Thank you to all attendees, keynote presenters, and event sponsors who helped make NASPEM 2022 a success!
Be sure to mark your calendars for PWP 2023! The 33rd Pediatric Work Physiology Conference will provide an opportunity to network, learn, and be inspired in the beautiful surroundings of South Wales!
For more information, visit pwp2023.com.
Speakers
Symposium
Survival of the 'fit test': A brief glimpse at the fate of fitness testing in youth
Fitness testing has a long, storied history in the areas of physical education, sport, health and wellness, and development in youth. While there are staunch supporters of routine fitness testing in these settings, others have questioned the utility and application of these assessments.
The term “fitness” encompasses a diverse set of constructs and includes a variety of psychometric properties integral to appropriate construct assessment. Beginning in 1995, Dr. Tom Rowland, began a series of friendly debate editorials with the paper “The horse is dead; Let’s dismount.” Over the past 27 years, other researchers have published debate articles to continue this conversation and to work towards identifying assessments that truly meet the needs of the youth and the assessment teams.
This symposium will provide an overview of fitness testing, including the constructs of health- and performance-related fitness and motor development and competence. We will also explore tensions that have developed between researchers and practitioners and proposed solutions to these debates. Additionally, we will discuss current fitness testing practices, how data are utilized, and the relevance of the assessments to the youth and associated programs. Finally, the presenters will conclude the symposium with a summary of pros and cons and discuss future directions of fitness testing in terms of health, development, and participation in physical activity of youth.
This symposium will take place on Day 3 and will be co-presented with Dr. Dawn Coe (PhD) and Dr. Shannon Siegel (PhD). Please see the agenda for details.
About Dr. Rebecca Battista (PhD)
Becki Battista (PhD) is a full professor in the Department of Public Health and Exercise Science at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. Dr. Battista is also the director for the Office of Student Research. She has Bachelor of Science degrees from Lock Haven University and the University of Delaware, a master’s degree in exercise physiology from Indiana University, and a PhD in growth and motor development from Michigan State University.
Her research interests include promoting physical activity participation in children and youth. She is a co-director for the Healthy Outdoor Play and Exercise Lab at Appalachian State where she works with an interdisciplinary team of researchers to encourage physical activity in outdoor settings. She is on the leadership board of the National Youth Sports Health and Safety Institute and serves on the National Physical Activity Plan Educator Sector. Dr. Battista is also a past president of the southeast regional chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and is a past chair of the ACSM Special Health Initiative Youth Sports and Health Committee. She currently serves on the NASPEM Board.
The Oded Bar-Or Memorial Lecture
Sport for tall: Measures of maturation matter
Many sports organizations have adopted the idea of “sport for all” to encourage sports participation; however, in many youth sports, it is the tallest or most mature who dominate. This emphasizes the importance of matching competitors not just by chronological age but also by maturity status.
The history of matching youth in sports competition is old and varied. Numerous techniques have been used to assess maturity with various success. In the 2000s, several new predictive equations of maturation were introduced, and these have been used by thousands of researchers. In this presentation, various predictive equations will be reviewed, compared, and critiqued. The assessment of maturation is very important for alignment of individuals during the period of rapid growth. This therefore implies that the accuracy of the measure taken to assess maturation needs to be valid.
This presentation will take place on Day 3. Please see the agenda for details.
About Dr. Adam D.G. Baxter-Jones (PhD)
Dr. Adam Baxter-Jones, PhD, is a professor of kinesiology and the current interim associate provost, health, at the University of Saskatchewan (USask). He has published over 200 articles related to childhood growth and development and is an expert in the design and data analysis of longitudinal growth studies.
Baxter-Jones graduated from the New University of Ulster, Northern Ireland in 1985 with BSc (Hons.) in Biology. He initially trained as a respiratory physiologist in the Lung Function Unit at the Royal Brompton Hospital, London UK (1985 to 1987) before taking up a position as an exercise physiologist on a longitudinal study of the growth and development of elite young athletes (The TOYA Study, 1987-1992) at the Institute of Child Health, University London. Whilst there, he was trained as an auxologist in the lab of Dr. JM Tanners, the world’s preeminent expert in children’s growth and development. In 1992, Adam relocated to the Department of Child Health, University of Aberdeen, UK, and in 1995 was awarded a PhD on the physical effects of systematic training during puberty and adolescence.
As a senior research fellow in child health at the University of Aberdeen, he continued to work in childhood growth and development — specifically in pediatric respiratory disease. Dr. Baxter-Jones relocated to Canada in 2000 and is the director of a number of ongoing longitudinal studies of childhood growth and development including the Saskatchewan Growth and Development Study (SGDS, 1964-2011) and the Pediatric Bone Mineral Accrual Study (BMAS, 1991-2018). These two world renowned studies of childhood growth and development have produced over 100 peer reviewed articles and numerous PhD and MSc dissertations. Baxter-Jones is also involved in the development of newly emerging longitudinal studies in a variety of populations including young athletes, children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and pregnancy studies investigating intrauterine antecedents of adult disease.
The Don Bailey Lecture
Physical activity and mental health: Is there still a role for movement competence?
Previous research has shown that physical activity predicts both mental health (well-being) and psychological distress (depression, anxiety) such that higher levels of activity are associated with better mental health and lower levels of distress. Research has also shown however that mental health predicts physical activity, with better mental health predicting increased participation.
This complex, bidirectional relationship is clearly influenced by several conditioning variables, including motor competence. The Environmental Stress Hypothesis for example, hypotheses that poor motor coordination predicts poor mental health through multiple psychosocial and physical mediating and moderating pathways, including physical activity. What is the current state of evidence on the links between motor competence (coordination), physical activity and mental health? What role does motor competence play in interventions designed to improve mental health through physical activity?
