Sean Cumming

Publications (44) View all

• Source

  Available from: Jorge Mota

  Article: Urban-rural contrasts in fitness, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour in adolescents.

  Aristides M Machado-Rodrigues, Manuel J Coelho-E-Silva, Jorge Mota, Cristina Padez, Raul A Martins, Sean P Cumming, Chris Riddoch, Robert M Malina
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  ABSTRACT: Research considering physical activity (PA), physical inactivity and health outcomes among urban and rural youth has produced equivocal findings. This study examined PA, physical inactivity, sedentary behaviours and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in adolescents from urban and rural communities in the Portuguese Midlands. The sample included 362 adolescents (165 males, 197 females) of 13-16 years of age. CRF was assessed by the PACER test. A GT1M accelerometer was used to record 5 consecutive days of PA and time spent sedentary. Analyses of covariance (chronological age as co-variate) were performed to test the effect of the area of residence on sedentary behaviour, PA and CRF. Urban youth of both sexes spent less time in sedentary activities than rural youth. Urban males were more active than rural peers at the weekend, whereas urban females were significantly less active than rural females on week days and across all days assessed. Rural youth of both sexes had higher levels of CRF than urban youth. Area of residence was related to aerobic fitness, PA and time spent in sedentary behaviours among Portuguese youth. Interventions seeking to enhance health and active lifestyles in Portuguese youth should consider the potential impact of socio-geographic factors.
  Health Promotion International 10/2012; · 1.94 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: Catherine Gammon

  Dataset: Physical Activity and Physical Self-Concept in Adolescence: A Comparison of Girls at the Extremes of the Biological Maturation Continuum

  Sean P Cumming, Lauren B Sherar, Catherine Gammon, Martyn Standage, Robert M Malina
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  ABSTRACT: This study examined differences in physical activity and physical self-concept between the least and most biologically mature female adolescents within chronological age and academic year groups. A total of 252 British female adoles-cents (M age = 12.9 years; SD = .7) in Years 7–9 completed self-report measures to assess physical activity and physical self-concept. Percentage of predicted adult (mature) stature served as the index of biological maturation. Univariate analyses of covariance, controlling for decimal age, revealed that the least mature girls generally held higher percep-tions of physical self-concept but were no more, or less, active than the most mature girls. A subsequent meta-analysis suggested, however, that across age and year groups the least mature girls were more active than the most mature girls. To better understand and promote physical activity (PA) it is important to consider the independent and interactive effects of various biological, psy-chosocial, and environmental factors (Eisenmann & Wickel, 2009; Rowland, 1998; Thorburn & Proietto, 2000). Most research has, however, focussed on the contributions of psychosocial and environmental, rather than biological factors. Although psychoso-cial and environmental factors undoubtedly con-tribute to variance in PA, it is important to recognize that PA is, at its most basic level, a bio-logical process (Malina, 2008). Biological factors that may be particularly relevant to explanation of PA in youth include the processes of growth and maturation (Eisenmann & Wickel, 2009). There is good reason to believe that biological maturation may contribute to PA involvement in youth (Baxter-Jones, Eisenmann, & Sherar, 2005; Cumming et al., 2012b; Sherar, Cumming, Eisen-mann, Baxter-Jones, & Malina, 2010). First, it has consistently been shown that individuals decrease in PA and "active play" as they progress toward the mature (i.e., adult) state (Byers, 1998; Byers & Walker, 1995; Eisenmann & Wickel, 2009; Pellegrini & Smith, 1998a, 1998b). Active play is a behavior that is common in childhood, yet declines through adolescence, and is believed to play an important role in brain maturation (i.e., synaptic pruning, myelination of the neural fiber tracts). Second, sex differences in PA and sedentary behavior among children and adolescents of the same chronological age (i.e., boys are generally more active and less sedentary) are attenuated and non-significant when sex differences in biological maturation are con-trolled for (i.e., girls typically mature 2 years in advance of boys) (Cumming, Standage, Gillison, & Malina 2008; Machado Rodrigues et al., 2010; Sherar, Esliger, Baxter-Jones, & Tremblay, 2007; Thompson, Baxter-Jones, Mirwald, & Bailey 2003). Furthermore, the physical and functional character-istics associated with early maturation in males (e.g., greater gains in absolute and relative fat-free
• Source

  Available from: Jorge Mota

  Article: Physical activity and energy expenditure in adolescent male sport participants and nonparticipants aged 13 to 16 years.

