BackgroundInternational middle- and long-distance running competitions attract millions of spectators in association with city races, world championships, and Olympic Games. It is therefore a major concern that ill health and pain, as a result of sports overuse, lead to numerous hours of lost training and decreased performance in competitive runners. Despite its potential for sustenance of performance, approval of mHealth self-report monitoring (mHSM) in this group of athletes has not been investigated.ObjectiveThe objective of our study was to explore individual and situational factors associated with the acceptance of long-term mHSM in competitive runners.MethodsThe study used qualitative research methods with the Technology Acceptance Model as the theoretical foundation. The study population included 20 middle- and long-distance runners competing at national and international levels. Two mHSM apps asking for health and training data from track and marathon runners were created on a platform for web survey development (Briteback AB). Data collection for the technology acceptance analysis was performed via personal interviews before and after a 6-week monitoring period. Preuse interviews investigated experience and knowledge of mHealth monitoring and thoughts on benefits and possible side effects. The postuse interviews addressed usability and usefulness, attitudes toward nonfunctional issues, and intentions to adhere to long-term monitoring. In addition, the runners’ trustworthiness when providing mHSM data was discussed. The interview data were investigated using a deductive thematic analysis.ResultsThe mHSM apps were considered technically easy to use. Although the runners read the instructions and entered data effortlessly, some still perceived mHSM as problematic. Concerns were raised about the selection of items for monitoring (eg, recording training load as running distance or time) and about interpretation of concepts (eg, whether subjective well-being should encompass only the running context or daily living on the whole). Usefulness of specific mHSM apps was consequently not appraised on the same bases in different subcategories of runners. Regarding nonfunctional issues, the runners competing at the international level requested detailed control over who in their sports club and national federation should be allowed access to their data; the less competitive runners had no such issues. Notwithstanding, the runners were willing to adhere to long-term mHSM, provided the technology was adjusted to their personal routines and the output was perceived as contributing to running performance.ConclusionsAdoption of mHSM by competitive runners requires clear definitions of monitoring purpose and populations, repeated in practice tests of monitoring items and terminology, and meticulousness regarding data-sharing routines. Further naturalistic studies of mHSM use in routine sports practice settings are needed with nonfunctional ethical and legal issues included in the evaluation designs.
ObjectivesTo examine whether universal prevention via a digital health platform can reduce the injury incidence in athletics athletes aged 12–15 years and if club size had an influence on the effect of the intervention.MethodsThis was a cluster randomised trial where young athletics athletes were randomised through their club following stratification by club size into intervention (11 clubs; 56 athletes) and control (10 clubs; 79 athletes) groups. The primary endpoint was time from baseline to the first self-reported injury. Intervention group parents and coaches were given access to a website with health information adapted to adolescent athletes and were encouraged to log in and explore its content during 16 weeks. The control group continued training as normal. Training exposure and injury data were self-reported by youths/parents every second week, that is, eight times. The primary endpoint data were analysed using the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to analyse the second study aim with intervention status and club size included in the explanatory models.ResultsThe proportion of completed training reports was 85% (n=382) in the intervention group and 86% (n=545) in the control group. The injury incidence was significantly lower (HR=0.62; χ2=3.865; p=0.049) in the intervention group. The median time to first injury was 16 weeks in the intervention group and 8 weeks in the control group. An interaction effect between the intervention and stratification factor was observed with a difference in injury risk between athletes in the large clubs in the intervention group versus their peers in the control group (HR 0.491 (95% CI 0.242 to 0.998); p=0.049).ConclusionsA protective effect against injury through universal access to health information adapted for adolescent athletes was observed in youth athletics athletes. The efficacy of the intervention was stronger in large clubs.Trial registration numberNCT03459313.
