University-affiliated student-led healthcare services have emerged to address challenges in securing quality clinical placements. As the benefits and challenges of student-led healthcare services emerge in recent literature, it is important to identify key measurement areas that will help stakeholders evaluate placements, allowing for standardisation, comparability, and quality improvement. This study aims to achieve consensus among key stakeholders on important areas of measurement for evaluating clinical placement performance in student-led healthcare services. A three-round modified Delphi study was conducted with 18 experts using purposive sampling to ensure diverse firsthand experience in clinical placements. Each round yielded quantitative (e.g. percentage of agreement) and qualitative (e.g. free text responses) data. Quantitative data were analysed to determine consensus with ≥70% agreement, and qualitative responses thematically analysed. Round one identified 47 areas of measurement for evaluating clinical placement. In rounds two and three, consensus was established on 44 areas of measurement related to four overarching themes: Learning Outcomes, Experience of Placement, Cost of Placement, and Research in Clinical Placement. The findings provide a solid foundation for evaluating clinical placements across various models, including student-led healthcare services, and offer valuable insights to guide future research into evaluating clinical placements.

Abstract Introduction Early development of fundamental movement skills (FMS) has various health, social, emotional, cognitive, and physical benefits. However, reports indicate children’s motor skill proficiencies are diminishing. Therefore, the early childhood years and early childhood educators are vital for providing opportunities for FMS development, which may enable children to acquire a lifelong positive relationship with physical activity (PA). Methods Educators at early learning centres (ELC) in a regional city were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews and complete a FMS diary. Following the initial data collection, a university student-led FMS focused PA program was delivered. After the completion of the program, educators were invited to participate in a follow-up interview and to complete another FMS diary. The interviews were thematically analysed and the FMS diaries were descriptively reported. Results From pre-program interviews, three themes were identified including “educator training and recall”, “environmental moderators”, and “expanding knowledge”. Educators indicated they had some formal training regarding physical education, but their knowledge was limited or difficult to recall. Educators suggested increasing their knowledge would be a valuable future enabler to advance FMS outcomes. After the completion of the program, interviews with the educators identified “program impact on practices” as another surfacing theme and is indicative the program elicited reflection of educators about their practices. Conclusion A university student-led FMS focused program provoked reflective practices of educators about FMS proficiency and programming. Educators identified challenges, enablers, and opportunities for facilitating FMS activities at ELC.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the face-to-face delivery of exercise with social distancing restrictions preventing close contact between clients and exercise professionals. Additionally, exercise physiology students have had to adapt to these changes and use telehealth to achieve their learning outcomes. This study aimed to explore client and student perspectives of their experience with face-to-face exercise delivery prior to COVID-19 restrictions and telehealth during restrictions. Methods: Clients and students were invited to complete an online survey exploring their experience with student-led exercise services prior to COVID-19 restrictions and during restrictions. Likert-scale questions were compared using a Wilcoxon test and open-ended responses were thematically analysed. Results: Prior to COVID-19 restrictions, all students (n = 7) reported that providing face-to-face exercise physiology services resulted in positive learning experiences and clients (n = 12) were satisfied with their experience. During the restrictions, the client satisfaction with exercise delivery via telehealth remained high, however, students’ learning experience was hindered by the restrictions. Discussion and conclusion: For clients, satisfaction with the exercise delivery remained high and the convenience of telehealth were useful during a pandemic. For students, their exercise prescription and ability to assess and monitor their clients were impacted by using telehealth.

The current study examined the acute effects of a bout of resistance training on cricket bowling-specific motor performance. Eight sub-elite, resistance-untrained, adolescent male fast bowlers (age 15 ± 1.7 years; height 1.8 ± 0.1 m; weight 67.9 ± 7.9 kg) completed a bout of upper and lower body resistance exercises. Indirect markers of muscle damage (creatine kinase [CK] and delayed onset of muscle soreness [DOMS]), anaerobic performance (15-m sprint and vertical jump), and cricket-specific motor performance (ball speed, run-up time, and accuracy) were measured prior to and 24 (T24) and 48 (T48) hours following the resistance training bout. The resistance training bout significantly increased CK (~350%; effect size [ES] = 1.89–2.24), DOMS (~240%; ES = 1.46–3.77) and 15-m sprint times (~4.0%; ES = 1.33–1.47), whilst significantly reducing vertical jump height (~7.0%; ES = 0.76–0.96) for up to 48 h. The ball speed (~3.0%; ES = 0.50–0.61) and bowling accuracy (~79%; ES = 0.39–0.70) were significantly reduced, whilst run-up time was significantly increased (~3.5%; ES = 0.36–0.50) for up to 24 h. These findings demonstrate that a bout of resistance training evokes exercise-induced muscle damage amongst sub-elite, adolescent male cricketers, which impairs anaerobic performance and bowling-specific motor performance measures. Cricket coaches should be cautious of incorporating bowling sessions within 24-h following a bout of resistance training for sub-elite adolescent fast bowlers, particularly for those commencing a resistance training program.

