The main objective of this study is to compare the frequency of physical activity and the use of training goals and training programmes among 139 police students at the end of their police studies and after three years' work as police officers. The priority level of different forms of training is also compared among the same police officers during the same period. Participants answered two surveys about their activity level and the priority level of different forms of training. The results show that their physical activity levels and the use of training programmes and training goals dropped after three years' work as police officers. During this period, the priority level increased for endurance, power and sprint training, but decreased for maximum strength training and bodybuilding.

ObjectivePhysical activity contributes to prevent serious diseases and ailments, and previous research indicates that lifestyle habits are likely to track from early childhood to adulthood. 90% of Norwegian children aged 1–5 are enrolled in preschools, and preschool staff can play an important role in children’s activity levels. This study’s aim was to identify whether any associations exist between preschool staff’s characteristics (initiative, participation, attitudes, and activity levels) and children’s activity in preschool.Method289 children aged 4–6 and 72 preschool staff from 13 randomly selected preschools in a region of Nord-Troendelag, Norway, were enrolled in the study. All participants wore an Actigraph accelerometer for seven consecutive days. Questionnaires were also utilized to identify correlates between preschool staff’s attitudes and initiative in relation to children’s physical activity, in addition to their participation in children’s physical activity. A multilevel analysis, the linear mixed model (LMM), was used to elucidate associations between preschool staff and children’s activity levels.ResultsA significant association was found between preschool staff’s average activity levels during preschool hours and children’s corresponding activity levels during preschool hours (t = 2.57; p = 0.021; f2 = 0.013). There were, however, no significant associations identified between the attitudes (t = –0.44; p = 0.67), initiative (t = –0.14; p = 0.89), and participation (t = 0.66; p = 0.52) variables among preschool staff and children’s activity levels during preschool hours.ConclusionThe study demonstrated that a significant association exists between preschool staff’s aggregated activity levels and 4–6-year-olds’ individual activity levels. However, an observational study is requisite in order to determine whether the association is based on preschool staff’s impact on children’s physical activity or if it is the children that affect the preschool staff’s activity levels, or a combination thereof.

The purpose was to compare male and female police students exercise and physical performances at the beginning and the end of a 3-year police education. Two hundred thirty-five subjects answered the survey about exercise and 85 subjects (58 men: age = 23.7 ± 2.8 years, body mass = 82.1 ± 7.8 kg, height = 1.83 ± 0.06 m; 27 women: age = 24.9 ± 3.1 years, body mass = 66 ± 8.5 kg, height = 1.70 ± 0.09 m) participated in the 4 physical exercises (bench press, pull-ups, standing long jump, and 3,000-m run). It was found that the priority of maximum strength training increased (p < 0.001), whereas the priority of endurance and sprint training decreased during the 3-year period, with no differences between gender (p ≥ 0.28). The performances in the strength-related physical tests, bench press, and pull-ups also increased in the same period. These changes were the same for both genders. Findings showed a discrepancy between what is reported as necessary physical skills in police work and what actually is trained during the police education. This discrepancy was caused by the large focus upon maximal strength in the physical examination program in the police education.

Research has indicated that most police tasks seem to be, in general, fairly undemanding physically. Nevertheless, physical skills may be particularly important in police work. This study examines the extent to which this is so. The study is based on a survey of police students as well as observations and informal conversations with police students and police officers, together with interviews with police students. The findings indicate that physical skills are important in police work for three reasons: while physical skills seem to be essential in situations that necessitate physical force, physical skills also seem important from health and psychological perspectives. This study indicates that even if most police tasks do not seem to require excellent physical skills, it is important that police officers and police students exercise and have these skills.

The study examines the association between students' level of physical fitness and experiences of being "seen" by their physical education (PE) teachers, by interviewing 26 high school students (13 with low physical fitness, and 13 with high physical fitness). The analyses indicated that being seen in PE seems to be related to experienced opportunities for students to display their skills, teachers' caring behaviors, feedback from teachers, and the quality and tone of dialogue with teachers. The results showed that, whereas all 13 students with a high level of physical fitness experienced being seen by their PE teachers, only six students with a low level of physical fitness had the same experience. These findings suggest that PE teachers possess a limited narrative of their students with a low level of physical fitness. The results may also indicate the prevalence of a pedagogical approach, according to which teachers focus more on physically-fit students. Overall, teachers seem to play a key role in determining whether students experience being seen. The results have important implications for both teacher education and PE education in schools.

Several studies have shown that children have sub-optimal physical activity levels. Since preschool children (4–6 years-old) spend most of their time awake in kindergarten on weekdays, physical activity level at kindergarten is crucial. The study examines preschool children's physical activity level at kindergarten. Preschool children's activity level at kindergarten is also investigated related to activity level at leisure, gender, and mothers' education level, income, and age. Two hundred and forty four children (125 boys and 119 girls) supplied valid accelerometer data, and mothers' education level, income, and age were measured using a questionnaire. One-way ANOVA and linear regression were utilized as statistical analyses. The results demonstrated that physical activity level during kindergarten is the main contributor to preschool children's physical activity level on weekdays. Furthermore, boys were more active than girls, and preschool children's physical activity level at both leisure and at kindergarten were not associated with mothers' age, education level, or income. However, a positive association was found between physical activity level at leisure and physical activity level at kindergarten, in which physical activity level at kindergarten increases when physical activity level at leisure increases. Physical activity level was also significantly different between kindergartens. The study indicated that kindergartens increase inequality according to physical activity level among preschool children—contributing to creating differences according to low-active and high-active children.

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The aim of this retrospective longitudinal study is to examine police officers' physical performance on four physical tests over time. We compared police officers' test results at graduation with their results after 16 years of work as police officers. To illuminate changes in physical performance after 16 years as police officers, we collected data from four physical tests among the 1995 graduating class. The results show significant differences between the pretest and retest on all four physical tests among male police officers and on the bench press and standing long-jump tests among female police officers. The police officers' performance levels decreased (approximately 10–32 per cent) on the four tests after working 16 years as police officers. The results are somewhat problematic and can be viewed as a sign of an inadequate level of general physical fitness, especially in upper body strength, among police officers. We suggest that mandatory annual physical fitness testing and greater opportunities for exercising during work hours be implemented as important strategies for preventing reduced physical performance among police officers in service. Further retrospective longitudinal studies are needed to examine the development of police officers' physical performance over time. We also highly recommend that future studies implement strategies to increase the involvement of participants at the retest.