These questions and future research directions are discussed in this lecture.
Watch the recording of this lecture here.
The Don Bailey Lecture Series honours and commemorates the work of internationally acclaimed visionary Dr. Don Bailey. Learn more about this University of Saskatchewan faculty member and researcher who worked at the cutting edge of science and technology in the health sciences.
The Don Bailey Lecture will take place on Day 3. Please see the agenda for details.
About Dr. John Cairney (PhD)
Dr. John Cairney is professor and head of the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences at the University of Queensland. John is also co-director of the Infant and Child Health Research (INCH) lab, which operates three research facilities at the University of Queensland, Brock University, and the University of Texas (San Antonio). He is past-president of the North American Society for Pediatric Exercise Medicine and past-president of the Canadian Academy of Psychiatric Epidemiology.
An internationally recognized leader in the field of child health and physical activity, Dr. Cairney is the author/editor of four books and more than 300 peer-reviewed research articles. He has held numerous funded grants, totaling more than $16.5 million in research grants and contracts as a principal investigator.
Throughout his career, Dr. Cairney has held several major research positions including a Tier II Canada Research Chair at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health/UofT, an endowed professorship in child health research and the McMaster Family Medicine Research Chair. A fellow of the American Psychopathological Association, Dr. Cairney is also the recipient of the Alexander Leighton Award for Lifetime Achievement in Psychiatric Epidemiology.
A sought after scientific consultant to government, Dr. Cairney was co-lead on the evaluation of the child and youth mental health strategy in Ontario, a member of scientific advisory board for Healthy Kids Community Challenge, expert advisor on the brain health supplement to the ParticipACTION Report Card (2018), and lead investigator on the special needs strategy in the province of Ontario.
In addition to sitting on the editorial boards of several major journals, he is currently the editor-in-chief of the Current Developmental Disorders Reports (published by Springer Press).
Sleep, physical activity, and obesity in children: Applications in pediatric exercise science
High physical activity levels and healthy sleep have been associated with favourable health outcomes in the pediatric population. Physical activity and sleep do not only impact health outcomes, they also influence one another. Physical activity has been shown to improve sleep outcomes, while insufficient sleep has been reported to increase tiredness and make it less conducive to maintain a healthy active lifestyle. Not only that there is a bi-directional relationship between sleep and physical activity, but they both influence body weight regulation. Physical inactivity is a traditional risk factor for obesity while insufficient sleep is a novel determinant of obesity. Lack of sleep has been shown to contribute to weight gain and obesity predominantly via an increase in food intake. Assessing sleep health (e.g., duration, quality, timing) is important in pediatric exercise science because poor sleep health can undermine the success of exercise programs and/or weight loss interventions. Assessing sleep is time well spent and should be routinely done in pediatric exercise science.
This presentation will take place on Day 2. Please see the agenda for details.
About Dr. Jean-Phillipe Chaput (PhD)
Dr. Jean-Philippe Chaput, PhD, is a senior scientist with the Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute and an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Ottawa. His research focuses on health promotion and the prevention of chronic diseases. He is particularly interested in sleep health and 24-hour movement behaviours. Dr. Chaput has published more than 350 peer-reviewed scientific articles and received many awards for his research. He led the sleep component of the 24-hour movement guidelines in Canada and chaired the Youth Working Group for the 2020 WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour.
Symposium
Survival of the 'fit test': A brief glimpse at the fate of fitness testing in youth
Fitness testing has a long, storied history in the areas of physical education, sport, health and wellness, and development in youth. While there are staunch supporters of routine fitness testing in these settings, others have questioned the utility and application of these assessments.
The term “fitness” encompasses a diverse set of constructs and includes a variety of psychometric properties integral to appropriate construct assessment. Beginning in 1995, Dr. Tom Rowland, began a series of friendly debate editorials with the paper “The horse is dead; Let’s dismount.” Over the past 27 years, other researchers have published debate articles to continue this conversation and to work towards identifying assessments that truly meet the needs of the youth and the assessment teams.
This symposium will provide an overview of fitness testing, including the constructs of health- and performance-related fitness and motor development and competence. We will also explore tensions that have developed between researchers and practitioners and proposed solutions to these debates. Additionally, we will discuss current fitness testing practices, how data are utilized, and the relevance of the assessments to the youth and associated programs. Finally, the presenters will conclude the symposium with a summary of pros and cons and discuss future directions of fitness testing in terms of health, development, and participation in physical activity of youth.
This symposium will take place on Day 3 and will be co-presented with Dr. Rebecca Battista (PhD) and Dr. Shannon Siegel (PhD). Please see the agenda for details.
About Dr. Dawn P. Coe (PhD)
Dawn P. Coe (PhD) is an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and a certified ACSM clinical exercise physiologist. Dr. Coe has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree from Central Michigan University, and a PhD from Michigan State University.
Dr. Coe’s research focuses primarily on pediatric exercise physiology and her research agenda includes physical activity assessment in youth, physical activity levels and behaviors in outdoor settings, and the impact of physical activity and physical fitness on cognition and academic success in youth. She has served on the National Physical Activity Plan Educator Sector Committee and the ACSM Special Health Initiative Youth Sports and Health Committee.
Dr. Coe is currently the president of the North American Society of Pediatric Exercise Medicine (NASPEM).
The Tom Rowland Series
Physical fitness: A right of every child
The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the devastating effects of health care disparities on physiologic, immunologic, and behavioral resilience of children and adolescents. Physical inactivity and obesity, most prominent throughout the US in lower income communities, exacerbate disease severity and outcomes not only of COVID-19 but also of virtually every chronic pediatric disease.
