BackgroundThere are no data on physical activity and sedentary behaviours of Greek-Cypriot children and adolescents, and no study to date examined the association between these two behaviours in this population. The purpose of this study was to document the prevalence of physical activity and sedentary behaviours among Greek-Cypriot adolescents and examine the association between physical activity and a range of sedentary behaviours. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between physical activity and sedentary behaviours.MethodsA cross-sectional study among 1,966 Greek-Cypriot children and adolescents was conducted in 2008/2009. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire across primary, middle, high and technical/vocational schools.ResultsOverall 52.3% and 52.4% of the participants met physical activity and television viewing guidelines respectively. Boys and younger children were more likely to meet guidelines. Boys who attended sports clubs for two or more times per week were more likely to be physically active (OR = 3.4), and those who listened to music for one or less than one hour per day were less likely to be physically active (OR = 0.6). Girls who attended sports clubs for two or more times per week and who watched television for two or less than two hours per day were more likely to be physically active, (OR = 3.0 and OR = 1.5 respectively). Girls who reported travelling by car/bus/motorbike for one or less than one hour per day were more likely to actively travel to school (OR = 1.8).ConclusionsFindings from this study provide limited support for the displacement hypothesis whereby sedentary behaviours displace physically active time. About 50.0% of Greek children and adolescents in Cyprus meet existing physical activity and television viewing guidelines. Encouraging children to attend sports clubs for at least two times per week may markedly improve their physical activity levels.

SUMMARYMore data regarding prevalence and correlates of active travel to school are needed from different parts of the world. The purpose of this study was to examine prevalence and correlates of active travel to school among adolescents in Cyprus. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1966 adolescents attending grade 6, grades 7-9, grades 10-12 and technical/vocational schools in Cyprus. Overall prevalence of active travel to school was 19.4%. Parental perceptions of safe route to school, other children walking to school from the child's neighborhood and school location (urban versus rural) were associated with active travel across different levels of education. Having enough time to walk to school in the morning was the most consistent correlate of active travel. Low prevalence estimates of active traveling to school among adolescents in Cyprus raise the need to promote this source of daily physical activity.

Despite controversy in the literature, the present article assumes that the adult learning theory provides a powerful framework for evaluating training practices. This study explores the degree to which adult learning traits are embedded in optional seminars, the primary form of formal in-service teacher training in Cyprus and a traditional, structural approach towards teacher development. A quantitative research design is employed, with a nationally representative number of participants. Teachers' views indicate adult learning as multidimensional, with the emerging factor structure similar to that derived from relevant literature, as to the extraction of the factors: orientation to learning, readiness to learn, accumulated experience and self-concept. Two additional factors -organization of seminars and dissemination of results -show that these two dimensions should also be taken into consideration in training design. Although teachers' views about optional seminars appear predominantly positive, such optimistic outcomes should not be projected in uncritical ways since positive attitudes could be attributed to the voluntary character of participation and the subconscious application of adult learning strategies by trainers. Despite such limitations, possible action should focus, among others, on training the trainers, restructuring organizational aspects as well as enhancing dissemination practices.

Objective: To examine the prevalence and correlates of fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption in Cypriot adolescents. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: The Republic of Cyprus. Subjects: A total of 1966 adolescents with a mean age of 14?7 (SD 2?2) years from nine elementary (n 448), six middle (n 657), five high (n 475) and five technical/ vocational schools (n 386) in Cyprus. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing FV consumption using a two-item screening measure and a number of social, attitudinal and behavioural correlates of FV consumption. Results: Overall, 19?3 % of adolescents reported consuming five or more portions of FV daily, with elementary and middle school students more likely to meet recommendations (23?8 % and 24?4 %, respectively) compared with high and technical/vocational school students (14?0 % and 12?5 %, respectively). Consuming five or more portions of FV was associated with preference for FV (OR 5 2?2), family eating patterns (OR 5 1?5), friends' FV consumption (OR 5 1?2) and school support for FV consumption (OR 5 0?8). Consuming at least one portion of fruit daily was significantly associated with preference for FV (OR 5 2?0) and family eating patterns (OR 5 1?7). Consuming at least one portion of vegetables daily was associated with preference for FV (OR 5 4?2) and eating while watching television (OR 5 0?8). Conclusions: Targeting individual and family-based components may enhance the effectiveness of intervention programmes to promote FV consumption. Keywords Cyprus Adolescents Fruit VegetablesFruit and vegetable (FV) consumption is associated with a reduced risk of cancer, CVD and obesity (1) . A recent study indicated that FV consumption protects against markers of inflammation and oxidative stress from early adolescence onwards (2) . Daily intake of FV in adolescents has declined (3) and studies among children and adolescents have shown that they do not achieve the target of consuming at least 400 g or five portions of FV daily (4,5) . In the UK and Australia 44?8 % and 52?4 % of adolescents, respectively, meet the recommendation of five or more portions of FV daily (6,7) . Data from nine European countries indicate that 43?2 % of children consume fruit and 46?1 % consume vegetables every day (8) , whereas data from Mexico suggest that 61?0 % of children consume FV at least once daily (9) . Studies also indicate that girls are more likely to meet the recommendation of five or more portions of FV daily compared with boys (7,9,10) .Recently, social-ecological models have been proposed for the better understanding of factors that influence nutritional behaviour, as they focus not only on individual factors but also on social and physical environmental factors (11)(12)(13) . These multilevel models acknowledge the influence of multiple factors on nutritional behaviour; however, they refer to domains of influence rather than to specific variables (13,14) . Further, as studies have focused on physical environmental variables, more studies are needed that examine t...