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Body composition: Assessment, components, and hydration

2010, Balasekaran, Govindasamy, Gupta, N., Govindaswamy, V. V.

In the modern era, health professional including scientists. health workers and researchers from different disciplines are focusing on body composition in the area of assessments. physiology. psychology. nutrition, etc. These valuable information garnered from research. and clinical practices is becoming an important factor in determining obesity such as formulation of an exercise programme and diet regiment. psychological profiles based on body image, nutritional status. functional capacity and risk for chronic diseases. Body composition is necessary for an individual to maintain proper work capacity, muscular strength. and the ability to perform daily tasks such as walking and lifting. Negative changes in body composition can lead to decline in physical performance capabilities of the individual. Currently there are number of indirect ways to assess body composition such as dual energy x-ray absorptiometry ( DEXA), under water weighing. body mass index (BMI), waist hip ratio ( WHR). bioelectric impedance ( BIA). skin fold measurement, circumference and girth measurements. These methods differ in accuracy and precision. Body composition is also affected by factors like hydration. This chapter focuses on the components of body composition and the various body composition techniques. In addition. it discusses the effects of hydration status on body composition.

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The effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) on academic self-confidence and generic skills of graduate students in health-related fitness and wellness in Singapore

2010, Chin, Ming-Kai, Mok, Magdalena Mo Ching, Balasekaran, Govindasamy, Chia, Michael, Wong, Patricia

This study examined the effectiveness of Problem-based Learning (PBL) approach on enhancing graduate in-service physical education teachers' academic self-confidence, leadership and initiation. academic affect, and information processmg competence. A pre-test/post-test with quasi-experimental design was used. 27 graduate in-service physical education teachers from the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, in a health-related and wellness module participated in this study. The intervention comprised teaching participants using a PBL approach for 12 teaching weeks. Measuring scales of high validity and reliability were developed for this study to measure participants' self-concept, leadership, academic affect and their information processing competence. Averaged post-test scores in most of generic skill aspects ( 8 out of II) were significantly higher than pre-test scores. Students had in general more positive attitudes toward the module and themselves at post- test than they had at pre-test. The results strongly support that teaching using a PBL approach is beneficial to both students' generic skill development and academic affect to teaching and learning.