In 1989, the United Nations approved the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CORC), the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history. The Convention elevated often marginalized notions of child health and well-being to international issues of major concern requiring actionable changes in health, legal, and social policies. Physical fitness is a uniquely integrative indicator of child health and resilience. It is a quantifiable, bellwether, health phenotype and can only be achieved when a myriad of factors, e.g., nutrition, access to play, safety, and social determinants, are optimally aligned.
It is time to add the right of every child to be physically fit to the Convention.
The Tom Rowland Series will take place on Day 1 and is sponsored by Human Kinetics Journals. Please see the agenda for details.
Old friends and new beginnings: How play and exercise train the immune system in early life child
Many of the health benefits of regular physical activity are directly related to activation, modulation, and conditioning of the immune system. The immune system is a dynamic and complex set of cells and mediators capable of reacting rapidly to pathogens and environmental threats. New insights reveal that immune cells can also play significant roles in growth and tissue repair. We present the idea that physical activity, like exposure to pathogens, is a critical feature of immune conditioning throughout childhood and adolescence. We review genomic responses of key innate immune cells such as neutrophils and monocytes to exercise and how these responses mold early life development and prevention of adult diseases like atherosclerosis. The concept of immune conditioning, the “old friend” hypothesis, is highlighted with an emphasis on the dual role of immune and inflammatory activation and inhibition, mechanisms responsible for homeostasis and self-tolerance. We outline the relevant immune and inflammatory pathways that can enhance our ability to promote healthy exercise in childhood diseases like asthma. We present a new look at the role of immune conditioning during childhood highlighting the need to consider environmental factors like exercise and the role of social determinants of health in these processes. The critical need to address the many gaps in our understanding the mechanisms that govern immune and inflammatory responses to exercise is a major theme of this talk.
This presentation will take place on Day 2. Please see the agenda for details.
About Dr. Dan Cooper (MD)
Dan M. Cooper is the associate vice chancellor for clinical and translational science at the University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine), and former chair of pediatrics at UC Irvine. He is also the principal investigator of UC Irvine’s Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA). As a pediatrician, pediatric pulmonologist, and former director of a busy pediatric intensive care unit, his career in research, teaching, and clinical care has been formed by working with children with diseases like asthma, cystic fibrosis, and lung disease of prematurity. His research has been focused on the mechanisms that link exercise, growth, and health in babies and children.
Dan founded the Pediatric Exercise Research Center (PERC) at UC Irvine in 2003, which since 2012 has been led by Professor Shlomit Radom-Aizik as the Pediatric Exercise and Genomics Research Center. PERC is dedicated to uncovering biological mechanisms of exercise that can be used to improve lifelong health of children with chronic disease and disability using exercise-as-medicine. Dan was also one of the principal investigators of Project HEALTHY, a pioneering national study involving over 3,000 middle school children designed to reduce obesity and type 2 diabetes through school-based nutrition and PE programs.
Dan’s laboratory group is focused on the mechanisms that link systemic physiologic exercise-responses to health and disease in healthy children and in children with chronic disease and disability, and was the recent recipient with Professor Radom-Aizik of an NIH grant to support Project REACH (Revamping Exercise Assessments in Child Health) which focuses on novel approaches to using exercise testing in children with sickle cell disease and cystic fibrosis.
How did the pandemic impact children’s physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep?
Healthy child development is fostered through ample physical activity, low levels of sedentary behaviour, and adequate sleep (i.e., 24-hour movement behaviours). Meeting 24-hour movement behaviour recommendations is associated with enhanced physical and mental health in children. However, most children do not meet the guidelines. On March 11, 2020, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. A number of public health restrictions were put in place to curb transmission of COVID-19. Closures of schools, playgrounds, and cessation of recreation programs, all changed the way children engaged in movement. Across the pandemic, public health restrictions varied. Children experienced barriers to movement, and some children more than others (e.g., children with disabilities).
To understand the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s movement and play, we conducted two multi-methods studies. Through ParticipACTION, we distributed an online survey to Canadian parents in April 2020 (n=1,472), October 2020 (n=1,568), and April 2021 (n=1,601). Through the National Physical Activity Measurement (NPAM) study, we distributed an online survey to Canadian parents of children with disabilities (n=151) at two timepoints: May 2020 and November 2020. We conducted follow-up semi-structured interviews with parents in June-July 2020 (n=29) and June-July 2021 (n=45), and with parents of children and youth with disabilities in March-April 2021 (n=7) as a part of the ParticipACTION and NPAM studies, respectively. Parents perceived their child to be less active and more sedentary during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with before the pandemic at all time points.
Parents of children with disabilities also perceived their child’s physical activity to be lower and their screen time to be higher during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before the pandemic at both time points. Parent support behaviours were correlated with their child’s physical activity and outdoor play in children, including children with disabilities. Parents spoke about the stress of the pandemic, the movement from programmed to unstructured play during the pandemic, limited opportunities and shifting routines during the pandemic. Parents of children with disabilities were concerned about the declining health of their child and cancelled rehabilitation.
Our studies provide evidence of the collateral consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic experienced by children and can inform future public health initiatives in recovery from the pandemic.
This presentation will take place on Day 4. Please see the agenda for details.
About Dr. Sarah Moore (PhD)
Dr. Sarah Moore, PhD, is an assistant professor in the School of Health and Human Performance at Dalhousie University. She holds a cross-appointment in the Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Moore is an affiliate scientist at IWK Health in Pediatric Rehabilitation and a Healthy Populations Institute scholar at Dalhousie University.
