Scholastic Shares What Kids Want in Books #dadchat

To help gift givers select the right books for children this holiday season, Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, has released new data on "What Kids Want in Books – a "sneak preview" from the fifth edition of the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report™. This national survey of children ages 6–17 and their parents explores attitudes and behaviors around reading books for fun. In this preview of the full report, kids share what they look for when picking out books to read for fun. According to 70% of kids ages 6–17, books that "make me laugh" rank highest on the list across all ages. Among the different age groups:

• Children ages 6–8 are more likely than older children to want books with characters that "look like me."
• Children ages 9–11 are more likely than younger children to want books that "have a mystery or a problem to solve."
• Children ages 12–14 are more likely than older children to want books with "characters I wish I could be like because they are smart, strong or brave."
• Children ages 15–17 are more likely than younger children to want books that help them "forget about real life for a while."

In addition, 73% of children ages 6–17 agree with the statement, "I would read more if I could find more books that like."

The Kids & Family Reading Report will be available in January 2015. To view and share the "What Kids Want in Books" infographic go to www.scholastic.com/readingreport. For a list of "books that make me laugh," go to http://bit.ly/1rSCVkf.
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Today’s Teens Aren’t the Only Ones Sneaking Around

For generations, parents have been suspicious of teens’ social activities – and have employed any number of tactics to uncover the truth. Today’s parents are no exception; they simply have more channels to monitor. The fifth Digital Diaries installment conducted by AVG Technologies, a leading provider of Internet and mobile security, revealed that 60 percent of American parents surveyed admit to accessing teens’ Facebook accounts without theirknowledge, with moms most likely to be the guilty party.

AVG’s global, multi-year, Digital Diaries research project has aimed to determine how the Internet is
impacting children as they play, learn, and grow up in today’s digital world. Entitled “Digital Coming
of Age,” the latest phase of the study surveyed 4,400 parents with 14-17 year olds in 11 countries.
To begin, findings show that 75 percent of American parents stay connected to their children on
social networks, which is significantly more than parents in other countries. Across the globe, it’s less
common for parents to be “friends” with their teens on Facebook to be able to monitor the activity
teens permit them to see through their privacy settings. In fact, this number is as low as 10 percent
in Japan and 33 percent in France.

"I'm convinced that parents need to communicate more with their teens about the digital coming of
age. Even though most teens have intuitive online abilities, parents need to be setting limits, rules,
and staying aware of what's going on,” said Rona Renner, RN, temperament specialist/parent
educator and founder of Childhood Matters. "Safely navigating new technologies in the digital age is
quickly becoming an important task in adolescent development. Successfully accomplishing this
takes families working together to build a sense of safety, trust, and respect. AVG's Digital Diaries
research and products help parents of teens as they find the right balance between hands on and
hands off parenting."

Digital Coming of Age further reveals American parents are keeping tabs on their teens’ online
activity. A majority of moms and dads actually give their children credit for doing the right thing and
have minimal concerns about illegal, inappropriate and career-damaging behaviors, however they
continue to monitor their teens in today’s connected age. The study revealed:

• Twenty percent suspect their children are accessing pornography or illegal music downloads; and 5 percent suspect their children of gambling.
• Twenty percent of American parents also suspect their teens of “sexting” via their mobile phones.
• Almost half of parents in the U.S. believe their teens conduct relationships with friends and family via their mobile phones, yet only 9 percent think these relationships are sexual. 
• An overwhelming 80 percent of parents believe their teens have never met someone in person that they first met online.

“Is it spying or is it good parenting when parents closely monitor teens’ online activity?” asks Tony
Anscombe, senior evangelist for AVG Technologies. “Parenting teens that have grown up alongside
the Internet and with mobile phones in hand requires an entirely new set of rules and tactics. Our
research reveals that while parents trust their teens to do the right thing, such as avoiding
pornography on the Internet and “sexting,” they are still concerned about their children’s safety and
how teens’ online behavior may affect their future careers.”

Forty percent of American parents worry the content their children post to Facebook and other
social networks will affect their children’s job prospects down the road. Adding to this stress, less
than 50 percent of American parents feel their child’s school is doing a good job preparing their
students for the online world. They aren’t alone in their concerns. Digital Coming of Age found that
nearly half of all parents around the globe felt that schools were not effective in teaching their teens
to responsibly use the Internet.

