title: Biological and socio-cultural factors have the potential to influence the health and performance of elite female athletes: A cross sectional survey of 219 Elite Female Athletes in Aotearoa New Zealand

authors: Heather, Alison K.

abstract: Health is a pre-requisite for optimal performance yet the parameters which govern health and performance of elite female athletes are little understood. The aim of this study was to quantify the health status of elite female athletes, and understand sociocultural factors influencing that status. The survey addressed demographic, health and athletic performance history, training load, contraceptive use, sport-specific appearance and performance pressures, and communication barriers. Three hundred and fifty-seven elite New Zealand female athletes were recruited to complete an on-line survey. Two hundred and nineteen athletes completed the survey. Oligomenorrhea/amenorrhea had been diagnosed in only 12% of athletes compared with 50% of athletes not on hormonal contraception who reported symptoms consistent with this diagnosis. Stress fractures and iron deficiency were common and associated with oligomenorrhoea/amenorrhea (P = 0.002), disordered eating (P = 0.009) or menorrhagia (P = 0.026). Athletes involved in individual sports (P = 0.047) and with higher training volumes (P < 0.001) were more likely to report a medical illness. Seventy-three percent of athletes felt pressured by their sport to alter their physical appearance to conform to gender ideals with 15% engaging in disordered eating practices. Barriers to communicating female health issues included male coaches and support staff, and lack of quality information pertaining to health. Elite female athletes may fail to reach peak performance due to specific health issues and undiagnosed pathology. Sociocultural factors influence the effectiveness of support of female's health and performance. Organizational and cultural change is required if elite female athletes are to combine optimal health with best performance.

text: Biological and socio-cultural factors have the potential to influence the health and performance of elite female athletes: A cross sectional survey of 219 Elite Female Athletes in Aotearoa New Zealand Health is a pre-requisite for optimal performance yet the parameters which govern health and performance of elite female athletes are little understood. The aim of this study was to quantify the health status of elite female athletes, and understand sociocultural factors influencing that status. The survey addressed demographic, health and athletic performance history, training load, contraceptive use, sport-specific appearance and performance pressures, and communication barriers. Three hundred and fifty-seven elite New Zealand female athletes were recruited to complete an on-line survey. Two hundred and nineteen athletes completed the survey. Oligomenorrhea/amenorrhea had been diagnosed in only 12% of athletes compared with 50% of athletes not on hormonal contraception who reported symptoms consistent with this diagnosis. Stress fractures and iron deficiency were common and associated with oligomenorrhoea/amenorrhea (P = 0.002), disordered eating (P = 0.009) or menorrhagia (P = 0.026). Athletes involved in individual sports (P = 0.047) and with higher training volumes (P < 0.001) were more likely to report a medical illness. Seventy-three percent of athletes felt pressured by their sport to alter their physical appearance to conform to gender ideals with 15% engaging in disordered eating practices. Barriers to communicating female health issues included male coaches and support staff, and lack of quality information pertaining to health. Elite female athletes may fail to reach peak performance due to specific health issues and undiagnosed pathology. Sociocultural factors influence the effectiveness of support of female's health and performance. Organizational and cultural change is required if elite female athletes are to combine optimal health with best performance.

year: 2021

title: Generating group agreement in cooperative computer-mediated groups: Towards an integrative model of group interaction