  Aristides M Machado-Rodrigues, Manuel J Coelho E Silva, Jorge Mota, Rute Marina Santos, Sean P Cumming, Robert M Malina
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  ABSTRACT: Sport has high social valence and is a primary context for physical activity for the majority of youth. The aim of this study was to estimate the contribution of participation in organized sport to the total daily energy expenditure and also to its moderate-to-vigorous portion in male adolescents. The sample comprised 165 Portuguese male youth, aged 13 to 16 years. Physical activity was assessed with a multi-method approach (Actigraph GT1M accelerometer plus 3-day diary record). Differences in the intensities of physical activity and sedentary behavior of male sport participants and nonsport participants were compared using independent sample t-test. Male participants in organized sports spent significantly more time in moderate-to-vigorous activities than nonparticipants, although the P-value for the 15 to 16 years age-group was marginal (P = .08) on the weekend days. In addition, male adolescents spent 11% to 13% of total daily energy expenditure in organized sports which corresponded to 35% to 42% of the moderate-to-vigorous portion of daily energy expenditure. Organized sport appears to be a relevant component of daily activity energy expenditure to promote healthy lifestyles among male adolescents.
  Journal of Physical Activity and Health 07/2012; 9(5):626-33.
• Article: Motivational climate and changes in young athletes’ achievement goal orientations

  Ronald E. Smith, Frank L. Smoll, Sean P. Cumming
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  ABSTRACT: Development of achievement-related motives in young athletes is believed to be influenced by the motivational climate created by coaches. In a longitudinal multilevel design utilizing 47 youth basketball teams, coach-initiated motivational climate was used to predict changes in 9–13year old athletes’ achievement goal orientations over the course of a season. Mastery climate scores on the Motivational Climate Scale for Youth Sports were associated with significant increases in mastery goal orientation and decreases in ego orientation scores on the Achievement Goal Scale for Youth Sports. Ego motivational climate scores were significantly related to increases in ego goal orientation scores. These relations were not influenced by athletes’ age or gender. Intraclass correlations indicated low within-team consensus in athletes’ motivational climate scores, suggesting an individual- rather than team-level perceptual construct. These and other findings indicate that achievement goal orientation research can be extended downward to children below the age of 11.
  Motivation and Emotion 04/2012; 33(2):173-183. · 1.23 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: Jorge Mota

  Article: Cardiorespiratory fitness, weight status and objectively measured sedentary behaviour and physical activity in rural and urban Portuguese adolescents.

  Aristides M Machado-Rodrigues, Manuel J Coelho-e-Silva, Jorge Mota, Cristina Padez, Enio Ronque, Sean P Cumming, Robert M Malina
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  ABSTRACT: Relationships among weight status (body mass index [BMI]), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and objective measures of sedentary behaviour and physical activity (PA) were considered in a cross-sectional sample of Portuguese adolescents. The sample included 362 youth aged 13-16 years (165 males, 197 females) from urban and rural regions of the Portuguese midlands. CRF was assessed with the 20-m shuttle-run test. An uniaxial accelerometer was used to obtain five consecutive days of activity behaviours including time being sedentary. Pearson correlations and logistic regression analysis were used to examine relationships among variables. Rural adolescents were less active than their urban peers over the weekend. Both rural and urban youth with higher levels of CRF had a lower relative risk of being overweight/obese. The observations indicate important associations between weight status and CRF in both rural and urban Portuguese adolescents. In addition, place of residence has an important impact on weight status of this sample of adolescents.
  Journal of Child Health Care 02/2012; 16(2):166-77. · 0.75 Impact Factor