Cricket is a sport played internationally, which requires all players to partake in repetitive, high intensity bouts of exercise, to meet the anaerobic demands needed in a match. This can lead to cricket athletes undertaking resistance training to improve an aerobic performance. However, resistance training results in acute physiological stress known as exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD), which has been reported to impair generic physical performance measures, subsequently impacting training practice and increasing injury susceptibility. The aim of this study was to examine the acute impact of EIMD on cricket bowling performance following traditional resistance training.

Deciding which career path is right for undergraduate students can be challenging and positive outcomes are linked to early work placements. The aim of the current study was to explore the student experience following the introduction of early career-based awareness-raising and reflective learning opportunities in first-year sport and exercise science-based students. Students met with the first-year coordinator to discuss career progression and career aspirations. From this meeting, students were allocated a placement. Following the placement visit, students submitted a reflection piece addressing their experiences at the placement site with six themes identified including: 1) positive experience; 2) degree selection; 3) exposure and reinforcement of practices; 4) career awareness; 5) supervisor impact; and 6) negative experience. The provision of early placement for students in an observational capacity appears to be beneficial to first year experience to assist in consolidating their choice of degree.

Occupational sedentary behaviour is a growing health concern with occupational sitting accounting for almost half of overall sedentary behaviour. Workers undertaking jobs that require minimal standing or physical activity are at higher risk of accumulating larger amounts of sedentary behaviour compared to blue-collar workers, which highlights the need to reduce sedentary behaviour in predominantly desk-based roles. The explicit use of theoretical frameworks to guide sedentary behaviour change interventions is limited; additionally, followup of multi-component sedentary behaviour interventions is rare thus producing a gap in sedentary behaviour research. A mixed-method embedded intervention design was implemented in order to investigate occupational sedentary behaviour. The first aspect of the thesis was to explore the perceptions of office-based workers prior to a sedentary behaviour change intervention (Chapter 2 & Chapter 3). Based on the initial findings, qualitative and quantitative data were collected to explore the outcomes of a low-cost, multi-component, theory-informed, individually-tailored, six week intervention to reduce occupational sitting time (Chapter 4). Finally, a six month follow-up including quantitative and qualitative data were incorporated to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of the intervention (Chapter 5). The first study (Chapter 2) aimed to explore office workers' perceptions of sedentary behaviour, identify potential behavioural strategies to reduce sedentary behaviour in the workplace, and identify barriers which may hamper behaviour change. Office-based workers from a higher education institution were recruited for the study. The perceptions were explored via an online survey and focus groups which were thematically analysed. One hundred and forty office workers were recruited and surveyed from the same workplace. Following the survey, 12 employees also participated in focus groups. One hundred employees perceived a negative association between sitting time and their health. The most prominent theme identified was musculoskeletal complaints, followed by poor general health, and weight gain. The focus groups identified that interventions (behaviour change strategies) targeting reducing sitting time should include education, supportive and knowledgeable managers. These behaviour change strategies should all be offered to address individual preferences and barriers. The second study (Chapter 3) aimed to explore the perceptions of office-based workers who have successfully modified their occupational sedentary behaviour without a formal intervention. In particular, the study explored the employees' stage of change, strategies used to reduce sedentary behaviour in the workplace, and barriers, which prevented behaviour change from occurring. A qualitative in-depth interview design was used for this study. Participants who regularly undertook office-based tasks during work hours were recruited from a higher education institution. Participants were invited to participate in a…

There is limited evidence exploring the long-term effectiveness of sedentary behaviour interventions. This study aimed to explore participant experiences six months post-intervention to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of a low-cost, theory-informed, multi-component, individually tailored, six-week intervention for the reduction of occupational sedentary behaviour. Twenty-five participants who completed a sedentary behaviour intervention participated in a six-month follow-up. Participants wore an activity monitoring device and participated in a semi-structured interview. Interview transcripts were thematically analysed. The pre- and post-intervention quantitative data were analysed via paired samples t-tests. Occupational sitting time was reduced by an average of 40.6 ± 76.1 min/work day at six months as compared to pre-intervention. Twenty-three participants indicated that they had continued with their occupational sedentary behaviour change with various stages of change identified. Self-efficacy towards goal achievement remained high at the six-month follow-up. The most prominent goal identified by the participants to reduce occupational sedentary behaviour was walking. Barriers included attending seated meetings, perceived workloads or work tasks and work environments. Suggested strategies to overcome barriers included changing the work environment, providing prompts and receiving support from management. The current study provides insight into the long-term adherence to an occupational sedentary behaviour intervention.

