. © The Author(s) 2021.
Getting in : safe water entry competencies
- Authors: Moran, Kevin , Blitvich, Jennifer , Petrass, Lauren , McElroy, Keith
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education Vol. 13, no. 2 (2021), p.
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- Description: In high income countries, jumping and diving into water are a small but persistent cause of death and serious injury especially among male youth and young adults. Although water entries maintain a high media profile, little is known about what entry competencies and underlying water safety knowledge youth bring to this practice. Undergraduates enrolled in aquatics (N= 76) completed a survey before attempting 7 entry jumping and diving tasks. While safety attitudes and self-reported behaviours were generally good, considerable variation in practical entry competence was evident. Most completed a deep-water compact jump (87%) and PFD jump (88%) with ease. Many completed a crouch dive (57%) and standing dive (53%) into deep water with ease, but only 33% completed a standing dive from a block/bulkhead (<1m height) with ease. Ways of addressing weaknesses in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours are discussed and recommendations made to enhance the teaching of safe water entry. © 2021 Human Kinetics Publishers Inc.. All rights reserved.
Predicting young adults’ intentions and involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity
- Authors: Calverley, Hannah , Petrass, Lauren , Blitvich, Jennifer
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education Vol. 13, no. 3 (2021), p.
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- Description: Globally, alcohol consumption is a public health issue and a risk factor for drownings among young adults. While studies have identified a prominence of alcohol in youth drownings, little is known about the factors that influence young adults’ involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity. The current study aimed to identify the predictors of young adults’ intention to participate, and past participation, in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity. A reliable and valid survey, informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior, was distributed to young adults (aged 18-24 years) educated in the UK and Australia. Cumulative odds ordinal logistic regressions with proportional odds were conducted to establish predictors. Overall, 182 participants completed the survey. Subjective norms (Wald
Respecting alcohol, respecting the water : young adult perspectives on how to reduce alcohol-influenced drownings in Australia
- Authors: Calverley, Hannah , Petrass, Lauren , Blitvich, Jennifer
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Health Promotion Journal of Australia Vol. 32, no. S2 (2021), p. 218-228
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- Description: Issue addressed: Alcohol-influenced drowning among young Australians (aged 18-24 years) is a prominent health concern. However, effectiveness of targeted prevention campaigns for this age group is unknown, as this information is not typically published in peer-reviewed or easily accessed grey literature. Accordingly, future campaigns cannot build on prior efforts to address this health problem. Methods: Semi-structured interviews ascertained young Australian adults’ perspectives on preventing alcohol consumption in aquatic settings, and their awareness of appropriate safety strategies and Australian national and state drowning prevention campaigns. Discussions were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed using an interpretative phenomenological approach. Results: Twenty-three individuals (mean age 20.65 years) participated in an interview. Participants had poor understanding of alcohol-focused drowning prevention campaigns and used logos and names to decipher key campaign messages. Education was recommended as the preferred method for prevention, and participants suggested preferences for delivery (eg social media, in schools, humour and shock tactics). The safety strategies discussed appeared to be transferred from strategies used in other contexts, rather than related to the specific risks of aquatic scenarios. Conclusions: Drowning prevention practitioners should ensure transparency and clarity of their campaign names and logos to enhance understanding of the messages. Practitioners should also consider using audience analysis during campaign design, delivery and evaluation, alongside best practice recommendations from literature, to enhance campaign suitability and effectiveness. So what?: Water safety practitioners and policy makers should acknowledge these findings when developing campaigns which address young adults’ lack of awareness of safe aquatic behaviours to encourage a sustained behaviour change. © 2020 Australian Health Promotion Association.
