The relationship between physical activity and physical abilities among academically gifted students is a topic of interest in both popular culture and research. This review examines the intersection of academic giftedness and physical activity, focusing on the definitions of academically gifted students, research methodologies employed, and the students' engagement with physical activity. The findings suggest that academically gifted students participate in physical activities, including organized sports, at levels comparable to their peers. However, some studies indicate that these students tend to have lower physical self-concept, which may influence their physical activity habits. There is considerable variation in the methodologies and definitions used to identify academically gifted students, including teacher and parent nominations and local identification processes. Notably, the research is mainly atheoretical, dominated by quantitative studies with cross-sectional designs, and no studies solely employqualitative approaches. The measurement of physical activity lacks scientific rigor. To advance understanding, future research should prioritize theoretically guided studies with stronger methodology and designs. This shift would provide deeper insights into the factors shaping the physical activity engagement of academically gifted students, the challenges they encounter, and the implications for their overall development and learning.

The structuring of time and space in schools influences when children's bodies should be active and when they should be still. The growing interest in physical activity interventions in schools today highlights a pattern where schools act as sites meant to regulate and educate children's bodies according to adult-centric interests. Drawing on existential phenomenology, particularly the dual nature of the body as both object and subject, this article examines how children themselves use physical activity in school. Sixty-three children aged 8 - 13 in Sweden participated in semi-structured focus groups where they discussed the significance of movement for them in the school environment. Reflexive thematic analysis in an 'experiential mode' was used to understand how the children related to their bodies in terms of objectivity and subjectivity, creating different types of incentives for movement. This is illustrated through two themes: 'Physical activity for a healthy body (The body as object)', which shows how children use physical activity based on instrumental motives, and 'The sentient body (The body as subject)', where the feeling body is presented in two states: both as trapped and as liberated. The children used movement as a way to balance the structuring of time and place imposed by their school environment, which generated various subjective corporeal states. Thus, the analysis shows that the school environment produces subjective bodies that children understand in objective terms influenced by contemporary health discourses, which in turn shapes their use of movement.

Background

The development of youths physical activity practices occurs through a complex interplay of social, cultural, and geographical factors. Previous research highlights the dual role of sport in rural communities, where it fosters social belonging and identity but also reinforces exclusion and traditional ideals.AimThis study examines how embodied socialization occurs among youth in a depopulation-affected rural environment in Sweden. Research questions were: What type of sporting body is shaped by growing up in a rural environment? Which activities contribute to the creation of this body?

Method:

This study draws on Elders socialization theory, where a places physical and sociocultural traits, along with parents, institutions, and socio-historical events, shape life trajectories. Embodied socialization was, thus, examined in relation to the areas social environment as well as rural culture, traditions, and economic decline.A qualitative approach was used, employing retrospective biographical interviews with six young individuals (girls=3). Each participant was interviewed individually on two occasions to allow for in-depth analysis. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results

Three themes were produced from the analysis: ‘Physical activities run in the family’ highlights how generationally transmitted activities shape young peoples understanding of desirable physical activity and bodies. The theme “Traditions in social institutions” illustrates how schools and local community organizations reproduce preferences for nature-based activities such as hunting, fishing, cross-country skiing, biathlon, alpine skiing, and running. The third theme, “New sports – same ideals”, reveals how modern fitness activities, such as gym training, becoming more popular, align with traditional ideals of a healthy, strong, and resilient body, making them accepted within the local community.

Discussion

The results illustrate how family and community institutions reinforce traditional bodily ideals, with the rural environment and nature playing a central role. This particular rural area is oriented towards forestry, hunting, and fishing rather than farming, which is reflected in the types of bodily ideals that emerge in the narratives of young people. Nostalgia is also evident in the older generation’s efforts to encourage youth to continue with traditional sports such as biathlon, ski jumping, and cross-country skiing. This nostalgia, which sustains traditional values in the shaping of bodies, can be understood as a response to societal restructuring and the decline of rural communities. A potential consequence is the limitation of opportunities for youth to explore new movement identities beyond traditionally valued physical activities.