Aims: As sedentary behaviour is becoming more prominent in office-based work environments, this study aimed to explore office workers’ perceptions of sedentary behaviour, explore potential behavioural strategies to reduce sedentary behaviour in the workplace and identify barriers which may hamper behaviour change. Methods: A total of 140 office workers were recruited and surveyed from the same workplace. The survey included questions regarding perceptions of the relationship between sitting time and health. Following the survey, 12 employees also participated in focus groups to identify potential sedentary behaviour intervention strategies and barriers. The responses from the survey and focus groups were thematically analysed. Results: In total, 88% of all participants surveyed agreed that there was a relationship between sitting time and their health. The most prominent theme identified was musculoskeletal complaints followed by general health and weight gain or obesity. The focus groups identified that interventions targeting reducing sitting time should include education, supportive and knowledgeable managers, and a variety of behaviour change strategies to address individual preferences and barriers. Conclusion: Multiple behavioural strategies were identified, which appear to be appropriate for sedentary behaviour change.

This study was designed to pilot a survey to explore players' perception of home advantage in a rugby league. Twenty-seven players from one team with an identified home advantage believed a home advantage existed as a result of their home crowd (52%), family and friends' support (41%), normal travel (45%) and sleeping arrangements (37%), home weather conditions (48%), and familiarity with playing amenities (37%). However, the players were less definite about influences while playing away from home. The current sample of players identified differing influences, highlighting individual variations in perceived determinants. Individual interviews or focus groups will be required for further exploration.

The ActivPAL physical activity monitor has been previously reported as a reliable and valid tool to measure everyday physical activities. The aim of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the ActivPAL during typical office-based activities. A convenient sample of 10 adults participated in this study with two ActivPAL units attached to the participant's right thigh. Participants completed 6 minutes of specific office-based tasks such as typing an email, writing on a whiteboard, collecting printing and running a small errand with instructions provided through an audio recording. Each bout was filmed with time of sitting, standing and walking visually assessed using the same categories provided by the ActivPAL analysis. Reliability between ActivPAL recordings was assessed via Wilcoxon comparisons and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Relative error was calculated as the difference between visual observations and ActivPAL recordings. Validity was assessed via Wilcoxon comparisons between ActivPAL recordings and video observations. There were no significant differences between ActivPAL units for sitting (196.2+/-5.0 vs. 195.9+/-5.1 seconds), standing (121.8+/-4.8 vs. 122.3+/-6.9 seconds) or walking (42.0+/-6.1 vs. 41.9+/-7.1 seconds) activities. Significant ICC were detected for sitting (0.928), standing (0.849) and walking (0.849) time. In contrast, the ActivPAL recordings for sitting, standing and walking time were significantly different to visual observations (p 3.8%, >24.5% and >54.1%, respectively. The current study has identified ActivPAL units as reliable tools to document physical activity. However, the ActivPAL underestimated sitting and walking time, and overestimated standing time during office-based tasks.

Background: Repeat sprint ability (RSA) has been well documented as a key factor for team sport performance with single set, repeat sprint (RS) protocols recommended for the assessment of RSA. Several RS protocols exist for cycling, field running and motorised/non-motorised treadmills with most incorporating 5-10 repetitions of 3-6 second efforts. But little information exists about the reliability of RS protocols. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to examine the reliability of performance during a RS protocol using a non-motorised treadmill.

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a learning strategy that is implemented in higher education to facilitate the translation of knowledge to real-life practical situations. Time and resource availability may restrict the implementation of PBL techniques into curricula; however, group-based case studies offer a time and resource efficient applied learning alternative. Indeed, the use of case studies in a learning environment is common practice within medical education and other health professions, such as sport and exercise science (Schmidt, 1983; Wood, 2003). Case studies allow students to problem solve in a scenario-based setting (Strandridge, 2000), and in the subject of sport and exercise nutrition, it is important to be able to relate knowledge acquired in a lecture into a real-life situation to enhance the workforce readiness of students. A workshop using case studies was introduced into a first-year subject in sport and exercise science. The intent of the workshop was to encourage students to engage with a real-life situation and to develop their teamwork and public speaking skills.