Her research expertise is in the growth and maturation, bone, muscle, and fat development, movement and play behaviours, and adapted physical activity for children and youth with disabilities. She is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) and serves on the board of directors as secretary for NASPEM. Dr. Moore’s overall research aims to improve children’s health and quality of life through play and physical activity.
Sport for all: Promoting physical activity through youth sports
Physical activity is important across the lifespan. One means through which individuals can attain physical activity guidelines is through sport participation. This talk will discuss surveillance of sport participation in the United States and address two questions related to obtaining physical activity via sports: 1. How much physical activity do youth obtain during games and practices? 2. Does sport participation translate into future, habitual physical activity? Strategies and considerations for accruing physical activity through sport participation will be discussed, with specific recommendations for future research.
This presentation will take place on Day 3. Please see the agenda for details.
About Dr. Karin Allor Pfeiffer (PhD)
Karin Allor Pfeiffer (PhD, FACSM, FNAK) is a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Michigan State University (MSU) and a fellow of both the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK). In August of 2022, she will transition from the role of interim department chairperson to interim director of the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports. She earned her PhD from Michigan State University in 2001 and was a postdoctoral researcher and research assistant professor in the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina from 2001-2006. She joined MSU as assistant professor in 2006.
Dr. Pfeiffer has been studying physical activity and health-related fitness in children and youth for the past 25 years. Her main areas of expertise are in measurement of physical activity and interventions to increase physical activity in children and adolescents. She has over 200 research publications and has worked on several NIH- and foundation-funded research projects. She completed her term as vice president of the ACSM in June of 2022 and currently serves as treasurer for the International Society for the Measurement of Physical Behaviour. She also serves on the Leadership Board of the National Youth Sports Health and Safety Institute and is chair of the Sport Sector of the National Physical Activity Plan. She is a past president of the North American Society for Pediatric Exercise Medicine (NASPEM) and the Midwest regional chapter of ACSM and was a trustee of national ACSM. She also served twice on the Science Board of the President’s Council for Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.
Measuring physiological variables during exercise: The black box
Breath-by-breath (BxB) measurements of alveolar gas exchange has become the usual, standard method for metabolic measurements during exercise testing. However, this method remains a “black box” for most users, meaning that without considerable knowledge and understanding of how VO2 and VCO2 are computed, end-users may not recognize flawed or erroneous data; or worse, may question divergent results obtained by classical methods. Details and subtleties of such computations are reviewed and discussed in this presentation, for the express purpose of highlighting complexities inherent in this method, and prompting the reader or listener to return to “first principles” when attempting to explain and comprehend results obtained.
This presentation will take place on Day 3 and is sponsored by Vyaire — a NASPEM 2022 Gold Sponsor. Please see the agenda for details.
About Dr. Paul Pianosi (MD)
Dr. Paolo (Paul) Pianosi is Canadian by birth, of Italian origin, and holds multiple citizenships. He obtained his MD from the University of Toronto, completed a pediatric residency at the University of Ottawa (Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario), and pediatric respiratory medicine fellowship at McGill University (Montreal Children's Hospital).
After his training, he went on to become an assistant professor of pediatrics and child health at the University of Manitoba, then associate professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. After practicing in Canada for 15 years, he moved to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He is now a full professor in the Division of Pediatric Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
The principal line of investigation Dr. Pianosi has pursued over the course of his career has been exploration of clinical exercise testing to address specific physiological questions. His initial research dealt with sickle cell disease as a model for oxygen delivery during exercise. He has conducted research in various patient populations. Most recently, this has taken him to studying circulation during exercise in adolescents with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome). At the same time, he developed pictorial scales to measure dyspnea, perceived exertion in children during exercise, and has studied ventilatory strategy during exercise.
Molecular Transducer of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC)
The Molecular Transducer of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC) is the largest targeted National Institutes of Health (NIH) investment of funds (~$200M) into the mechanisms of how physical activity improves health and prevents disease. The overall goals of this U.S. national project are to generate a map of molecular responses to physical activity and exercise using omics technologies and create a user-friendly public data resource that any qualified researcher can access.
The University of California Irvine Pediatric Exercise and Genomics Research Center is the sole pediatric center out of six clinical centers (10 sites) across the U.S. The Center recruits children (10-17y/o) from diverse racial and ethnic groups with a goal to map the molecular mechanisms through which exercise benefits health. Low and highly active participants perform an acute bout of endurance exercise with blood collection before, 20- and 40-min during exercise and 10 min, 0.5 h and 3.5 h into recovery. A subgroup of low active participants repeats the assessment following 12 weeks of supervised endurance training program. Nine chemical analysis sites and a bioinformatic data center will perform integrative multi-omics (genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) analysis to create an accessible database for future research.
This research will lay the foundation for a new era in which we can harness the molecular pathways of the exercise response to improve health across the lifespan.
This presentation will take place on Day 2. Please see the agenda for details.
About Dr. Shlomit Radom-Aizik (PhD)
Shlomit Radom-Aizik (PhD), associate professor in the department of pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine), is the executive director of UC Irvine Health Pediatric Exercise and Genomics Research Center and Exercise Medicine Division Chief. Professor Radom-Aizik is working to advance exercise medicine through clinical and laboratory research using genomic and epigenetic approaches, and to promote and foster community partnerships to encourage physical activity across the lifespan.
She completed her PhD dissertation in the Functional Genomics Unit at Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv University and received her PhD degree in Physiology and Pharmacology from Tel Aviv University, Israel. Her research focuses on the intersection of functional genomics and exercise physiology with the goal to uncover the molecular mechanisms of both acute and long-term health effects of exercise and training in health and disease.
