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This methodology paper describes the design of a holistic and multidisciplinary human performance program within the Belgian Special Forces Group, the Tier 1 Special Operations unit of the Belgian Defense. Performance management... more
This methodology paper describes the design of a holistic and multidisciplinary human performance program within the Belgian Special Forces Group, the Tier 1 Special Operations unit of the Belgian Defense. Performance management approaches in the military draw heavily on sports science. The key component of the program design described here is its integrative nature, which team sports training might benefit from. The basic rationale behind the program was to bridge several gaps: the gap between physical and mental training; the gap between the curative or preventive medical approach and the performance enhancement approach; and the gap between individual and team training. To achieve this goal, the methodology of Intervention Mapping was applied, and a multidisciplinary team of training and care professionals was constituted with operational stakeholders. This was the first step in the program design. The second step took a year, and consisted of formal and informal consultations, p...
AIM The aim of this study was to analyse differences in physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and muscle strength between normal weight, overweight and obese adults and to investigate the role of physical activity variables... more
AIM The aim of this study was to analyse differences in physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and muscle strength between normal weight, overweight and obese adults and to investigate the role of physical activity variables in the analyses of differences in CRF and muscle strength between these groups. METHODS A total of 807 men and 633 women (age: 18-75 years) were included in this cross-sectional study. Weight, height, waist circumference (WC) and bioelectrical impedance were measured. Different dimensions of physical activity were assessed using a validated questionnaire. CRF (VO(2peak)) was evaluated by a maximal test on a cycle ergometer. Knee strength was measured with a calibrated Biodex System Pro 3 dynamometer. Three methods were used for classification in obesity groups: body mass index (BMI), WC and combined BMI-WC classification. RESULTS Health-related sports and physical activity level are negatively associated with obesity in men, but not in women. Televis...
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Aims: To report the prevalence of overweight, obesity and abdominal obesity (AO) in a sample of the Flemish adult population of Belgium, as measured in the “Sport, Physical Activity and Health Study (SPAH, 2002-2004)”. To compare these... more
Aims: To report the prevalence of overweight, obesity and abdominal obesity (AO) in a sample of the Flemish adult population of Belgium, as measured in the “Sport, Physical Activity and Health Study (SPAH, 2002-2004)”. To compare these results with data of Flemish adults in the “Belgian Health Interview Surveys (HIS)” of 1997, 2001 and 2004, and with the obesity prevalence in Europe and in the US. Methods: Between 2002-2004, 5170 subjects of an original random sample, aged 18-75 years, participated in this study. Among other measurements weight, height and waist circumference (WC) were measured by trained staff. Results: The present overweight prevalence in Flanders is higher in men than in women, 41.4% and 29.8% respectively. When comparing
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Background Delayed onset of vastus medialis obliquus activity has been described in patellofemoral pain patients. No prospective study investigating the development of patellofemoral pain has tested the onset timing of electromyographic... more
Background Delayed onset of vastus medialis obliquus activity has been described in patellofemoral pain patients. No prospective study investigating the development of patellofemoral pain has tested the onset timing of electromyographic activity of the vastus medialis obliquus and vastus lateralis muscles during a functional task. Hypothesis Before the development of patellofemoral pain, subjects demonstrate an altered firing order of the vastus medialis obliquus and vastus lateralis muscles compared with healthy subjects during a functional task. Study Design Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Methods The onset of vastus medialis obliquus and vastus lateralis activity was measured with surface electromyography during a functional task (rocking back on the heels) in 79 healthy subjects subsequently submitted to a 6-week strenuous basic military training. Afterward, these subjects were reassessed. Results Thirty-two percent of the recruits developed patellofemoral pain during traini...