"In a very short period of time we have seen amazing changes in the ways we communicate and
gather information because of digital technologies. Cell phones, video games and the Internet blur
boundaries and change rules. This of course affects families and especially families with teens
between the ages of 14-17 who are coming of age with these digital tools,” said Jason Brand,
licensed clinical social worker who focuses on the impact of technology on the social and emotional
development of kids. “It's important for parents with older teens to have access to research and
practical advice to help them adequately address their concerns. With good information about this
rapidly changing area in teens’ lives; parents can know what to expect, understand what's normal
and identify possible red flags."

“Our latest research will hopefully facilitate conversations with parents, educators and others
around the most effective strategies to monitor youth activity and teach them how to express
themselves safely and thoughtfully online,” Anscombe continued. “We’re all learning as we go. We
can’t parent today like we were raised, because the Internet simply wasn’t available or as accessible
when we were young.”

Other key findings from Digital Coming of Age include:

• UK parents are most likely to suspect teens of ‘sexting’ – nearly 25 percent of UK parents suspect their kids of sexting, compared with US (21%), Australia (22%), Spain (21%), Canada (20%), New Zealand (17%), Japan (15%), Italy (11%), France (10%), Czech Republic (13%) and Germany (9%).
• Spanish parents are (45%) most suspicious their teens are illegally downloading music – compared with parents in the US (19%), Czech Republic (35%), France (30%), UK (28%),Australia and New Zealand (27%). 
• Just under half of parents surveyed are concerned their teens mobile photos are geotagged.
• Twenty percent of UK and US parents suspect their teens of accessing pornography on their PC – in comparison to over a quarter of Spanish parents.
• Twenty percent of UK and US parents have seen explicit or abusive messages on their children’s social networks – compared with over 25 percent of Australian and New Zealand parents.

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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New Research Finds Kids More Exposed to Character Education Volunteer More

Results of a new research study released today, “It Starts with Character: Inspiring Kids and Teens to Volunteer” found that kids and teens who have more exposure to character-building skills, such as sharing, being kind and helping others, are more likely to volunteer in their communities, and with greater frequency. The study also found that parents and teachers say that media (TV, film, books, magazines, games, apps and Internet) can play an important role in communicating the value of character education. The study was commissioned by Scholastic Media – a division of Scholastic Inc., the global children’s publishing, education and media company – and HandsOn Network – the volunteer enterprise of Points of Light – and administered by C+R Research and MDR.


Among the study’s findings from parent, teacher, kid and teen respondents:

• Parents (84 percent), teachers (78 percent), kids age 6–11 (73 percent), and teens age 12–17 (64 percent) say character-building skills are among the most important skills to develop along with academic skills in order to be successful in life.
• The more kids and teens are exposed to character-building skills, the greater their level of interest in volunteering. Additionally, kids and teens who are more exposed to character-building skills volunteer more frequently.
• Eighty-eight percent of parents and 93 percent of teachers believe that volunteering provides opportunities for children to build character.
• Ninety-four percent of parents and 98 percent of teachers agree that media can play an important role in teaching kids the value of character education; 63 percent of teachers believe that kids would benefit from more media exposure to lessons about character-building skills.

“This study demonstrates the importance of having curriculum for the heart as well as the head,” said Francie Alexander, Senior Vice President of Scholastic Education and Chief Academic Officer of Scholastic Inc. “At Scholastic, we put the same value on preparing children for good citizenship as we do for careers and college.”


Findings Coincide With Launch of Fourth Annual ‘Clifford® BE BIG™ In Your Community’
National Contest to Inspire Service and Volunteerism

“This survey reinforces the importance of ensuring that kids are able to discover their power to make a difference in their communities at an early age,” said Michelle Nunn, CEO of Points of Light. “Programs like BE BIG encourage our next generation to act on their potential to make their mark on the world.”
The findings coincide with today’s launch of the fourth annual ‘Clifford BE BIG in Your Community’ national contest, which is designed to inspire engagement in service and volunteerism. Beginning today, the contest invites kids of all ages, teachers, parents and community leaders to submit proposals that demonstrate how Clifford’s BIG Ideas (Share, Help Others, Be Kind, Be Responsible, Play Fair, Be a Good Friend, Believe in Yourself, Have Respect, Work Together and Be Truthful) can make the world a better place. Submitted ideas vie for the chance to win up to $10,000 in community grants from the BE BIG Fund to be used to implement the winning proposals. The mission of the fund is to recognize and reward others for their BIG actions, to catalyze change in local communities, and to provide resources for everyone to share BIG ideas. Entry forms can be found at http://www.scholastic.com/cliffordbebig/contest/; those interested can also explore their local HandsOn Network action center for opportunities to serve in their community at http://www.handsonnetwork.org/actioncenters/map. Complete rules are online at www.scholastic.com/cliffordbebig/contestrules.*