“They don't think it will ever happen to them” : exploring factors affecting participation in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity among young Australian adults
- Authors: Calverley, Hannah , Petrass, Lauren , Blitvich, Jennifer
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Health Promotion Journal of Australia Vol. 32, no. S2 (2021), p. 229-237
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- Description: Issue addressed: Young adults are over-represented in alcohol-related drownings in high-income countries; however, little research has investigated their behaviours and decision-making to inform prevention efforts. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 young Australian adults (aged 18-24 years). Questions, informed by previous research, inquired about behavioural practices in aquatic contexts and influences on involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity. Interviews were transcribed verbatim. Thematic and interpretative phenomenological analysis followed. Results: Two main themes: personal and contextual awareness, and the impact of other people affected perceptions and involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity. Perceived control of situations and self-confidence affected how these influences impacted individuals’ involvement. Participants acknowledged some young adults likely overestimate their aquatic abilities. This awareness was not discussed in relation to their own capabilities. Conclusion: Drowning prevention efforts should inform young adults of the dangers of combining alcohol and aquatic activities, and make risks appear more immediate and applicable. Consideration should be given to measuring both perceived and actual aquatic abilities within various aquatic environments, to determine whether self-reported perceived competence is an accurate proxy measure for actual aquatic ability. The influence of alcohol should also be highlighted. Steps are required for a positive shift in Australian norms of alcohol use in aquatic settings and the social and cultural attitudes towards this. So what?: This study provides new insight into young adults’ perceptions and involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity. It enhances the evidence base for drowning prevention and health promotion practitioners and should inform more focused campaigns to prevent alcohol-related drownings among young Australian adults. © 2021 Australian Health Promotion Association
Alcohol_focused drowning prevention campaigns : what do we know and what should we do now?
- Authors: Calverley, Hannah , Petrass, Lauren , Blitvich, Jennifer
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education Vol. 12, no. 2 (2020), p.
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- Description: Alcohol and drugs have been identified as key risk factors for youth (aged 15-24 years) and adult drownings in high-income countries (HIC). Whilst alcohol specific drowning prevention education programs have been developed and implemented, youth continue to be over-represented in drowning statistics, including those linked with alcohol. Therefore, this project aimed to: (i) review and assess all alcohol themed drowning prevention campaigns within HICs; (ii) determine whether the campaign had undergone evaluation for effectiveness; and (iii) provide recommendations to improve the effectiveness of future interventions. For each of the eighty-one HICs identified for the 2019 fiscal year, searches of peer-reviewed literature (through academic databases) and grey literature (through webpages and emails to organisations) were conducted. Twelve alcohol focused campaigns were identified, with only two providing limited information about program evaluation. For most campaigns identified, there was a dearth of information available and therefore assessment of campaign quality was unfeasible. This brief report highlights a lack of alcohol themed drowning prevention campaigns in HIC, and an absence of evaluations on their effectiveness. Implications associated with a lack of program evaluation are discussed and adoption of the recommendations from this brief report should enhance the quality of future research in this area. © 2020 Human Kinetics Publishers Inc.. All rights reserved.
Abrasion injuries on artificial turf : A systematic review
- Authors: Twomey, Dara , Petrass, Lauren , Fleming, Paul , Lenehan, Kurt
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 22, no. 5 (2019), p. 550-556
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- Description: Objectives: To review the incidence of abrasion injuries sustained on artificial turf playing fields and the level of evidence existing on player perceptions of abrasion injuries on these surfaces. Design: Systematic review. Method: A systematic search was performed using SPORTDiscus, Medline, Web of Science, Scopus and Science Direct databases. Inclusion criteria included: abrasion type injuries measured; conducted on artificial/synthetic turf; type of sport reported; peer-reviewed original research; English language search terms, but no language restrictions. A quality assessment was conducted using the Newcastle-Ottawa quality scale. Results: The search yielded 76 potential articles, with 25 meeting all inclusion criteria. Twenty articles were injury-based and five were perception–based. The differences in injury definition and the lack of details of the playing surfaces produced varying results on the rate of injuries on artificial turf. Regardless of the condition of the surface, the level of play, or the sport, players perceived the fear of abrasion injuries as a major disadvantage of artificial turf surfaces. Conclusions: The review highlighted the current disparity that exists between players’ perceptions of abrasion injuries and the level of evidence of abrasion injury risk on artificial turf playing surfaces. There is a need for the inclusion of greater detail of playing surfaces’ specifications and condition, and an injury definition sufficiently sensitive to better measure abrasion injury incidence and severity. Without this more detailed information, it is likely that the strongly perceived risk of abrasion injuries will continue as a barrier to the adoption of artificial playing surfaces.
