This study was conducted using five focus groups with 24 public health nurses from regional child health clinics in order to explore health professionals' perceptions concerning physical activity. Participants were professionally experienced (mean 13.9 years), female (mean 46.2 years) nurses with some training in health-enhancing physical activity. Frame analysis of verbatim transcripts resulted in four frames: the environmental frame, the family frame, the natural frame and the wellbeing and health frame. The importance of physical and social environment, especially the role of parents, was highlighted as determinants of physical activity. Furthermore, the natural characteristics of physical activity in early childhood and the benefits of physical activity for wellbeing and health were focused on within these frames. According to the findings, the sample of Finnish nurses approached physical activity multidimensionally. Further research is warranted to ascertain how these approaches come true in health care settings in Finland as well as elsewhere.
Background: Physical activity has become a major public health concern even in early childhood. This article exemplifies physical activity promotion in practice as described by public health nurses from Finnish primary health care. Method: We gathered the data by purposive sampling in five regional focus groups with 24 informants working in child health clinics provided for all families with children below school age. Statements associated with physical activity promotion were extracted out of verbatim transcripts. Frequency counting complemented qualitative analysis of the content of statements. Findings: Child-centred evaluation provided by public health nurses focused on motor development, basic sporting skills and amount of activities outdoors and play and exercising habits of the child. Family-centred evaluation focused on the general activity level of the family or a member of the family and resources for physical activity. Activation and support included nearly the same issues brought up for discussion during check-ups, as a basis for counselling, or as points of reinforcement. Contradictory to a family approach in health care, most of the statements (78% out of 223 statements) were child centred. Forcefulness of statements revealed that assessment of physical abilities, including motor development, was the only topic applied with every child. Other topics were more selectively targeted for children and families with mild special needs: for example overweight, clumsy, insomniac, or restless children and sedentary families. Conclusions: Even though special needs should receive specific attention in health care, we suggest more concern on physical activity of every child and the whole family in practice in order to meet modern health promotional challenges. Although the Finnish child health clinic system is unique due to its vast coverage and frequent contacts with every child and the family, the findings from this explorative research might inspire other community practitioners to start analysing their own work in view of this research.
SummaryThe objective of the study was to analyse subjective perception of the quality of life (QOL) among men with physical disabilities with different sport participation level throughout quality of life indicators/domains satisfaction and overall QOL. Three groups of men with physical disabilities (n = 130) categorised by the level of sport participation were recruited for the study: elite athletes (n=26), recreational athletes (n = 45) and non-athletes (n = 59). The Subjective Quality of Life Analysis questionnaire and the WHOQOL User Manual were used as a primary research method. The highest subjective perception of life quality declares men elite athletes and the lowest non-athletes. Elite athletes are significantly more satisfied in their lives with domains Physical health/level of independence and Environment, indicators Sleep, Work, Leisure activities, Safety and overall QOL than non-athletes. No significant differences were found in subjective perception of life quality between men recreational athletes and non-athletes.
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