Development of an after-school programme to increase physical activity and dance skills in 11-12 year old girls

体育活动有许多健康益处，有助于预防许多疾病。许多青春期女孩没有参加建议的体育活动量。到了中学开始时，许多女孩不再参加活动，因为她们认为自己不擅长运动。大多数少女喜欢舞蹈，让女孩参加舞蹈可以是增加体育活动的有效手段。拟议的研究将集中在影响女孩的因素？参加课后舞蹈班，以及舞蹈班如何培养女孩对舞蹈的兴趣和舞蹈能力，以便在课程结束时，女孩能够在没有指导的情况下参加舞蹈。这项研究将分为两部分。在第一部分，我们将进行广泛的焦点小组（小组讨论）和采访11-12岁的女孩，家长，学校教师和舞蹈教师，以确定招募女孩参加课后舞蹈课程的成功方法。我们还将专注于如何使会议愉快，以及如何建立女孩的能力和愿望，从事舞蹈没有成人的指导。然后，我们将试行这些方法，以确保所有材料都是适当的。在研究的第二部分，我们将在六所学校进行研究，其中三所学校将接受舞蹈课程，三所学校将不接受。每个学校将有30名11-12岁（7年级）的女孩。舞蹈课将提供每周3次，为期10周，直接放学后。会议将集中在获得身体活动在一个愉快的，支持性的环境，增加女孩？有参与舞蹈的能力。我们将要求所有参与者佩戴加速计，这是一种小型的臀部佩戴设备，可以准确测量儿童的身体活动，并完成一些关于他们参与舞蹈的感知能力的问卷。在研究开始前、8周计划后和3个月后评估长期效果时，将从女孩那里获得所有测量结果。我们还将获得有关该计划的费用和女孩，教师和家长的信息？对会议的答复。在研究的最后，提供的数据将告诉我们舞蹈是否能改变女孩？身体活动，以及这种变化是否可能持续。这项研究还将告诉我们是否需要进行更大规模的评估。

Physical activity has many health benefits and aids the prevention of a number of diseases. Many adolescent girls do not engage in recommend amounts of physical activity. By the start of secondary school many girls are disengaged from activity because they perceive themselves as not athletic. Dance is enjoyed by the majority of adolescent girls and engaging girls in dance could be an effective means of increasing physical activity. The proposed research will focus on the factors that influence girls? participation in an after-school dance class and how the dance classes can build the girls interest in dance and dance ability so that when the classes end the girls are able to take part in dance without instruction. The study will be organised in two parts. In the first part we will conduct extensive focus groups (small group discussions) and interviews with 11-12 year old girls, parents, school teachers and dance teachers to identify successful methods of recruiting girls into after-school dance programs. We will also focus on how to make the sessions enjoyable and how to build the girls ability and desire to engage in dance without adult instruction. We will then pilot these approaches to ensure that all materials are appropriate. In the second part of the study we will conduct a study in six schools, 3 of which will receive the dance program and 3 of which will not. There will be 30 girls 11-12 year old (Year 7) girls per school. Dance classes will be provided 3 times per week for 10 weeks directly after-school. Sessions will focus on obtaining physical activity in an enjoyable, supportive environment that increases the girls? perceived ability to engage in dance. We will ask all participants to wear accelerometers, which are small hip-worn devices that accurately measure physical activity in children and complete some questionnaires about their perceived ability to engage in dance. All measures will be obtained from the girls before the study starts, after the 8-week program and to assess long-term effect 3-months later. We will also obtain information about the costs of the program and the girls, teachers and parent?s responses to the sessions. At the end of the study the data provided will tell us whether dance can change girls? physical activity and if that change is likely to be sustained. The study will also tell us whether a larger evaluation is needed.