She is currently a principal investigator (PI), on two multiple PI NIH grants: 1) Transforming Exercise Testing and Physical Activity Assessment in Children: New Approaches to Advance Clinical Translational Research in Child Health and 2) for the pediatric clinical center in the Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC), which is a U.S. nation-wide consortium to study the molecular maps in response to exercise.
Symposium
Survival of the 'fit test': A brief glimpse at the fate of fitness testing in youth
Fitness testing has a long, storied history in the areas of physical education, sport, health and wellness, and development in youth. While there are staunch supporters of routine fitness testing in these settings, others have questioned the utility and application of these assessments.
The term “fitness” encompasses a diverse set of constructs and includes a variety of psychometric properties integral to appropriate construct assessment. Beginning in 1995, Dr. Tom Rowland, began a series of friendly debate editorials with the paper “The horse is dead; Let’s dismount.” Over the past 27 years, other researchers have published debate articles to continue this conversation and to work towards identifying assessments that truly meet the needs of the youth and the assessment teams.
This symposium will provide an overview of fitness testing, including the constructs of health- and performance-related fitness and motor development and competence. We will also explore tensions that have developed between researchers and practitioners and proposed solutions to these debates. Additionally, we will discuss current fitness testing practices, how data are utilized, and the relevance of the assessments to the youth and associated programs. Finally, the presenters will conclude the symposium with a summary of pros and cons and discuss future directions of fitness testing in terms of health, development, and participation in physical activity of youth.
This symposium will take place on Day 3 and will be co-presented with Dr. Rebecca Battista (PhD) and Dr. Dawn Coe (PhD). Please see the agenda for details.
About Dr. Shannon Siegel (PhD)
Shannon Siegel (PhD, FACSM) is a professor and chair in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of San Francisco (USF). She is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the current president-elect of NASPEM. Dr. Siegel earned her PhD from Michigan State University in 1999 and has taught at various colleges and universities since then — including the University of Wales Institute Cardiff (now Cardiff Metropolitan University), 2001-2003, Portland Community College, 2003-2005, and California State University, San Bernardino, 2005-2015. She has been at USF since 2015.
Dr. Siegel teaches courses in the areas of growth, maturation, motor development and measurement, as well as sport and culture. Her research interests are in the area of cross-cultural components of physical activity, particularly in youth. Over the years, she has focused on activities that encourage youth to become and remain active, primarily via the use of rock climbing and other outdoor recreation activities.
The LEAP to understanding the interactions of disease, physical activity, bone and muscle health in Canadian children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: A Canadian collaborative research team
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is among the most common chronic disabling conditions of childhood, and the most common of the rheumatic diseases affecting children. The chronic joint inflammation in children with JIA has broad consequences beyond joint stiffness and damage, and includes pain and functional disability. Exercise, and the ability to keep up with peers in physical activity (PA) is frequently identified as a concern of children with JIA and their families, and children with JIA are less active than peers.
The Linking Exercise, Activity, and Pathophysiology in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (LEAP) study is a multi-centre Canadian prospective research program focused on studying physical activity related to disease factors, inflammation, and the relationships of these factors to development of bone and muscle in children with JIA. This study, involving 12 pediatric rheumatology centres across Canada, enrolled over 700 children with JIA, who were followed for two years, resulting in a robust set of data including disease characteristics, physical activity measures, biomarkers of inflammation and bone metabolism, patient reported quality of life measures, muscle function using jumping mechanography, and bone strength and geometry using pQCT/HRpQCT. Analysis of these data is beginning to provide important new understanding of the relationships between JIA disease characteristics to physical activity, bone and muscle development, with the aim to promote healthy activity and growth for children and teens with JIA. Dr. Tucker will describe the collaborative transdisciplinary development of the LEAP study, and discuss some of the early study result highlights.
This presentation will take place on Day 2. Please see the agenda for details.
About Dr. Lori B. Tucker (MD)
Dr. Tucker is a clinical professor in pediatrics and division head of pediatric rheumatology at the University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, and a clinical investigator at the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute. Her training in pediatrics and pediatric rheumatology was at The New England Medical Centre, Tufts University, Boston, MA. She was recently awarded the 2021 Distinguished Rheumatologist Award from the Canadian Rheumatology Association, in recognition of her contributions to the rheumatology community in Canada.
She is one of the founding members, and a past president, of the Canadian Alliance for Pediatric Rheumatology Investigators, the Canadian national network for pediatric rheumatology research. Dr. Tucker has co-led the two largest multicenter longitudinal research studies on JIA in Canada over the past 15 years, ReACCh-Out, and LEAP (Linking Exercise, Physical Activity, and Pathophysiology in Canadian Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis), and was instrumental in the development of the national longitudinal CAPRI JIA Registry. She has established a clinical program in auto-inflammatory diseases at BC Children’s Hospital serving the province of BC, which incorporates translational research in every clinical encounter.
Dr. Tucker has worked tirelessly in patient advocacy and strengthening clinical team/parent/patient partnerships as the medical advisor and board member for Cassie and Friends: A Society for Children with Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases. This national parent and patient-run organization has become the strongest voice for pediatric rheumatology in Canada, raising funds for direct patient needs and research, providing online information and education sessions, and developing parent and youth support programs.
Important Dates
Stay on top of these important dates leading up to NASPEM 2022:
- March 1: Early bird registration opens
- March 31: The Call for Abstracts closes (extended to April 15)
- May 31: Early bird pricing ends
- June 1: NASPEM hotel discount "Option A" ends
- July 7: NASPEM hotel discount "Option B" ends
- July 15: NASPEM registration closes
- August 3-6: NASPEM 2022 takes place in Saskatoon, SK.