A lack of aquatic rescue competency : A drowning risk factor for young adults involved in aquatic emergencies
- Authors: Petrass, Lauren , Blitvich, Jennifer
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Community Health Vol. 43, no. 4 (2018), p. 688-693
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- Description: Drowning is an important public health issue with major impacts on young adults aged 15–24 years, yet little is known about the causal factors for drowning for this group. As young adults recreate with peers in unpatrolled aquatic environments, the capacity to perform effective and efficient rescues seems pivotal. This study examined perceived ability of young adults to perform a rescue; determined the level of aquatic rescue knowledge; and measured the effect of an aquatic rescue intervention. In total, 135 participants completed pre- and post-intervention surveys and rescue practical testing. Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank tests were used to assess significant differences pre- and post-intervention and Mann–Whitney tests used to compare groups. Pre-intervention, participants had a low level of rescue knowledge (Mdn = 50) and the relationship between perceived rescue ability and practical rescue testing was weak (rs = 0.33, p ≤ 0.001). Post-intervention, ability to perform a contact tow demonstrated significant improvement (z = − 9.09, p < 0.001, r = − 0.79) and rescue knowledge also improved significantly (Mdn = 100, z = − 9.42, p < 0.001, r = − 0.81). Many young adults lacked both the physical capacity and knowledge required to safely perform a rescue, a factor that may place them at increased drowning risk if they attempt an aquatic rescue. As a rescue based intervention can significantly improve competency of young adults regardless of previous experience and/or qualifications, research needs to consider how best these competencies can be promoted and/or developed with this high risk group.
Selection and management of sports grounds : Does surface heat matter?
- Authors: Twomey, Dara , Petrass, Lauren , Harvey, Jack , Otago, Leonie , Rossignol, Peter
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Facility Planning, Design, and Management Vol. 4, no. 1 (2016), p. 33-47
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- Description: Little evidence exists on the surface temperatures experienced on third generation (3G) artificial turf sports surfaces. Without this fundamental information, it is difficult for local government organizations, governing bodies of sport, or facility managers to determine whether these surfaces are the most appropriate option for their venues and whether different management strategies need to be applied if these surfaces are installed in hot climates. Ambient and surface temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and cloud cover were measured on two natural grass and two adjacent artificial turf surfaces. The highest temperatures were recorded on 3G artificial turf (M = 46.3°C, maximum = 86.6°C) and the lowest on irrigated natural grass (M = 24.1°C, maximum = 49.4°C). Overall, surface temperature was significantly associated with ambient temperature, wind speed , and cloud cover and with the interaction between ambient termperature and surface type. The current findings have implications for sport surface selection and management, particularly in hot climates.
Comparison of surface temperatures of different synthetic turf systems and natural grass: Have advances in synthetic turf technology made a difference
- Authors: Petrass, Lauren , Twomey, Dara , Harvey, Jack , Otago, Leonie , Lerossignol, Peter
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Vol. 229
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- Description: Few studies have considered surface temperatures on the most recent synthetic turf products, and no empirical evidence is available on the more technologically advanced cool climate synthetic products which claim to reduce surface temperature. This article compared surface temperatures of typical third-generation synthetic turf with a cool climate product and also compared the synthetic turf products to natural grass to determine whether synthetic turf reacts differently to environmental factors and hence may increase heat-related health risks for participants. Surface temperatures were significantly associated with ambient temperature (F3,376 = 116.02, p < 0.001), relative humidity (F1,376 = 10.15, p = 0.028), and wind (F1,376 = 1.45, p = 0.004) having smaller effects. After adjustment for covariates, mean surface temperatures were significantly lower (40.79 °C) on a cool climate field compared to a typical third-generation field (44.91 °C), although both synthetic fields were considerably warmer than natural grass at the same venue (by 12.46 °C at the metropolitan venue and 22.15 °C at the regional venue). These findings provide initial insight into the potential value of cool climate products and will aid both design and development of synthetic turf products for the future. © IMechE 2014.