Additional findings of the study include:

• Teacher, kid and teen survey respondents name Clifford The Big Red Dog® as the character most associated with teaching character-building skills relative to other characters.
• The vast majority of parents (96 percent), teachers (98 percent), kids (91 percent), and teens (81 percent) surveyed agree that Clifford’s BIG Ideas are valuable/important.

The study was commissioned to examine the role of the BE BIG™ program on civic engagement, as it continues to grow and inspire communities to engage in service. “It Starts with Character: Inspiring Kids & Teens to Volunteer” is a national online survey of more than 1,000 individuals – 250 parents of kids age 2–11, 251 kids age 6–11, 249 teens age 12–17, and 260 kindergarten through second-grade teachers. The sample was drawn from C+R Research and MDR online panels, and the survey was fielded from October 10, 2011 through October 25, 2011. The margin of error is +/– 5.2 percent at a 90 percent confidence level. The study results can be viewed online at mediaroom.scholastic.com/clifford and www.handsonnetwork.org/bebig.

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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CE PULSE TO MONITOR AND RANK REAL-TIME ONLINE SENTIMENT ABOUT CONSUMER ELECTRONICS AT CES

In order to help consumers take the pulse of the overwhelming amount of new technology introduced at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), three companies have banded together to develop CE Pulse, a real-time, interactive gauge of online public opinion. Sponsored by JetBlue Airways and powered by Mullen and leading social media analytics provider Pointslocal, CE Pulse tracks and ranks social sentiment about consumer electronics, so site visitors can filter through the marketing hype and understand how consumers actually feel about brands and products.

With CE Pulse companies and consumers can:

• Discover breakout products and consumer electronics categories from the show
• Rate a brand’s popularity and consumer sentiment relative to the competition
• Follow brand or category-specific tweet streams
• Pinpoint geographic activity
• Engage in a dialogue live with people and brands

CE Pulse is the latest in a series of social media monitoring and analysis projects from Mullen, a Fast Company 2011 Most Innovative Company. For the past three years, Mullen has held BrandBowl to gauge consumer sentiment surrounding Super Bowl TV commercials. The agency has also measured consumer sentiment related to major sports teams including the Boston Red Sox and the New England Patriots.  

“In a fast-paced and cluttered environment like CES, all brands are trying to stand out with innovative products and splashy marketing,” said Michael Bourne, SVP Account Director at Mullen. “Social media monitoring tools like CE Pulse enable consumers and brands to truly understand how the public perceives new products, and filter through the noise to uncover valuable information.  Brands that gauge how consumers talk about them are in a better position to engage in a dialogue with those consumers.”  

Known for its superior in-flight experience and an innovative approach to customer service that includes an acclaimed social media outreach team, CE Pulse sponsor JetBlue is bringing consumers and CE industry professionals a unique and valuable view of the public’s reaction to product launches, brand activity and emerging industry trends.  Through the CE Pulse site, the carrier is also offering visitors travel tips and Las Vegas-specific recommendations for the nearly 150,000 CES attendees.

“At JetBlue, we care about our customers’ experiences from start to finish, even beyond their flight,” said JetBlue Social Media Strategist Morgan Johnston. “The advancements in consumer electronics change the way we play, work, live and even travel, so we’re excited to help provide consumers with this unique view into all the cool new gadgets at the show.  2012 is going to be an exciting year for us as we continue the technological innovation and award-winning service at the heart of JetBlue.”

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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Americans Want More Chocolate Survey Finds

Give us more chocolate, vacation and sleep, but hold the celebrity gossip and reality TV.  Mars Chocolate North America today announced the results of a survey commissioned by 3 MUSKETEERS® Brand, which recently launched a tastier 3 MUSKETEERS® Bar, featuring an updated recipe that delivers more chocolate taste.