authors: Whitworth, Brian

abstract: This study addresses the problem of generating agreement in computer-mediated groups.
The key entities of group interaction are proposed to be the task, the other individuals, and the group. Extending this three way categorisation across the input-process-output framework suggests an integrative model with three processes (task resolution, interpersonal relating, and group representation), three levels of social influence (informational influence, personal influence, and normative influence), and three types of output (task results, relationships, and agreement).
The background upon which these processes operate is the communication setting. A proposed taxonomy of communication settings suggests the natural setting for generating electronic group agreement is asynchronous, many-to-many interaction.
Describing non-task group activities as "process losses" denies group combining behaviour, and raises the "group effectiveness paradox", where groups expend more effort to produce less. The integrative model accounts for group activities without paradox.
The generation of agreement in cooperative groups is attributed to the "identification" of individuals with the group. Members who identify with a group, tend to accept the group's decisions as their own. This process may use relatively simple position information embedded within multi-threaded communications, rather than complex "social" information. If so, computer-mediated groups can enact agreement across plain text networks.
Software was written to simulate asynchronous, many-to-many exchange of position information. Anonymous computer-mediated groups sat multi-choice tests under blind, group aware and confidence aware conditions. The exchange of position information alone produced a significant change in agreement, although neither medium nor exchanged information were "rich", no reasons were given, and there was no personal "presence" or discussion.
It was concluded that computer-mediated groups can enact agreement. The method adopted, of isolating one process within a single communication setting, is recommended for research. However for practical implementation, a balance of all three processes is suggested, as all have a role in group interaction.

text: Generating group agreement in cooperative computer-mediated groups: Towards an integrative model of group interaction This study addresses the problem of generating agreement in computer-mediated groups.
The key entities of group interaction are proposed to be the task, the other individuals, and the group. Extending this three way categorisation across the input-process-output framework suggests an integrative model with three processes (task resolution, interpersonal relating, and group representation), three levels of social influence (informational influence, personal influence, and normative influence), and three types of output (task results, relationships, and agreement).
The background upon which these processes operate is the communication setting. A proposed taxonomy of communication settings suggests the natural setting for generating electronic group agreement is asynchronous, many-to-many interaction.
Describing non-task group activities as "process losses" denies group combining behaviour, and raises the "group effectiveness paradox", where groups expend more effort to produce less. The integrative model accounts for group activities without paradox.
The generation of agreement in cooperative groups is attributed to the "identification" of individuals with the group. Members who identify with a group, tend to accept the group's decisions as their own. This process may use relatively simple position information embedded within multi-threaded communications, rather than complex "social" information. If so, computer-mediated groups can enact agreement across plain text networks.
Software was written to simulate asynchronous, many-to-many exchange of position information. Anonymous computer-mediated groups sat multi-choice tests under blind, group aware and confidence aware conditions. The exchange of position information alone produced a significant change in agreement, although neither medium nor exchanged information were "rich", no reasons were given, and there was no personal "presence" or discussion.
It was concluded that computer-mediated groups can enact agreement. The method adopted, of isolating one process within a single communication setting, is recommended for research. However for practical implementation, a balance of all three processes is suggested, as all have a role in group interaction.