Abrasion injuries on artificial turf : A real risk or not?
- Authors: Twomey, Dara , Petrass, Lauren , Fleming, Paul
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: South African Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. 26, no. 3 (2014), p. 91-92
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- Description: Abrasion injuries result in damage only to the surface layer of skin and can result in player discomfort and changes in performance. The perceived fear of abrasion injuries on artificial turf playing surfaces has significantly affected the adoption of these surfaces, particularly in sports that involve frequent player-surface interactions. The underreporting of abrasion injuries due to how time-loss injuries are defined and the lack of validity of the current abrasion measurement device highlight the need for more research to understand fully the incidence and nature of abrasions on artificial turf playing surfaces and the effect of these injuries on playing behaviour. Improved reporting of abrasion injuries and a more biofidelic test device could assist in both the development of abrasion-related injury prevention strategies and in dispelling players’ negative perceptions of abrasions on artificial turf.
Can you swim? Teaching teachers of swimming and water safety
- Authors: McElroy, G. Keith , Blitvich, Jennifer , Petrass, Lauren
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Proceedings of the XIIth International Symposium for Biomechanics and Medicine in Swimming p. 553-558
- Full Text: false
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Ground condition as a risk factor in sports injury aetiology studies : the level of concordance between objective and subjective measures
- Authors: Twomey, Dara , Petrass, Lauren , Orchard, John , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Injury Epidemiology Vol. 1, no. 1 (2014), p.1-7
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565900
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- Description:
BACKGROUND:It is well known that the condition and type of sporting ground influences the risk of sports injury. However, the lack of evidence on the relationship between subjective and objective sporting ground condition assessments in sports injury aetiology studies has implications for the development of effective injury prevention strategies. This paper aims to examine concordance between subjectively rated and objective ground hardness and moisture measurements to inform data collection methods for future sports injury aetiology studies. METHODS:Subjective, observational assessments of ground hardness and soil moisture were recorded on 36 occasions during an Australian football season using two four-point scales of 'very soft' to 'very hard' and 'very wet' to 'very dry', respectively. Independent, objectively measured hardness and soil moisture were also undertaken at nine locations on the same grounds. The maximum and minimum ground values and the computed average of ground hardness and soil moisture were analysed. Somer's d statistic was calculated to measure the level of concordance between the subjective and objective measures. RESULTS:A significant, moderate to substantial level of agreement was found between the subjective ratings and the average objective hardness values (d = 0.467, p <0.001), but there was perfect agreement on just less than half of the occasions. The level of concordance between the subjective and objective moisture ratings was low to moderate or trivial for all moisture measures (0.002
0.05). CONCLUSIONS:Compared to objective measures, the subjective assessments were more accurate for ground hardness than for soil moisture levels and raters were just as likely to underestimate or overestimate the condition under review. This has implications for future sports injury aetiology studies that include ground condition assessments and particularly the use of subjective measures to underpin the development of future injury prevention strategies.
One, two, three or four: Does the number of Clegg hammer drops alter ground hardness readings on natural grass?
- Authors: Twomey, Dara , Ullah, Shahid , Petrass, Lauren
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology Vol. 228, no. 1 (2014), p. 33-39
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- Description: The Clegg hammer is currently used to measure hardness of natural turf surfaces to inform performance and safety decisions. However, the number of Clegg hammer drops reported in natural grass testing varies from one to four drops, and the impact of the choice of the number of drops is unknown. The aim of this article is to determine whether significant differences exist between the four Clegg hammer drops on natural grass across a variety of conditions. Hardness readings (using a 2.25 kg Clegg hammer), soil moisture and botanical composition were recorded at nine different sites on seven football fields during an 18-week playing season. A total of 1255 hardness readings were collected for each of four consecutive Clegg hammer drops. Overall, there were significant differences between drop 1 and the other three consecutive drops, on all fields and on all sites. Deep soil moisture was the only factor that significantly influenced the hardness readings. The results of this study demonstrate that the decision regarding the number of drops recorded needs careful consideration as conclusions drawn on playability of a ground or the association with injury risk may vary considerably depending on the number of drops. © 2013 IMechE.