"The updated 3 MUSKETEERS® bar still has the same fluffy personality," said Debra A. Sandler, Chief Consumer Officer for Mars Chocolate North America. "But now the bar is packed with even more chocolate taste that consumers love."

To spotlight that richer, more chocolate taste, the 3 MUSKETEERS® "More or Less" survey delved into what else Americans want more – and less – of.  While more than 90 percent of Americans want more chocolate, vacation and sleep, nearly an equal amount of those surveyed (89 percent) indicated that they've had enough of the bicep-bulging, fist pumping, feuding, shore-loving friends. Splitting hairs, slightly more Americans (51 percent) want more face-to-face, real world interactions with their social media contacts.

The 3 MUSKETEERS® survey also found:

• With nearly 1,000 channels available on cable and satellite systems, the majority of Americans want more TV channels (58 percent).
• Two out of three Americans want to watch less dancing celebrities, amateur singers and fashion or culinary hopefuls on TV.
• As crucial and cool as technology has become, slightly more people (54 percent) are interested in having less Gs, Ds, Apps and other technology.
• An average of $200 million is being pumped into summer blockbusters; but, nearly two out of three (66 percent) Americans would like to watch less super hero-themed movies.
• Three out of four Americans would like less fashion weeks, film festivals and award shows.
• Before campaign season official begins, nearly 90 percent of those surveyed would like to see less bickering elephants, donkeys and tea cups. Also, 82 percent of respondents would like to see less politically slanted cable TV shows.
• Nearly 80 percent of Americans want less celebrity gossip.

The 3 MUSKETEERS® "More or Less" survey participants include a representative group of 1,040 men and women ages 18 - 64 years and was conducted by Impulse Research.

More Chocolate Taste, Same Fluffy Personality

Today, 3 MUSKETEERS® continues to offer a delicate, light and fluffy nougat center wrapped in delectable 3 MUSKETEERS® chocolate.  The new recipe adds more satisfying chocolate taste to the delicious nougat and with 45 percent less fat than average of the leading chocolate brands, the new 3 MUSKETEERS® bar still offers a great tasting, lighter way to enjoy chocolate.  

For more information on the new 3 MUSKETEERS® Bar, visit www.3musketeers.com or the 3 MUSKETEERS® Facebook page at www.facebook.com/3musketeers.

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.  
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Eight out of Ten Parents Admit to Cursing in Front of Their Children

According to a national survey commissioned by Care.com, Inc. (http://www.care.com), parents believe that cursing has become more prevalent in today’s society, particularly among children.  Eighty-six percent of parents who responded to the online survey agree – and 52% agree strongly – that kids ages 2-12 today are cursing more than when they themselves were children.

Care.com, Inc., the premier source of trustworthy family care options, including profiles of hundreds of thousands of babysitters, nannies, and senior caregivers, also found that while 93% of parents have made an effort not to curse in front of their child, eight out of ten reveal that they have cursed in their child's presence.  Additionally, a majority of parents (54%) reveal that their child has cursed in front of them.  Twelve percent admit that the child was repeating a curse a parent had said, and 20% believe that the child didn’t understand the impact of what he or she was saying.

Nearly forty percent (39%) of the time, parents of a child who cursed blame other children, either from day care, a playgroup or older siblings.  More than a third (34%) blame television, games and movies, though nearly a quarter (24%) blame themselves or their spouses. 

Despite the universal belief that kids are cursing more, nearly a quarter (23%) revealed that they were shocked to hear a child of theirs curse.  While more than three-quarters (77%) explained that it was a 'bad' word, ten percent laughed. 

“Cursing is something that is definitely going to happen, and parents should know this is something to expect and not a reflection of being a bad parent,” said Care.com’s Parenting Expert and psychotherapist Dr. Robi Ludwig. “However, there are steps parents can take to stop the language before it continues, from creating consequences to monitoring the TV shows and movies your kids watch to correcting houseguests and encouraging the use of alternate words.”

Visit Care.com for a full list of Dr. Ludwig's tips on how to prevent your children from cursing.

The Care.com survey was conducted via an online survey at Care.com among 700 parents from June 15, 2011 – June 27, 2011.

About Care.com, Inc.

