title: Recreation in the ME or is it WE jungle

authors: Grant, Bevan C.

subjects: education

abstract: At this years Thinking Recreation symposium I was inspired by the enthusiasm delegates shared for debating, rather than seeking solutions to, a range of issues such as youth deviance, physical inactivity, resource allocation, and managing the environment. However, it was the discussion about some of the invisible influences on our work that really aroused my curiosity. In particular, the thought-provoking workshop by Robyn Cockburn on Systems Theory inspired some critical ‘thinking about recreation’. In his review of the symposium published in the 06 Spring Issue of Australasian Parks and Leisure, Geoff Canham said that this (i.e. Systems Theory) session “drew the most feedback and stimulated much discussion long after it ended”. It was evident many delegates had a desire to look beyond the pragmatics of recreation although this can pose challenges of the intellectual kind. I recall one delegate saying, “I liked the session on that theory but it can be frustrating when talking about something that seems quite vague even though you know it relates to what happens in your work.” Although ideas such as those espoused by Systems Theory are complex and often seem a little distant from the reality of our work, they are useful in helping explain something about the why and what we do.

text: Recreation in the ME or is it WE jungle At this years Thinking Recreation symposium I was inspired by the enthusiasm delegates shared for debating, rather than seeking solutions to, a range of issues such as youth deviance, physical inactivity, resource allocation, and managing the environment. However, it was the discussion about some of the invisible influences on our work that really aroused my curiosity. In particular, the thought-provoking workshop by Robyn Cockburn on Systems Theory inspired some critical ‘thinking about recreation’. In his review of the symposium published in the 06 Spring Issue of Australasian Parks and Leisure, Geoff Canham said that this (i.e. Systems Theory) session “drew the most feedback and stimulated much discussion long after it ended”. It was evident many delegates had a desire to look beyond the pragmatics of recreation although this can pose challenges of the intellectual kind. I recall one delegate saying, “I liked the session on that theory but it can be frustrating when talking about something that seems quite vague even though you know it relates to what happens in your work.” Although ideas such as those espoused by Systems Theory are complex and often seem a little distant from the reality of our work, they are useful in helping explain something about the why and what we do.

year: 2006

title: Effect of footwear versus barefoot on double-leg jump-landing and jump height measures: A randomized cross-over study

authors: Hébert-Losier, Kim

subjects: anterior cruciate ligament

abstract: Background: 
Assessing individuals in their own athletic footwear in clinics is common, but can affect movement, performance, and clinical measures.
 
Purpose:
The aim was to compare overall Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) scores, injury risk categorization, specific LESS errors, and jump heights between habitual athletic footwear and barefoot conditions. 

Study design:  
Randomized cross-over laboratory study. 

Methods: 
Eighty healthy individuals (55% male) completed the LESS following standard procedures (i.e., land from a 30-cm box to a distance of 50% of body height and then jump upwards maximally). Participants performed the LESS three times in two randomized conditions: footwear and barefoot. LESS data were extracted from 2D videos to compare group-level mean LESS scores, group-level and individual-level injury risk categorization (5-error threshold), specific landing errors, and jump heights between conditions. 

Results: 
LESS scores were significantly greater (0.3 errors, p=0.022) and jump heights were significantly lower (0.6 cm, p=0.029) in footwear than barefoot, but differences were trivial (d = 0.18 and -0.07, respectively) and not clinically meaningful. Although the number of high injury-risk participants was not statistically different at a group level (p=1.000); 27 individuals (33.8%) exhibited a clinically meaningful difference between conditions of one error or more in LESS score, categorization was inconsistent for 16.3% of individuals, and four of the 17 landing errors significantly differed between conditions.
 
Conclusion: 
At a group level, habitual athletic footwear does not meaningfully influence LESS scores, risk categorization, or jump height. At an individual level, footwear can meaningfully affect LESS scores, risk categorization, and alter landing strategies. Use of consistent protocol and footwear is advised for assessing movement patterns and injury risk from the LESS given the unknown predictive value of this test barefoot.
 
Level of Evidence:  
Level 3.

text: Effect of footwear versus barefoot on double-leg jump-landing and jump height measures: A randomized cross-over study Background: 
Assessing individuals in their own athletic footwear in clinics is common, but can affect movement, performance, and clinical measures.
 
Purpose:
The aim was to compare overall Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) scores, injury risk categorization, specific LESS errors, and jump heights between habitual athletic footwear and barefoot conditions. 

Study design:  
Randomized cross-over laboratory study. 

Methods: 
Eighty healthy individuals (55% male) completed the LESS following standard procedures (i.e., land from a 30-cm box to a distance of 50% of body height and then jump upwards maximally). Participants performed the LESS three times in two randomized conditions: footwear and barefoot. LESS data were extracted from 2D videos to compare group-level mean LESS scores, group-level and individual-level injury risk categorization (5-error threshold), specific landing errors, and jump heights between conditions. 

Results: 
LESS scores were significantly greater (0.3 errors, p=0.022) and jump heights were significantly lower (0.6 cm, p=0.029) in footwear than barefoot, but differences were trivial (d = 0.18 and -0.07, respectively) and not clinically meaningful. Although the number of high injury-risk participants was not statistically different at a group level (p=1.000); 27 individuals (33.8%) exhibited a clinically meaningful difference between conditions of one error or more in LESS score, categorization was inconsistent for 16.3% of individuals, and four of the 17 landing errors significantly differed between conditions.
 
Conclusion: 
At a group level, habitual athletic footwear does not meaningfully influence LESS scores, risk categorization, or jump height. At an individual level, footwear can meaningfully affect LESS scores, risk categorization, and alter landing strategies. Use of consistent protocol and footwear is advised for assessing movement patterns and injury risk from the LESS given the unknown predictive value of this test barefoot.
 
Level of Evidence:  
Level 3.

year: 2023

title: "Kia Mauri Tau!" Narratives of recovery from disabling mental health problems

authors: Lapsley, Hilary

subjects: Maori

abstract: A bicultural research team at the University of Waikato successfully applied for funding from the Health Research Council to do a qualitative research project in the area of ‘pathways to wellness’. The Mental Health Narratives Project set out to gather forty narratives of mental ill health, recovery and life after recovery by interviewing Maori and non-Maori women and men who once had a disabling mental health problem. We aimed to describe journeys to mental health, identify key themes in accounts of the recovery process and describe the impact of the experience of mental ill health on life after recovery.

text: "Kia Mauri Tau!" Narratives of recovery from disabling mental health problems A bicultural research team at the University of Waikato successfully applied for funding from the Health Research Council to do a qualitative research project in the area of ‘pathways to wellness’. The Mental Health Narratives Project set out to gather forty narratives of mental ill health, recovery and life after recovery by interviewing Maori and non-Maori women and men who once had a disabling mental health problem. We aimed to describe journeys to mental health, identify key themes in accounts of the recovery process and describe the impact of the experience of mental ill health on life after recovery.

year: 2002