Event Registration
Registration for NASPEM 2022 closed July 15, 2022.
NOTE: Event registration and hotel registration must be booked separately.
Hotel Registration
Your choice of accommodation options
The exclusive hotel location for NASPEM 2022: The Child’s Right to be Fit is actually two hotels with a common lobby!
Conveniently located on College Drive within brief walking distance from the University of Saskatchewan, these adjacent hotels each offer unique accommodations.
NASPEM attendees can take advantage of easy access to many points of interest including: the Canadian Light Source, Jim Pattison Children's Hospital, Royal University Hospital, Saskatoon Field House, Griffiths Stadium, Saskatoon Forestry Farm and Zoo, and the Circle Mall.
NOTE: The NASPEM meeting takes place on Aug. 3-6, 2022; however, some attendees may wish to arrive earlier or stay in Saskatoon later to explore more of what the "City of Bridges" has to offer. When booking, please ensure your check-in and check-out dates align with your travel plans. Room booking options are available on a first come, first served basis.
Please note the unique booking and contact information for each of the options listed below.
Available dates
Aug. 3-8, 2022 (for NASPEM bookings outside of those dates, please contact the hotel directly)
Room type(s) available
- Studio suites (king bed with a single sleeper sofa and full kitchen) at $139.00
- 1 bedroom suite with full kitchen and two televisions: $170.00
- 2 bedroom suite with full kitchen, desk and three televisions: $190.99
Complimentary services
- Complimentary self-parking (electrified and accessible stalls, EV charge stations)
- Complimentary hot breakfast bar (located on the 9th floor)
- Socials on Mon-Wed evenings (complimentary light bites and drinks located on the 9th floor)
- Complimentary on-site self-service laundry
- Complimentary storage lockers
- Complimentary BBQ & Fire-Pit Area
- Complimentary ultra-high-speed Internet access
- The Pantry, 24/7 convenience store
- Indoor pool and whirlpool
- 24-hour fitness centre and business centre
- Complimentary local shuttle service
Booking information
Staybridge Suites Saskatoon - University
1838 College Drive; Bldg #1; Saskatoon, SK; S1N 2Z8
Group name: NASPEM
Group code: NAS
Cutoff date: June 1, 2022
Use the unique link below to book guest rooms within the block dates with directly to the special group NASPEM rate. Attendees wishing to book over the phone can call 1-800-238-8000 or the hotel's direct line at 1-306-952-4888.
Note: To check availability on the website, please manually input the group's check-in and check-out dates prior to hitting the CHECK AVAILABILITY button.
Available dates
Aug. 3-8, 2022 (for NASPEM bookings outside of those dates, please contact the hotel directly)
Room type(s) available
- Two queens at $139.00.00/night
- King with double sleeper sofa at $149.00/night
Complimentary services
- Complimentary self-parking
- Complimentary express start hot breakfast bar
- Complimentary ultra-high-speed Internet access
- Sundry Shop open 24 hrs
- Indoor pool and whirlpool
- 24-hour fitness centre and business centre
- Complimentary coffee and tea in the lobby 24 hrs/day
- Complimentary local shuttle service
Booking information
Holiday Inn Express & Suites East - University
1838 College Drive; Bldg #2, Saskatoon, SK; S1N 2Z8
Group name: NASPEM
Group code: NA1
Cut-off date: July 7, 2022
Use the unique link below to book guest rooms within the block dates with directly to the special group NASPEM rate. Attendees wishing to book over the phone can call 1-800-465-4329 or the hotel's direct line at 1-306-954-1250.
Note: To check availability on the website, please manually input the group's check-in and check-out dates prior to hitting the CHECK AVAILABILITY button.
Poster and Oral Presentations
Abstract submission deadline extended to Friday, April 15, 2022, at 11:59 pm Central Standard Time (CST). Please forward all submissions to NASPEM2022@usask.ca.
Abstract submissions are now being considered for poster and oral presentations at NASPEM 2022: The Child’s Right to be Fit and for publication in Pediatric Exercise Science (PES).
All abstract submissions must occur electronically with “NASPEM 2022 Abstract” in the subject line of the email.
For more information — including word count, font, and content requirements — download the NASPEM 2022 Abstract Submission Guidelines.
Poster guidelines
- The accepted poster dimensions are no greater than 48" wide x 48" high.
- Presenters are responsible for printing their own posters.
- At the University of Saskatchewan, the recommended on campus printer is XL Printing.
Agenda, Program, and Campus Map
To download the complete NASPEM 2022 program—including a copy of the agenda, featured presenter bios and abstracts, and free communication abstracts—click the link below. A USask campus map is available in the program but has also been made available as a separate download.
NOTE: To support the University of Saskatchewan's commitment to being “The University the World Needs,” printed copies of the materials below will not be made available. Please consider the environment before printing this program. Learn more about USask's sustainability priority.