year: 1997

title: Te Kuranui

authors: Maxwell, Te Kahautu

abstract: Ko te tūāpapa o tēnei kōrero Te Kuranui he titiro ki te tūāpapa o Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti kapa haka. He aha te take i whakatūngia ai tēnei Kuranui e karangatia ana ko Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti? Hai tāhūhū mō tēnei tuhinga raurūtia tēnei kupu whakaari a Te Kōoti Arikirangi; “He Kura hoki ahau”, me tēnei wehenga o te mōteatea nāna; Te Pono ki runga rā, te ara mai o te tika. Tukua mai ki raro nā te maungarongo; te whana i tū ai nā te kotahitanga; te aroha i mau ai. Ana ko te Kupu Whakaari nei; He Kura hoki ahau he wewete i tēnei Kupu Whakaari kia kite i te hōhonu o te tikanga ōna hai whakatamārama i tō Te Kōoti wawata hai kura i tana iwi Ringatū me tā te kaituhi whakaraupapa i ēnei kura ki roto i te whakairotanga i te Kuranui nei.
Ka rua kua tātaritia tēnei wehenga o te mōteatea nei kia rima ōna wāhanga hai taki i tēnei tuhinga epā ana ki te Kuranui nei a Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti. Tuatahi Te Pono ki runga rā, ka titiro ki te kaituhi nei me tōna whakatipuranga i ōna kaumātua me ō rātou kuranga i a ia kia tohenihorau ki tōna ao Māori. He kuranga ēnei hai maungāngākau, maungāhinengaro ki te whakaturuki i te Kuranui a Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti. Te ara mai o te tika, ko te whakatūtanga o te kapa haka nei a Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti te Kuranui,arā te whakapaparanga mai i te kapa i tōna tīmatatanga ki te wā tonu nei. Tukua mai ki raro nā te maungarongo; ko te whakapono tēnei wāhanga, ko te ū o Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti ki tēnei kura a Te Kooti Arikirangi. Te whana i tū ai nā te kotahitanga;ko te titiro ki te pouārahi me te whakapau kaha ki te tuitui i ngā whakaaro o te katoa, ko te ranga i te iwi, ko te pupuri i te iwi, i te kapa haka ki tōna, rautaki, whāinga ko te whakakotahitanga i te iwi i raro i te kaupapa o Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti. Te aroha i mau ai, ko te aroha ki te iwi, ko te aroha ki te kaupapa, ko te whakaū, whakapūmau i te moemoeā kia whakahokia mai te toheariki ki te iwi kia tū toherauariki a Te Whakatōhea i raro i te korowai o Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti.

text: Te Kuranui Ko te tūāpapa o tēnei kōrero Te Kuranui he titiro ki te tūāpapa o Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti kapa haka. He aha te take i whakatūngia ai tēnei Kuranui e karangatia ana ko Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti? Hai tāhūhū mō tēnei tuhinga raurūtia tēnei kupu whakaari a Te Kōoti Arikirangi; “He Kura hoki ahau”, me tēnei wehenga o te mōteatea nāna; Te Pono ki runga rā, te ara mai o te tika. Tukua mai ki raro nā te maungarongo; te whana i tū ai nā te kotahitanga; te aroha i mau ai. Ana ko te Kupu Whakaari nei; He Kura hoki ahau he wewete i tēnei Kupu Whakaari kia kite i te hōhonu o te tikanga ōna hai whakatamārama i tō Te Kōoti wawata hai kura i tana iwi Ringatū me tā te kaituhi whakaraupapa i ēnei kura ki roto i te whakairotanga i te Kuranui nei.
Ka rua kua tātaritia tēnei wehenga o te mōteatea nei kia rima ōna wāhanga hai taki i tēnei tuhinga epā ana ki te Kuranui nei a Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti. Tuatahi Te Pono ki runga rā, ka titiro ki te kaituhi nei me tōna whakatipuranga i ōna kaumātua me ō rātou kuranga i a ia kia tohenihorau ki tōna ao Māori. He kuranga ēnei hai maungāngākau, maungāhinengaro ki te whakaturuki i te Kuranui a Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti. Te ara mai o te tika, ko te whakatūtanga o te kapa haka nei a Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti te Kuranui,arā te whakapaparanga mai i te kapa i tōna tīmatatanga ki te wā tonu nei. Tukua mai ki raro nā te maungarongo; ko te whakapono tēnei wāhanga, ko te ū o Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti ki tēnei kura a Te Kooti Arikirangi. Te whana i tū ai nā te kotahitanga;ko te titiro ki te pouārahi me te whakapau kaha ki te tuitui i ngā whakaaro o te katoa, ko te ranga i te iwi, ko te pupuri i te iwi, i te kapa haka ki tōna, rautaki, whāinga ko te whakakotahitanga i te iwi i raro i te kaupapa o Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti. Te aroha i mau ai, ko te aroha ki te iwi, ko te aroha ki te kaupapa, ko te whakaū, whakapūmau i te moemoeā kia whakahokia mai te toheariki ki te iwi kia tū toherauariki a Te Whakatōhea i raro i te korowai o Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti.

year: 2014-09-27