The aim of the current study was to examine the influence of exercise intensity on systemic oxidative stress (OS) and endogenous antioxidant capacity. Non-smoking, sedentary healthy adult males (n = 14) participated in two exercise sessions using an electronically braked cycle ergometer. The first session consisted of a graded exercise test to determine maximal power output and oxygen consumption (VO(2max)). One week later, participants undertook 5-min cycling bouts at 40%, 55%, 70%, 85% and 100% of VO(2max), with passive 12-min rest between stages. Measures of systemic OS reactive oxygen metabolites (dROM), biological antioxidant potential (BAP), heart rate (HR), VO(2), blood lactate and rating of perceived exertion were assessed at rest and immediately following each exercise stage. Significant (P<0·05) differences between exercise bouts were examined via repeated measures ANOVA and post hoc pairwise comparisons with Bonferroni correction. Increasing exercise intensity significantly augmented HR (P<0·001), VO(2) (P<0·001), blood lactate (P<0·001) and perceived exertion (P<0·001) with no significant effect on dROM levels compared with resting values. In contrast, increasing exercise intensity resulted in significantly (P<0·01) greater BAP at 70% (2427 ± 106), 85% (2625 ± 121) and 100% (2651 ± 92) of VO(2max) compared with resting levels (2105 ± 57 μmol Fe(2+)/L). The current results indicate that brief, moderate-to-high-intensity exercise significantly elevates endogenous antioxidant defences, possibly to counteract increased levels of exercise-induced reactive oxygen species. Regular moderate-to-high-intensity exercise may protect against chronic OS associated diseases via activation, and subsequent upregulation of the endogenous antioxidant defence system.

University initiatives that enhance a students’ sense of belonging may increase student retention and the overall student experience. Previous initiatives have largely focussed on face-to-face interactions however with the high usage of social networking, an online initiative may prove beneficial. The aim of this study was to establish a Facebook account for a University cohort aimed at enhancing student sense of belonging. A Facebook account was established for students enrolled in Sport and Exercise Science degrees at a regional University. Ten weeks after account creation, students were invited to complete an online survey irrespective of whether or not they used Facebook. Fifty-five responses were collected. Most respondents (67.6 to 94.6%) agreed/strongly agreed that the account gave them the opportunity to engage with peers and the Sport and Exercise community and contributed positively to their University experience. Suggestions for improvement included more frequent status and information updates.

Introduction/Background: Feedback is a critical component of learning, however often occurs weeks after assessment completion. When students undertake practical examinations, delayed feedback may be ineffective as the student is unable to accurately recall the event and make connections between the feedback and performance. Purpose/Objectives: To investigate if immediate feedback enhances subsequent performance. Issues/questions for exploration or ideas for discussion: Should we provide immediate feedback to students? Results: Sport and Exercise Science students (n=27) performed an exercise demonstration assessment task with a client, received immediate verbal feedback from the assessor and 1-4 weeks later, completed a second assessment task that involved demonstration of a full exercise session with the client. In both assessments, students were scored for communication, evaluation and demonstration skills. On average, the cohort achieved a significantly higher score for the second assessment (76% vs 83%, p<0.001) and for communication, but not evaluation. The cohort received a significantly lower average score for demonstration. Discussion: While immediate verbal feedback was effective at enhancing subsequent communication, improvement in evaluation performance was not evident. The reduction in demonstration performance may be a result of the second task involving a more complex skill set. Furthermore, while the overall score for the second assessment piece was significantly higher than the first, the same average grade was awarded (distinction). Conclusions: Immediate verbal feedback is an effective learning tool for subsequent practical performance, however does not appear to be effective at enhancing the higher-order attribute of critical evaluation.

The current study explored the effects of short haul air travel within the same country on elite Australian rugby league (RL) players (n=12) during two away and two home games of elite competition. Physiological tests of handgrip strength and leg power were assessed along with psychological tests and perceptions of leg soreness and tiredness on the day before the game (Time 1 and Time 2) and on game day (Time 3). Game statistics of tackles and metres gained were assessed for the games analysed. Significant differences were found for daily analyses of life demands for athletes (DALDA) worse than normal responses at Time 2 (2.50 ± 3.23 vs. 3.50 ± 3.93; P=0.04), Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) at Time 2 (2.88 ± 1.51 vs. 3.71 ± 1.37; P=0.011) and leg tiredness at Time 3 (3.38 ± 1.66 vs. 2.35 ± 1.70; P=0.004) between home and away games. The analysis of game statistics identified that more metres were gained during home games (83.6 ± 49.1 vs. 63.0 ± 30.1; P=0.02) and more tackles made while playing away (18.4 ± 9.2 vs. 14.3 ± 6.7; P=0.016). The results suggest that short haul air travel without crossing time zones results in symptoms of travel fatigue but does not appear to negatively impact on elite RL players ability to perform strength and power tasks. Different game tactics (attacking vs. defensive) occurred between home and away games however, it is unclear whether travel fatigue or a home advantage (HA) is associated with this finding.