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Childhood obesity is a national problem but it is a problem even more keenly felt in the West Midlands where statistics show the percentage of children classified as obese is higher than the national average. Research demonstrating that simple measures such as waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) are every bit as effective as complex and expensive measuring processes such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in identifying high risk obese children has fed into the evaluation and subsequent improvement of child weight management programmes in the region and more widely in the UK. It also informed the development of an obesity strategy and action plan for Worcestershire for the period 2008-11.
Many children and young people are not sufficiently active to achieve a range of physical and mental health benefits. Extensive research undertaken at the University of Bristol has developed gold-standard methods of quantifying the important contribution that time spent outdoors and greater child independence make to children's daily physical activity. This work has provided unique data to support the development of a new, low-cost approach to adapting residential streets in Bristol for regular outdoor play. The Bristol model has been adopted nationally to provide street-play opportunities in the most disadvantaged areas. It is building capacity to promote outdoor play in a range of public- and third-sector agencies at local, regional and national levels. As a result, children are spending more time outdoors and undertaking increased physical activity, while both children and adults are engaging in more social interaction on residential streets. The model has also been showcased internationally, supporting a cultural shift towards reintroducing the street as a place for children's outdoor play. This shift is necessary to combat the marked decline in street play and child independence which has occurred in recent decades.
King's College London (KCL), operating a state-of-the-art Drug Control Centre (DCC) in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), delivered the anti-doping analysis at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This operation, undertaken in their World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) accredited laboratories, was characterised by unprecedented scale, speed and accuracy. It succeeded in protecting the health of athletes and the integrity of the Games. KCL was chosen to undertake the 24/7 anti-doping operation based on its cutting-edge bio-analytical research in drug control. Although a number of athletes were disqualified in the pre-Games testing, the deterrent effect of the KCL work was evidenced by the few doping cases during the Games itself. Using the new biomarker test developed by the DCC at KCL in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Southampton, the team identified for the first time the administration of recombinant human growth hormone (hGH) in two athletes. The findings of the KCL-led operation are already being used to develop similar testing facilities for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and have opened up the science of drug-testing to schools through the "Scientists in Sport" initiative.
In May 2012 the UK Chief Medical Officer (CMO) convened a specialist group of 20 academics to discuss a solution to the "population-level lack of physical activity". The group, including Professor Ashley Cooper, concluded that increasing active travel (walking or cycling) to destinations such as work or school is the best option for achieving this aim and encouraged the CMO to embed this is future policy initiatives. Children are a major focus of such initiatives, since the majority of UK children are not sufficiently active to meet current health guidelines, and over the past decade active travel to school has been recognised as a major opportunity for children to achieve healthy levels of physical activity. This case study describes a programme of funded [6,7] research work which has directly informed and underpinned understanding of the importance of active travel to school by policy makers and public health practitioners. The research is heavily cited in policy and planning documents from 2009 to the present date, both in the UK and internationally, and is used by organisations which implement interventions to increase active travel in the UK and internationally. Via these routes this work has benefitted children in many countries through increased physical activity, higher fitness and improved health.
The impact of this research has been evident in a change of practice regarding the consideration of fatigue in musculoskeletal profiling, and as an aetiological risk factor for injury. This change in practice is evidenced across a range of user groups, influencing evidence-based practice in both the clinical and sporting context. The body of research has generated a shift in the consideration of fatigue with regards sporting injury incidence. Postgraduate teaching has evolved to consider injury prevention strategies in relation to fatigue, and Governing Body injury audits have cited this research in working toward injury prevention policies.
The research on which this case study is based has:
(1) Contributed significantly to raising awareness of child sexual abuse in sport within the international community, particularly in relation to the abuse of boys, and to the development of a European agenda for the prevention of sexual violence in sport;
(2) Enhanced the ability of the Rugby Football League (RFL) to meet its national obligations in relation to safeguarding children and established the first longitudinal evaluation which monitors the development of child protection and safeguarding in sport;
(3) Facilitated the RFLs engagement with the international sports and child welfare community.
This case study examines the impact of a series of research articles on coach-athlete interactions. This research has been used in the development of training courses/educational materials, for example the FUNdamentals courses ran by the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, and for bespoke training sessions such as the Scottish Institute of Sport's Coaching Matters series. Additionally, it has been disseminated to larger coaching groups as lay summaries/guidelines published in sport specific magazines such as Athletics Weekly and Cycle Coach. The case is made that this research has been widely disseminated and has had discernible impact on sports coaching practices.
The Physical Activity in Ageing, Rehabilitation and Health Research Group at Aberystwyth University has designed, implemented and evaluated rural Community Exercise Schemes (CESs), including GP referral of sub-clinical populations, and more specialised schemes, such as cardiac rehabilitation and falls prevention. This research has made a distinct and material contribution to the provision of CESs in the region by providing evidence to inform service planning and delivery, increase access to and engagement with services, improve health and influence professional standards, guidelines and training.
Since 1993, research in service delivery and performance psychology from the constituent groups of the Institute for Research Excellence in Sport and Exercise (IRESE) at Bangor University and Cardiff Metropolitan University has underpinned the content and provision of professional training and development programmes in the UK and more globally. Specifically, since 2008 the research has informed the development and delivery of existing governing body coach education programmes and coach education programmes that are among the first of their kind anywhere in the world. In addition, it has influenced the training of all UK Sport Science Practitioners pursuing accreditation to work professionally in the UK sport industry.
Research at Essex underpinned the development and application of near infrared muscle oxygen spectroscopy (NIRS) devices that have had medical and sporting applications in three areas:
1) Research on second derivative spectroscopy underpinned the concept of the Hutchinson Technology InSpectraTM tissue spectrometers, and later Essex publications validated the technology. The current device is used for muscle research worldwide, including in sports and exercise science. It has US Food and Drug Administration approval and has been sold for use in many US hospitals with improved clinical outcomes and economic benefits.
2) Applied research, undertaken at Essex, made first use of the Artinis Inc. PortamonTM portable NIRS device in elite athletes (UK short track speed skaters). Subsequently this technology has been used to assist the training of a number of sports teams including [text removed for publication] and the Team GB hockey team.
3) This work was also used to engage the public in sports science research both nationally (e.g. Edinburgh and Cheltenham Science Festivals 2010-2013) and internationally (Abu Dhabi Science Festival 2011-2013).