Background: The escalating costs of sports equipment, coupled with socioeconomic disparities, hinder children’s participation in physical activities. The Leisure Equipment Library (LEL), a unique service in Sweden, addresses this challenge by providing free equipment lending. This study investigated the significance of providing free lending of sports and recreational equipment for children’s and youth’s opportunities to engage in physical activities during leisure time. Method: Utilizing a cross-sectional survey during the summer-2022 period, the study is based on data from 427 LEL users aged 7 to 25 years. User characteristics (demography, socioeconomic status, physical activity profiles), equipment usage patterns and perceived significance are also analyzed. The findings are discussed using the concept of consumer-brand identification. Results: The results showed that LEL reaches a broad and diverse group of children and young people in terms of gender, age, socioeconomic status, and physical activity profile. The borrowed equipment, primarily used for play and recreation, serves as an essential resource for children and youths and, in particular, for those with low socioeconomic status. LEL is considered highly important by all user groups, with a majority emphasizing its significance in facilitating leisure activities. Conclusions: The study suggests LEL’s success lies in its accessibility and that users identify with the brand of LEL. Users perceive LEL as a service catering to various recreational needs rather than sports, fostering inclusivity. The localization of stores in various types of areas, combined with high-quality products, enable children and young people from different socioeconomic areas to use the service. LEL’s success hinges on maintaining a positive brand image and promoting a recreation-oriented identity. Opportunities exist to strengthen emotional bonds with users, enhance branding strategies, and position LEL as a valuable resource for inclusive recreational activities. In conclusion, this study highlights the potential of free lending services, such as LEL, to bridge socioeconomic gaps in the promotion of physical activity among children and young people.

Physical Activity on Prescription (PAP) has been utilized in several countries

since the 1990s. In recent years, the method has begun to be implemented for

children in Sweden. Organized sports represent one of the "deliverers" to which

a client can turn based on the prescription. However, there is a need to examine

whether organized sports are the appropriate avenue for this target group,

considering their physical inactivity and lack of previous engagement in sports.

The aim of this study was to explore how children prescribed physical activity

perceive sports as a means to become more physically active. This

encompasses a focus on how they construct an understanding of their bodies

in relation to activities socioculturally conceptualized as sports. The study is

grounded in the notion of the body's double nature as object and subject and the

idea of movement as sociocultural communication.

Participants aged 7–15 years were recruited from health clinics in Västra

Götaland, Sweden. Qualitative data were generated through a longitudinal

interview study, where six participants were interviewed on two occasions with

a four-to-six-month interval. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic

analysis.

Children constructed an understanding of physical activity in the form of sports

based on instrumentality (health benefits) rather than intrinsic motivators (e.g.,

enjoyment) throughout the PAP process. Finding an environment where one can

be accepted based on physical competence was fundamental. The desire for

change—either from the "deliverer" (sports clubs etc.) or the individual child—

emerges as central for sports to become “medicine” for children.

This paper explores the mobility processes of rural youths in relation to sports. The mobility imperative has its basis in the fact that rural youths must be mobile to gain access to the resources they need to shape their lives and create their own identities. The mobility imperative is analysed as a constellation of interrelated processes in which material inequalities, symbolic hierarchies and entanglements between bodies and places interact in a process that constitutes the mobility of young rural dwellers. This study is based on research conducted in a rural community in Sweden. We conducted interviews with eight individuals and one focus group. The analysis, inspired by biographical interviews framed according to a critical realist perspective, focused on the interviewees' subjective experiences and how broader social structures affected these experiences. The results of the analysis indicate that mobility is an inevitable necessity for sports participation during childhood. The rural sport mobility imperative is an interaction of related processes, such as a limited supply of sports clubs and facilities, limited access to sports activities that are highly valued in contemporary youth culture and an affective conflict in establishing a connection to urban places for sport interactions.