Preventing adolescent drowning: Understanding water safety knowledge, attitudes and swimming ability. the effect of a short water safety intervention
- Authors: Petrass, Lauren , Blitvich, Jennifer
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Accident Analysis and Prevention Vol. 70, no. (September 2014), p. 188-194
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Worldwide, epidemiological data indicate that children are a high-risk group for drowning and while progress has been made in understanding toddler drownings, there is a lack of empirical evidence regarding the drowning risk and protective factors inherent for adolescents and young adults. This study used a self-report questionnaire to establish swimming and water safety knowledge and attitudes of young adults and objectively measured their actual swimming ability using formal practical testing procedures. Participants then completed a short, 12-week intervention that encompassed swimming, survival and rescue skills, along with water safety knowledge applicable to a range of aquatic environments. Knowledge, attitudes and swimming ability were then re-measured following the intervention to evaluate its effectiveness. The Wilcoxon matched pairs signed ranks test was performed to detect whether there were significant differences between knowledge, attitude and swim ability scores pre-intervention and post-intervention. A total of 135 participants completed the baseline and follow up questionnaire and all practical testing. Results indicated that these young adults had a very low level of water safety knowledge pre-intervention, although the majority had sound swimming and water safety skills and attitudes. Overall, significant improvements were evident in knowledge (p < 0.001) and swim ability (p < 0.001) post-intervention, although no changes were observed in attitudes (p = 0.079). Previous participation in formal swimming lessons and/or swimming within the school curriculum had no significant impact on water safety knowledge, skills or attitudes of these young adults, and there were few significant gender differences. While it is important to conduct further studies to confirm that these findings are consistent with a more representative sample of young adults, our findings are the first to provide empirical evidence of the value of a comprehensive aquatic education program as a drowning prevention strategy for young adults.
Rotational traction testing : How can we improve the current test device?
- Authors: Twomey, Dara , Connell, Monique , Petrass, Lauren
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: 2014 10th Conference of the International Sports Engineering Association, ISEA 2014; Sheffield, United Kingdom; 14th-17th July 2014; published in Procedia Engineering, Vol. 72, p. 919-924
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- Description: Rotational resistance is an important sports surface property in optimising both performance and safety for participants. Despite various attempts to create valid devices to measure the rotational traction, the Studded Boot Apparatus (SBA) originally developed in 1975 is still used in the synthetic turf standards of many governing bodies of sport. In addition to validity limitations, poor operator reliability of the SBA has been reported and it was postulated that the manual nature of the device contributed significantly to this result. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to present data on the automation of the SBA and to discuss the reliability and validity issues of the device. An automated version of the SBA was developed called the UB Turf Tester (UBTT) and data was collected by ten inexperienced operators using the original SBA and the UBTT. Testing was undertaken on a synthetic turf and each operator completed ten trials with each device. Despite a slightly greater peak traction value for the UBTT, there was no significant difference between the peak traction for the two devices, F 1,2 = 0.341, p = 0.57. Greater reliability was found between operators for the UB Turf Tester. Given that the SBA is still commonly used to comply with standards, achieving the highest level of intra- and inter-operator reliability is both desirable and invaluable. However, the research on the validity of the device also needs to continue. Interestingly, limitations of the device were identified when it was first developed but very few adaptations have been implemented since then. Undoubtedly, the interaction between the human and the surface is a complex phenomenon but the weight force, the level of penetration, the pattern, shape and position of the cleats and the possibility of measuring rotational stiffness rather than peak traction all require further discussion and investigation.