NASPEM 2022: The Child's Right to be Fit
Day 1 Agenda
Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022
NOTE: This agenda is subject to change as details and speakers are confirmed.
| Lobby, Holiday Inn Express & Suites | |
| 1 – 3:30 pm | Registration |
| Evan Thomas Ballroom, Holiday Inn Express & Suites | |
| 3:30 – 5 pm | NASPEM Board of Directors Meeting |
| 4 – 5 pm | Break for attendees to refresh and travel to Marquis Hall (approximately a 10-minute walk from the hotel) |
| Marquis Hall, University of Saskatchewan | |
| 5 – 5:45 pm | Opening reception / late registration |
| 5:45 – 6 pm | Welcome remarks |
| 6 – 7 pm | Dinner at Marquis Hall |
| 7 – 8 pm | THE TOM ROWLAND SERIES Physical fitness: A right of every child Dr. Dan Cooper (MD) Session chair: Dr. Dawn P. Coe (PhD), University of Tennessee, Knoxville The Tom Rowland Series is sponsored by Human Kinetics Journals — a NASPEM 2022 Silver Sponsor |
NASPEM 2022: The Child's Right to be Fit
Day 2 Agenda
Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022
NOTE: This agenda is subject to change as details and speakers are confirmed.
| High Up Above Room, Holiday Inn Express & Suites | |
| 8:30 – 8:45 am | Welcome remarks |
| 8:45 – 9:30 am | The LEAP to understanding the interactions of disease, physical activity, bone and muscle health in Canadian children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: A Canadian collaborative research team Dr. Lori B. Tucker (MD) Session chair: Dr. Bruce Alpert (MD), University of Tennessee, Knoxville |
| 9:30 – 10:30 am | Free communication 4 Presenters Session chair: Dr. Sarah Moore (PhD), Dalhousie University |
| 10:30 – 10:45 am | Refreshment break |
| 10:45 – 11:30 am | Old friends and new beginnings: How play and exercise train the immune system in early life Dr. Dan Cooper (MD) Session chair: Dr. Shlomit Radom-Aizik (PhD), University of California, Irvine |
| 11:30 am – 12:30 pm | Free communication 4 Presenters Session chair: Dr. Paul Pianosi (MD), University of Minnesota |
| 12:30 – 1 pm | Molecular Transducer of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC) Dr. Shlomit Radom-Aizik (PhD) Session chair: Dr. Rebecca Battista (PhD), Appalachian State University |
| 1 – 2 pm | Lunch (provided) |
| 2 – 2:45 pm | Sleep, physical activity, and obesity in children: Applications in pediatric exercise science Dr. Jean-Phillipe Chaput (PhD) Session chair: Dr. Kimbo Yee (PhD), The Citadel |
| 2:45 – 3:45 pm | Free communication 4 Presenters Session chair: Dr. Emily Guseman (PhD), Ohio University |
| 3:45 – 4:30 pm | Refreshment break Poster session 1 |
| 4:30 – 5:30 pm | NASPEM Business Meeting |
| 6 – 7 pm | BBQ at Baxter-Jones residence Optional event. Transportation not provided. |
NASPEM 2022: The Child's Right to be Fit
Day 3 Agenda
Friday, Aug. 5, 2022
NOTE: This agenda is subject to change as details and speakers are confirmed.
| High Up Above Room, Holiday Inn Express & Suites | |
| 8 – 8:45 am | ODED BAR-OR MEMORIAL LECTURE Sport for tall: Measures of maturation matter Dr. Adam D.G. Baxter-Jones (PhD) Session chair: Dr. Brian Timmons (PhD), McMaster University |
| 8:45 – 10 am | Free communication 5 Presenters Session chair: Dr. Mike McBride (PhD), The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia |
| 10 – 10:45 am | Refreshment break Poster session 2 |
| 10:45 – 11:30 am | Sport for all: Promoting physical activity through youth sports Dr. Karin Allor Pfeiffer (PhD) Session chair: Dr. Shannon Siegel (PhD), University of San Francisco |
| 11:30 am – 12:30 pm | Free communication 4 Presenters Session chair: Dr. John Cairney (PhD), The University of Queensland |
| 12:30 – 1:30 pm | Lunch (provided) |
| 1:30 – 2 pm | Break for attendees to refresh and travel to the Convocation Hall (approximately a 10-minute walk) |
| Convocation Hall | |
| 2 – 2:45 pm |
DON BAILEY LECTURE SERIES |
| 2:45 – 3:15 pm | Return to hotel Refreshment break |
| High Up Above Room, Holiday Inn Express & Suites | |
| 3:15 – 4:30 pm | SYMPOSIUM Survival of the 'fit test': A brief glimpse at the fate of fitness testing in youth Dr. Rebecca Battista (PhD) Dr. Dawn P. Coe (PhD) Dr. Shannon Siegel (PhD) |
| 4:30 – 5 pm |
Measuring physiological variables during exercise: The black box This lecture is sponsored by Vyaire — a NASPEM 2022 Gold Sponsor |
| 5 – 5:30 pm | Break for guests to refresh before dinner at Boomtown |
| 5:30 pm | Buses transfer guests from hotel to Boomtown |
| Boomtown, Western Development Museum | |
| 6 – 8:30 pm | Dinner at Boomtown Transportation provided for hotel guests. Local attendees responsible for their own transportation. |
| 8:30 pm | Buses return guests to hotel |
NASPEM 2022: The Child's Right to be Fit
Day 4 Agenda
Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022
NOTE: This agenda is subject to change as details and speakers are confirmed.
| High Up Above Room, Holiday Inn Express & Suites | |
| 8:30 – 9:30 am | Free communication 4 Presenters Session chair: Dr. Marta Erlandson (PhD), University of Saskatchewan |
| 9:30 – 9:45 am | Refreshment break |
| 9:45 – 10:45 am | How did the pandemic impact children’s physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep? Dr. Sarah Moore (PhD) Session chair: Dr. Pat Longmuir (PhD), Children's Hospital Eastern Ontario |
| 10:45 – 11 am | Presentation of Student Excellence in Research Awards |
| 11 – 11:15 am | Gavel passing Adjournment |
| 11:15 am – 12 noon | Lunch (provided) |
| 12 noon – 12:30 pm | Break for attendees to refresh before Wanuskewin event |
| 12:30 pm | Buses transfer guests from hotel to Wanuskewin |
| Wanuskewin Heritage Park | |
| 1 – 3 pm | Visit Wanuskewin Heritage Park |
| 3 pm | Buses return guests to hotel |
Destination Details
The University of Saskatchewan (USask) is one of the top research-intensive, medical doctoral universities in Canada. USask has been breaking new ground in research since 1907, leading innovation in areas of global importance such as infectious diseases and medical technology, agriculture, water and food security through collaborative, creative, interdisciplinary approaches.