i Dybkaer R, Jordal R, JBlgensen PJ et al. A quality manual for the clinical laboratory including the elements of a quality system. Proposed guidelines. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 1993; 53 suppl. 212: 60-84.Development of quality manuals is a means for the promotion of quality in clinical laboratories by describing the total quality system. It also provides opportunity of checking whether the quality system is implemented in reality and demonstrates to the hospital adminisbation and the clinicians that the laboratory is committed to quality. The intention of these guidelines is to describe the elements of the quality system for a large clinical laboratory, and to presentate such a system in the form of a quality manual. The proposed guidelines comply, where relevant, with ISO/IEC guide 25 'General requirements for the technical competence of testing laboratories' and EN 45001 'General criteria for the operation of testing laboratories'. The document may be used as an aid for laboratories wishing to be accredited according to EN 45001, or intending to apply for formal certification of their quality systems, according to IS0 9001 'Quality systems -Model for quality assurance in desigddevelopment, production, installation, and servicing' utilizing IS0 9004 'Quality management and quality system elementsguidelines; Part 2 Guidelines for service'. However, information about the minimum requirements for official recognition should be obtained fkom the particular accreditation or certification body concerned.
The coronavirus pandemic affected the whole world in 2020, with high pressure on the health sector, many deaths, reduced business activity, rising unemployment rates, travel restrictions and social distancing. These developments have had severe consequences for all areas of every society around the globe. This also includes education. In many countries, primary and secondary pupils and university students alike were sent home as schools and universities closed abruptly as part of efforts to control the spread of the virus. As teaching moved online, learners and teachers were unprepared for the new situation, which posed a unique set of challenges. In this context, trainee teachers at a Swedish university were encouraged to support online teaching at schools in Japan, India and Kenya. The purpose of the digital internship was threefold: to continue the trainees’ teaching placements in the absence of opportunities for in-class teaching; to provide an opportunity for trainee teachers to develop their own competence in online teaching; and to assist the foreign schools in the challenging task of delivering online classes. This article aims to investigate the challenges faced by pupils in Japanese, Indian and Kenyan schools and by 27 Swedish trainee teachers during this project. Data collection consisted of interviews, an online questionnaire, lesson observations, assessment forms, and reports given by trainees. The main challenges identified through our findings included internet access in host countries, the use of a teacher-centred approach to learning, and difficulty for trainees to relate to the pupils’ life conditions. However, we conclude that the trainee teachers increased their global awareness through a climate-friendly alternative to the traditional teaching placement abroad.
Background: International middle-and long-distance running competitions attract millions of spectators in association with city races, world championships, and Olympic Games. It is therefore a major concern that ill health and pain as a result of sports overuse lead to numerous hours of lost training and decreased performance among competitive runners. Despite its potential for sustenance of performance, approval of mHealth self-report monitoring (mHSM) in this group of athletes has not been investigated. Objective: To explore individual and situational factors associated with acceptance of longterm mHSM among competitive runners. Methods: The study used qualitative research methods with the Technology Acceptance Model as the theoretical foundation. The study population included 20 middle-and longdistance runners competing at national and international levels. Two mHSM applications asking for health and training data from track and marathon runners were created on a platform for web survey development (Briteback AB
In this study, we examined knowledge and understanding of sport-related injuries among youth athletics (track and field) athletes and assessed their needs in managing any health problems. Qualitative data were collected via 12 focus groups with youth athletes (16–19 years) studying at Swedish sports high schools with an athletics specialism. All focus group discussions were audiorecorded and transcribed before being analysed using a thematic analysis approach. Four researchers independently reviewed the transcripts, generated codes and developed themes. Three overarching themes related to the athletes’ knowledge and understanding of sport-related injury were developed: (1) awareness of injuries, (2) perception of injuries, and (3) factors contributing to injuries. The youth athletes were typically uncertain about how to acknowledge a sport-related injury. They expressed that knowledge about injuries was obtained in part by reflecting on the lived experiences of their peers. It was also demonstrated that there appears to be a ‘culture of acceptance’ regarding injury occurrence. In contrast, causes of injuries were viewed as dependent on multiple factors (eg, lack of context-specific knowledge about training practices). Regarding athletes’ needs in managing injuries, an additional three themes were developed: (1) creating functioning elite sports environments, (2) application of knowledge and (3) fostering athletes. An apparent lack of structure and organisation related to the school environment was identified as an important issue to review to create opportunities for sustainable athletic development. The study identified areas that can be improved in Swedish sports high schools with an athletic specialism and could be applied in other youth sports contexts. The results of this study guide school stakeholders, alongside the sport governing bodies who have the mandate to influence activities in youth sports contexts, whereby special attention should be directed towards improving the social environment for youth athletes.
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