Founded in 2006, Care.com is the largest and fastest growing service used by families to find high-quality caregivers, providing a trusted place to easily connect, share caregiving experiences and get advice. The company addresses the unique lifecycle of care needs that each family goes through-child care, special needs care, tutoring and lessons,senior care, pet care, housekeeping and more. The service helps families find and select the best care available based on detailed profiles, background checks and references for hundreds of thousands of mom-reviewed and pre-screened providers who seek to share their services. Through its Care.com Employer Program, corporations can offer Care.com memberships as a benefit to employees. www.care.com.

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

 
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Autism Research Reaches the Classroom

Long the domain of university labs, autism research is taking the critical next step into the real world of special education classrooms. Investigators from The Help Group – UCLA Autism Research Alliance are exploring answers to some of the long-standing questions about how best to treat children with autism.

“The classroom is an ideal environment to study interventions for children with autism,” said Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson, Director of the Alliance, “but the majority of autism research takes place in a laboratory setting. By transitioning research out of the lab, we can test the true benefit of our interventions for children with autism in a natural environment and open the door to exciting new possibilities.”

Currently, 12 cutting-edge Alliance studies are underway, including:

• Research into studying how children with autism can be more successful in school
• Improving the social skills and independence of young adults with autism
• Using play and joint attention to improve language skills for preschoolers with autism
• Improving social skills and friendship quality for teens with autism
• Understanding the positive impact of music education
• Using brain imaging to understand how children with autism process emotion in music
• Studying how children with autism recognize complex emotions in faces
• Exploring therapies to reduce social anxiety in schoolchildren and adolescents with autism
• Helping parents utilize evidence-based treatments for preschool children with autism
• Understanding how children with autism hear and process sounds in their environments
• Examining the differences in development among adolescents with autism from those with mild intellectual disabilities or typical development

Through this groundbreaking approach to research, investigators are examining pressing issues confronting children with autism and their families. “While a lot of studies are focusing on the causes of autism, or potential cures, it’s important to research new and innovative ways to treat children now,” says Charity Vanderveer, whose son Dublin graduated from The Help Group’s Young Learners Preschool. “It’s only through treatment that our children will have the opportunity to become the best they can be and reach their fullest potential.” 

In an effort to help their children with autism, parents often pursue a myriad of treatments; however, without research to validate a specific approach, a true measure of value can be elusive.

One example of translational research by the Alliance includes testing the effects of treatment in joint attention skills for young children with autism at The Help Group’s Young Learners Preschool. Joint attention skills include showing, pointing, and sharing an event or object with another person in an effort to share the experience. Children with autism tend to lack this ability. Research indicates that if joint attention skills are improved, language development may follow. The progress of participating Young Learners students will test this hypothesis.

The Alliance is a unique partnership between The Help Group, a leader in autism education, and the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, an Autism Center for Excellence. Through the pioneering vision of Dr. Barbara Firestone, President & CEO of The Help Group, and Dr. Peter Whybrow, Director of the UCLA Semel Institute, the Alliance has grown into one of the most innovative autism research partnerships in the United States.

For more information about the research projects currently in progress through The Help Group – UCLA Autism Research Alliance, please contact Dr. Liz Laugeson at (310) 206-8139 or elaugeson@thehelpgroup.org.

_____

Founded in 1975, The Help Group is the largest, most innovative nonprofit organization of its kind in the U.S. serving children with autism spectrum disorders, learning disabilities and other special needs. The Help Group’s specialized education and therapy programs serve more than 6,000 children and families each year. Through outreach, parent and professional education efforts, The Help Group extends its reach to countless others nationally and internationally. www.thehelpgroup.org.

Follow The Help Group on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/pages/The-Help-Group/158226797549107

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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A quarter of American children are ‘dieting’

New research from one of America’s leading coupon code and voucher sites has revealed that a quarter of American children under the age 12 are on a diet. Furthermore, a fifth of parents admitted that they wouldn’t allow their kid to go Trick-or-Treating for fear of them eating ‘too much candy’.

New research has shown that a quarter of American parents have put their kids aged 12 or under on a diet. A further 19% of parents polled said that they did not allow their children to go ‘Trick-or-Treating’ this Halloween for fear of them eating too much candy.

The poll was conducted by one of America’s leading coupon code sites, http://www.couponcodes4u.com/, which wanted to investigate the attitudes of parents towards the food that their kids eat. As result the site polled 6,523 American parents with kids aged 12 or under to find out their thoughts on the subject.