Objective: As an increasing number of children are identified as insufficiently physically active, the school environment has been targeted for efforts to promote physical activity (PA) among inactive children. While research has highlighted teachers’ role in promoting generic school-based daily PA, less is known about the early childhood education teachers’ experiences of physically inactive children and the strategies they use to promote PA. This study’s aim was to explore early childhood education teachers in Sweden’s experiences of physically inactive children and their strategies to promote PA among members of this group in their everyday school settings. Design: Qualitative interview study. Setting: Four small municipalities in Midwest Sweden. Method: Ten teachers working in early childhood education settings participated in individual semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed with a focus on teacher agency and the social, material and cultural resources teachers used to promote PA. Result: Findings indicated that teachers shoulder the worry and unarticulated responsibility for inactive children. This resulted in their use of strategies that varied and which were largely subjective in character. At the same time, teachers expressed how their agency was limited by insufficient resources. Conclusion: Teachers used social, material and cultural resources to promote PA, but their strategies were not informed by evidence or formal guidelines. None of the resources they used were specifically designed for inactive children. Instead, teachers used general resources which they adapted to inactive children’s interests and needs.

Physically inactive children in rural areas are overlooked in research because of the dominance of urban perspectives focusing on physical activity rather than inactivity. The aim of this article is to examine an emerging collective story of how physically inactive children (aged 9-11 years) in two rural areas experience their relationships with physical activity. Based on praxis-oriented sociocultural theorising, this study focuses on how practical physical activity is understood by rural children as part of their sociocultural environment. Five focus group interviews with 21 physically inactive rural children in western Sweden were conducted. Experiences and behaviours that the children emphasised as central to their inactivity were analysed as sociocultural expressions in a collective story about physical activity. To underline the importance of narratives for behaviour in the sociocultural environment, the collective story is presented through three composite narratives told by three fictional characters: 'Robin, the shy one', 'Kim, the farm kid', and 'Angry Alex'. Characteristic of these inactive rural children is a lack of self-confidence, a lack of meaning, and difficulties in managing social physical activities. Common to the behaviours that follow from the children's experiences is that they are perceived as deviating from what is expected of them in accordance with the cultural story about a physically active child. The analysis shows that the underlying cause is the discrepancy between the children's understanding of physical activity and the understanding conveyed via institutions informed by urban perspectives such as, for example, school. For instance, children view physical activity as part of daily labour at the same time that the school teaches physical activities intended for recreational purposes in spare time. Institutions should make room for more interpretations, including rural ones, of the meaning of physical activity and, thus, contribute to reconstructing the cultural narrative about physical activity.

Aim: As more children become increasingly physically inactive, efforts to reverse this negative trend are growing. Research has indicated, however, that we know relatively little about the pedagogical processes built into programmes and interventions. This is especially true in respect of how children view the process of becoming more physically active. This article therefore explores developmental processes as they unfold in the context of alternative sports programmes through children's voices. Methods: Theoretically, children's development is approached from a bioecological perspective focusing on the interaction between the child and its environment. This article builds on material collected from 5 focus groups conducted with 16 children in total (aged 11-15 years) after participating in an alternative sports programme. The data were analysed abductively using a qualitative content analysis technique. Findings: Findings illustrate how children develop physically active behaviours internally, as they acquire certain skills and knowledge, as well as between children and a multisystemic environment. In this study, children experienced that exploring practical activities in authentic situations could contribute to better understanding of the relationship between themselves and physical activities in their local community. Conclusion: To enable development in interventions, paying attention to the extent to which exo- and mesosystems influence children's relationships with the outside world is key. Participation may lead to an improved understanding of the surrounding world and the ability to further develop in an increasingly complex reciprocal process with the environment.

Introduktion

Fysisk aktivitet på Recept (FaR) är en uppmärksammanad arbetsmetod som har använts för vuxna under många år. Som behandling av barn är metoden fortfarande förhållandevis oetablerad (Bernhardsson m.fl., 2022). En central del av metoden bygger på att barnet ska hitta en lämplig aktivitet som ökar den fysiska aktiviteten på fritiden (Wiklund m.fl., 2023). Det saknas emellertid idag kunskap dels om hur barn som ordineras FaR förhåller sig till fysisk aktivitet generellt samt även hur de upplever mötet med de olika miljöer som de, i sina recept, hänvisas till. 