Research Interests: Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Risk assessment, Adolescent, Belgium, and 15 moreProspective studies, Humans, Male, Cohort Study, American, Electromyography, Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, Adult, Muscle contraction, Risk Assessment, Binary Logistic Regression, Healthy Subjects, Military Personnel, Prospective Study, and Cohort Studies
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Research Interests: Epidemiology, Higher Education, Life Style, Physical Activity, Social Class, and 28 moreLogistic Regression, Television, Belgium, Sport, Overweight, Humans, Age, Female, Male, Exercise, Body Mass Index, Risk factors, Socioeconomic Status, Waist Circumference, Alcohol Consumption, Aged, Middle Aged, Questionnaires, Adult, Random sampling, Cross Section, Public health systems and services research, Educational Status, Body Weight, Risk Factors, Cross Sectional Studies, Epidemiologic Studies, and Logistic Models
The purpose of this study was to investigate the test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of the Flemish Physical Activity Computerized Questionnaire (FPACQ) in employed/unemployed and retired people. The FPACQ was developed to... more
The purpose of this study was to investigate the test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of the Flemish Physical Activity Computerized Questionnaire (FPACQ) in employed/unemployed and retired people. The FPACQ was developed to assess detailed information on several dimensions of physical activity and sedentary behavior over a usual week. A triaxial accelerometer, the RT3 Triaxial Research Tracker (RT3), in combination with a written 7-day activity record, was used as the objective criterion measure. In employed/unemployed people, 2-week test-retest reliability for several activity variables calculated from the FPACQ was good to excellent with intraclass correlations (ICCs) ranging from .67 to .99. In retired people ICCs were lower but, except for time spent eating, still fair to excellent, ranging from .57 to .96. Except for time spent in leisure time activities for men and the average energy expenditure related to sports participation in women, correlations between the RT3 and the FPACQ generally supported the relative validity of the FPACQ for employed/unemployed people (r ranging from .37 to .88). Values for retired people were somewhat lower (r ranging from .15 to .85), but most variables still reached at least moderate correlations. Concerning absolute validity, the FPACQ generally overestimated physical activity and underestimated sedentary behavior compared to the RT3. From this study, it can be concluded that the FPACQ is a reliable and reasonably valid questionnaire for assessing different dimensions of physical activity and sedentary behavior.
Research Interests: Psychology, Sport Psychology, Health Behavior, Epidemiology, Exercise Physiology, and 17 moreAssessment, Belgium, Humans, Test Validity, Female, Male, Health Status, Physical Fitness, Aged, Middle Aged, Questionnaires, Adult, Accelerometer, Curriculum and Pedagogy, Reproducibility of Results, Test Reliability, and Motor activity
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Research Interests: Nutrition and Dietetics, Health Behavior, Nutrition, Obesity, Physical Activity, and 29 moreDiet, Adolescent, Belgium, Humans, Sex Difference, Female, Alcohol Drinking, Male, Exercise, Energy Expenditure, Body Mass Index, Waist Circumference, Aged, Middle Aged, Questionnaires, Waist to Hip Ratio, Body mass index (BMI), Adult, Sex Factors, Analysis of Variance, Dietary pattern, Dietary fiber, Dietary Carbohydrates, Cross sectional Study, Cross Sectional Studies, Epidemiologic Studies, Energy Intake, Dietary fat, and Dietary fats
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Research Interests: Skeletal muscle biology, Anthropometry, Adolescent, Metabolic syndrome, Belgium, and 17 moreSport, Humans, Female, Male, Weight Lifting, Exercise, Risk factors, Physical Fitness, Middle Aged, Adult, Muscle contraction, Risk Factors, Physical Exercise, Medicine and Science In Sports and Exercise, Cross Sectional Studies, Exercise Tolerance, and Aerobic Capacity
Research Interests: Physical Activity, Health, Adolescent, Stability, Belgium, and 17 moreSport, Sports, Medicine Science, Overweight, Humans, Female, Follow-up studies, Body Mass Index, Physical Fitness, Longitudinal Studies, Adult, Body Weight, Physical Exercise, Medicine and Science In Sports and Exercise, Cross Sectional Studies, Skinfold Thickness, and Motor activity
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Longitudinal studies provide unique opportunities but are also faced with several limitations. The purpose of this study was to document three of these issues... more
Longitudinal studies provide unique opportunities but are also faced with several limitations. The purpose of this study was to document three of these issues ("imperfect" design, evolution of data collection methods, representativeness) by means of the Leuven Longitudinal Study on Lifestyle, Fitness and Health (LLSLFH). The LLSLFH (1969 - 2004) comprises observations on males between 12 and 18 years and at 30, 35, 40, and 47 years, and on females at 16 and 40 years. In the most recent phase of the study, spouses and offspring were also included. The different phases and evolving research questions throughout the LLSLFH required an appropriate adaptation of the research design. The associated evolution of data collection methods largely reflects the changing ideas about physical fitness, body composition, and physical activity, the continuing search for new and better measurement techniques, and the need for adaptations with age. Ongoing study participants are representative in terms of body composition and, except for adolescence in males, also physical activity. No straightforward answer can be given concerning physical fitness. In both sexes, socio-economic status is above average. When informed about the possible "pitfalls" of longitudinal research in advance, several measures could be taken to prevent or limit them as much as possible.