When the site asked the question “what food do your kids generally eat the most?” only 24% stated ‘healthy food’, while a further 58% said ‘junk food’.

A quarter of parents, 26%, admitted that their child is on a diet, while a further 11% said that that they were currently ‘watching what their child ate’. When CouponCodes4U.com asked them to stipulate their reason for their child being on a diet, 6% said their child’s pediatrician had recommended it. 

A fifth of the parents asked said they wouldn’t allow their child to go Trick-or-Treating for fear of them ‘eating too much candy’, while 41% insisted on giving their child a packed lunch for school instead of letting them eat in the cafeteria. When asked ‘why?’ 62% of these parents said it was to ‘keep track’ of what their child was eating.

Despite the fact that 26% of the respondents said their child was on a diet, only 11% said they made sure their child was exercising regularly. On a similar note, 19% admitted to having previously given their child a note to allow them to skip gym class.

Mark Pearson, Chairman of CouponCodes4U.com, had the following to say about the study;

“With Halloween very close now, we wanted to find out if parents would prevent their kids from going Trick-or-Treating, for whatever reason. The study actually found that more parents were concerned about their child eating too much candy on the night than them being safe, which is quite surprising.

“At CouponCodes4U.com, we have a range of Halloween related discounts and coupons for people to save money on items such as costumes, sweets and other related products. For anyone looking to save money on Halloween products, or indeed anything else, it’s definitely worth a look.”

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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Tennis Players Have Stronger Bones Than Non-Players, Study Shows

Research of pregnant women indicates bone mineral density levels
are “significantly higher” in tennis players than in non-players. 
 

A study published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health shows “tennis players have stronger bones than non-players.” Playing tennis, the study indicates, helps protect against the loss of bone mineral during pregnancy.  

The pilot study, of 18 healthy women between ages 18 and 39, showed that while bone mineral density levels dropped overall during pregnancy, they were still “significantly higher in tennis players” versus the control group at 12 weeks and through the birth. 

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati and Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati conducted the study, titled “Bone Mineral Loss During Pregnancy: Is Tennis Protective?” It showed that bone mineral density (BMD) was greater in pregnant women who played recreational tennis when compared with sedentary pregnant women. Tennis was the only exercise activity that the pregnant women participated in. 

Ten women in the study did no exercise during their pregnancy, while eight played recreational tennis. The tennis players were recruited from clubs in the greater Cincinnati area. All were rated above 2.5 on the National Tennis Rating Program scale and played tennis at least twice a week for more than 30 minutes at a time. The players kept log sheets of their activity, and they all generally stopped playing by the third trimester, by their own choice. 

Importantly, during the period when they reduced or stopped playing tennis, bone mineral measures also fell. “‘Detraining’ may undo positive benefits” of exercise such as tennis when it comes to BMD, the study said. 

“This study has potential important public health implications regarding recommendations for continuation of activity during pregnancy,” wrote researchers Mina Dimov, Ph.D.; Jane Khoury, Ph.D.; and Reginald Tsang, M.D. They caution, however, that it is a pilot study, with a small sample size, intended to provide information relevant for future research. 

“These findings are very relevant as tennis provides tremendous health benefits for all adults and children,” said Jolyn de Boer, executive director of the Tennis Industry Association, which supported the Cincinnati study, along with the Women’s Sports Foundation, the National Osteoporosis Foundation and other groups. “In fact, there are now tennis programs and formats for children, such as QuickStart Tennis (www.quickstarttennis.com), that help to start kids on a path toward healthy activity that they can maintain through adulthood—as well as the tennis workout program Cardio Tennis (www.CardioTennis.com).” To find out about all the ways to get involved with the healthy aspects of tennis, go to www.PlayTennis.com. 

To download the complete study, click here.

 

About the TIA

The Tennis Industry Association, the not-for-profit trade association for tennis, is THE unifying force in the tennis industry whose mission is to promote the growth and economic vitality of tennis by working closely with the U.S. Tennis Association and industry partners to develop and implement initiatives to increase tennis participation and improve the health of industry businesses.  

Core TIA activities include TIA/USTA Tennis Health Index, Consumer and Trade Research, GrowingTennis System™ including  

Tennis Welcome Centers, Cardio Tennis, 50-50 Co-op Program, QuickStart Tennis and TennisConnect.org. Visit TennisIndustry.org  or call 866-686-3036.