Syfte och teoretisk ram

Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur barn som ordineras FaR upplever möjligheterna integrera mer fysisk aktivitet på sin fritid. Studiens frågeställningar är: 

-       Vilken mening tillskriver barnen fysisk aktivitet under FaR-processen?

-       Hur upplever barnen att stödet från FaR bidrar till att de skapar kapacitet att närma sig en fysiskt aktiv fritid?

-       Hur upplever barnen att de tas emot i de miljöer till vilka de hänvisas?

Studien tillämpar ekologisk systemteori som teoretisk ram (Bronfenbrenner, 2005; Vélez-Agosto m.fl., 2017). Miljön och det individuella barnet ses båda som komplexa system innehållande faktorer som formar handlingsutrymmet för barnets fysiska aktivitet. Barnets betydande faktorer konceptualiseras som kapacitet och miljön, fritidsarenan, som ett landskap av sammanlänkade sociokulturella miljöer. 

Metod 

Deltagare i åldern 7–15 år rekryteras via FaR-mottagningar i Västra Götalandsregionen. Kvalitativa data produceras genom en longitudinell intervjustudie där deltagarna intervjuas vid två tillfällen med fyra månaders mellanrum. Den första intervjun fokuserar på barnets kapacitet och den andra främst på hur stödet från FaR stärker relation till den omgivande miljön. Det slutliga antalet deltagare beräknas till cirka 10–12 barn. Data analyseras genom reflexiv tematisk analys (Braun & Clarke, 2023).

Resultat

Studiens dataproduktion pågår och preliminära resultat från studien presenteras genom tre teman. Den svårfångade rörelsen fångar hur barnen ger uttryck för vikten av fysisk aktivitet och att de har en önskan om att röra på sig mer i vardagen. De har stora förhoppnings och drömmar om fysiskt aktiva liv – men ger också uttryck för utmaningarna med att realisera detta. Föräldern som nyckel beskriver hur mycket av stödet från FaR-processen går genom aktiva och engagerade föräldrar. Föräldrarna får stöd, tips och kunskap från fysioterapeut som de sedan tillämpar och integrerar i relationen till barnet. Det är kul – men jag orkar inte alltid illustrerar hur barnens egna uttryck handlar om att aktiviteterna som de börjat med upplevs positiva och att de får ”göra massa roliga saker”. De uttrycker att de känner sig duktiga och välkomna. Samtidigt ges också hintar om att de inte alltid ”orkar” med aktiviteten exempelvis på grund av att de är ”trötta” eller ”har ont”. 

Diskussion och slutsatser

Studiens preliminära resultat pekar mot att det finns en diskrepans mellan barnens intentioner och vad det upplever att de lyckas åstadkomma i realiteten. Barnen är medvetna om att de har möjligheten att påverka sina egna vanor men hanterar samtidigt det faktum de rör på sig för lite, vilket skapar en ambivalens i relationen till fysisk aktivitet. Idrottsföreningar, föräldrar och skolan utgör exempel på strukturella faktorer som barnen är beroende av för att utveckla sin kapacitet.

Referenser 

Bernhardsson, S., m.fl. (2022). Implementation of physical activity on prescription for children with obesity in paediatric health care (IMPA): Protocol for a feasibility and evaluation study using quantitative and qualitative methods. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 8(1), 117. 

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2023). Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing researcher. International Journal of Transgender Health, 24(1), 1–6. 

Bronfenbrenner, U. (2005). Making Human Beings Human: Bioecological Perspectives on Human Development. SAGE.

Vélez-Agosto, N. M., m.fl. (2017). Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Theory Revision: Moving Culture From the Macro Into the Micro. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(5), 900–910.

Wiklund, E., Wiklund, M., & Hedenborg, S. (2023). Physical Activity on Prescription “Not a Quick Fix”: School Nurses’ Experiences of Promoting and Tailoring Physical Activity to Children in Swedish Compulsory School. The Journal of School Nursing,