Study and discovery is enhanced by our outstanding facilities, including the Canadian Light Source synchrotron, VIDO-InterVac, the Global Institute for Food Security, the Global Institute for Water Security and the Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation.
Guided by our University Plan: The University the World Needs, we work together across disciplines and with our communities to find creative solutions to the most pressing global challenges. Our graduates, recognized for their strong work ethic, resourceful nature and determination, are leading change here at home and around the world.
At the University of Saskatchewan, we acknowledge we are on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis. We pay our respect to the First Nations and Métis ancestors of this place and reaffirm our relationship with one another.
What makes Saskatoon unique and fun? Find out firsthand while at NASPEM 2022!
With so much to offer, Saskatoon is one of Canada's most talked-about destinations. As it thrives economically and excels as a forward-thinking metropolis, the door is always open for discovery. It is the place to experience local eateries, bustling nightlife, river trails and other outdoor spaces as well as cultural institutions and museums.
With over 65 annual events (40 in the summer alone), there is no shortage of things to see and do! Saskatoon has a number of one-stop shopping centres for your convenience that are easy to get to and will satisfy any diehard shopper. Not only will you find the basics, but you'll also find that special something at one of the exciting new shops at malls such as The Centre on 8th Street East and Midtown in downtown Saskatoon.
Wanuskewin Heritage Park is a National Historic Site located five kilometres from the City of Saskatoon. This Northern Plains Indigenous Interpretive Site is home to over 6,000 years of history, and truly unique Cultural experiences for the whole family.
Wanuskewin Heritage Park sits above the Opimihaw Creek and the South Saskatchewan River near Saskatoon – a window into a part of Canada’s history that remains largely undiscovered, and a link to our past unlike any other National Historic Site in Canada. Wanuskewin’s uniqueness is not just the fact that there exists evidence of ancient peoples, but rather the composition of many different aspects of habitation, hunting and gathering, and spirituality – all in one place.
The Wanuskewin area contains some of the most exciting archaeological finds in North America, many of which pre-date the pyramids of Egypt. To date, 19 Pre-Contact archaeological dig sites have been identified on the terraces and point bars in the Opimihaw Creek valley bottom or coulee depressions along the valley wall of the South Saskatchewan River. As soon as the Opimihaw Creek valley became available for human occupation 6,000 years ago, virtually every Pre-Contact cultural group recognized across the Great Plains visited this location. The result is a remarkably complete and intact record of cultural development in the region over that time span. The archaeological resources of Wanuskewin are exceptional and among the finest examples of Pre-Contact occupation of the Great Plains of North America.
Located on Treaty 4 and Treaty 6 territories and the Homeland of the Métis, the Western Development Museum (WDM) is the largest human history museum in Saskatchewan. With a collection of over 75,000 artifacts ranging from pins to locomotives and four locations in the province, the WDM shares the Saskatchewan story from the beginning of settlement to present day.
The WDM serves the people of Saskatchewan through its exhibits, educational and public programs, special events, and research about the history of the province. Its mandate is to collect, preserve, and exhibit objects of historical value and importance connected with the economic and cultural development of western Canada and to stimulate interest in western Canadian history.
The Western Development Museum’s vision includes a Saskatchewan where everyone belongs and histories matter.
Travelling to Canada
Starting April 1, fully vaccinated travellers will not be required to complete a pre-arrival COVID-19 test when arriving in Canada. Learn more here.
NASPEM 2022 Sponsors
NASPEM 2022 organizers gratefully acknowledge the generous support of the following event sponsors.
To become a sponsor or learn more about sponsorship opportunities at the 2022 North American Society for Pediatric Exercise Medicine Biennial Meeting, please contact the NASPEM 2022 team.
Platinum sponsors
Gold sponsors
Silver sponsors
Bronze sponsors
About NASPEM
NASPEM was founded in Aspen, Colorado, USA, in 1987 when Dr. Robert Wolfe felt that the time had come for an organization dedicated to pediatric exercise and sports medicine. Members include basic and clinical researchers, clinicians and healthcare providers, and students.
An important milestone in NASPEM history was the establishment of the quarterly NASPEM journal, Pediatric Exercise Science (PES), published by Human Kinetics. PES debuted in February 1989 under the editorship of Dr. Thomas W. Rowland since its inception until 2012. Dr. Bareket Falk served as the PES Editor from 2012-2020. Dr. Ali McManus currently serves as the PES Editor.
The original NASPEM mission statement, composed by Fred James in 1991, was to expand the knowledge of exercise science in public health and medical care, and to promote fitness and appropriate exercise in children and adolescents.
Today, NASPEM’s mission is to promote exercise science, physical activity, and fitness in the health and medical care of children and adolescents.
NASPEM's mission is accomplished in part through its scientific meeting, its journal, collaborative research, student aid in the form of grants and awards, and the training programs data base which can be accessed from the NASPEM website.
Contact
For questions regarding registration, sponsorship or presentation opportunities, and more, please contact NASPEM 2022 organizers.
Disclosures
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine and the North American Society for Pediatric Exercise Medicine. The University of Tennessee College of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The University of Tennessee College of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 15 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, and Nurses may use these credit hours toward certification renewal. This credit is acceptable by the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), American Nurses Credentialing Association (ANCC), and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).