The aim of the present study was to investigate the psychological profile of the 2023 Hungarian National Distance Running Team in terms of personality traits, motivational styles, and competitive anxiety and to explore specific psychosocial factors that characterize the athletes’ mental preparation. The 16 international-level competitors were assessed using validated questionnaires in Hungarian (Big Five Inventory, the revised Sport Motivation Scale, and Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2), and university students competing at professional and semiprofessional levels served as the control group. Results indicated that elite distance runners were primarily intrinsically motivated. Their psychological profile appeared similar to profiles found among athletes in the control group. Significant differences were found in traits, such as openness, conscientiousness, and motivation. Neuroticism was positively associated with athletes’ cognitive and somatic anxiety, with self-confidence providing a protective role. Working with a sports psychologist appeared to have no significant measurable effect on athletes precompetition anxiety. Specific personality traits and motivational structures are essential for elite sporting performance. Further research is needed to better understand and determine the specific components of mental preparation.
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Psychological Profile of Hungarian International-Level Distance Runners
Bence Kelemen, Renátó Tóth, Ottó Benczenleitner, and László Tóth
Motor Competence as Key to Support Healthy Development of 3- to 5-Year-Old Children: An Expert Statement on Behalf of the International Motor Development Research Consortium
Clarice Martins, Nadia C. Valentini, Arja Sääkslahti, Eileen K. Africa, E. Kipling Webster, Glauber Nobre, Leah E. Robinson, Michael Duncan, Patrizia Tortella, Paulo F. Bandeira, and Lisa M. Barnett
The first years of life are an optimal time for developing motor competence. However, the evidence regarding motor competence in early childhood is fragmented and needs to be clearly synthesized and presented. To establish effective evidence-based decision making in research, practice, and policy for the early years, this expert statement, on behalf of the International Motor Development Research Consortium, draws together what is currently known about 3- to 5-year-old children on (a) how skilled are children around the world, (b) the link between motor competence and healthy developmental outcomes, and (c) the capacity to improve children’s motor competence through intervention. This expert statement presents a summary of recent evidence for each of these specific points, followed by recommendations for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.
“I Use Technologies Strategically With My Family Now”: Practices That Parents Value to Promote Physical Activity in Young Children
Juliana Zabatiero, Laura Stone, Derek McCormack, David Zarb, Andrea Nolan, Kate Highfield, Helen Skouteris, Susan Edwards, and Leon Straker
Background: Although widely accessible digital technology (DT) provided multiple opportunities for young children’s play, learning, and development, it also raised parents and professionals’ concerns regarding its impact on children’s physical activity. This study aimed to identify practices involving DT that were valued by parents in helping their young child to be physically active. Methods: Participants were parents of ambulatory young children (less than 5 y of age) engaged with a playgroup. The study involved representatives from 3 service organizations, who compiled a list of digital resources related to using DT to promote children’s physical activity that were suitable to be shared and trialed by parents and young children. During a pretrial workshop, researchers, participants, and organization representatives collaboratively developed the intervention, which involved the delivery of selected resources by weekly email, over a 12-week period. Participants provided weekly feedback about their experiences and participated in a postintervention semistructured qualitative interview. Results: Thirteen families, with children aged between 15 and 36 months, completed the trial. Participants reported several valued practices to promote their children’s physical activity, including those where the child was active while engaging with DT, where child engagement with DT acted as a prompt for later physical activity, where DT assisted parents in planning physical activity, where DT assisted parents in integrating movement with learning and play, and where DT was used to reinforce the child’s enthusiasm for physical activity. Conclusions: Parents reported several valued practices where children were physically active, rather than sedentary, while using digital technology.
Associations Between Substitution of Sedentary Behavior Patterns With Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Adolescents: A 3-Year Longitudinal Study
Leonardo Alex Volpato, Vinícius Muller Reis Weber, Wendell Arthur Lopes, Jeffer Eidi Sasaki, Catiana Leila Possamai Romanzini, Enio Ricardo Vaz Ronque, and Marcelo Romanzini
Background: Little is known on how the substitution of time spent in sedentary behavior (SB) patterns with time spent in physical activity impacts cardiovascular risk factors during adolescence. The study aimed to investigate how the substitution of time spent in SB and sedentary bouts with time spent in different physical activity intensities was associated with longitudinal changes in cardiovascular risk factors in analyses stratified by sex. Methods: This is a prospective cohort study with a mean follow-up period of 3.2 (±0.34) years, involving 109 (60 girls and 49 boys) Brazilian adolescents. Body mass index, waist circumference, and cardiorespiratory fitness were the cardiovascular risk factors considered. A cardiovascular risk score was calculated. Sedentary bouts, light physical activity (LPA), and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were measured by accelerometers. Multivariate linear regression models adopting the isotemporal substitution were used to analyze the association between substitution of 10 minutes per day of sedentary bouts with LPA and MVPA and risk factors. All analyses considered 5% significance levels. Results: Substitutions of SB, short and long bouts, with MVPA were associated with higher cardiorespiratory fitness in boys (β = 0.077; 95% confidence interval, 0.001 to 0.55; β = 0.076; 95% confidence interval, 0.003 to 0.154; and β = 0.084; 95% confidence interval, 0.001 to 0.167, respectively). No associations were observed when analyses involved substitution of sedentary bouts with LPA, adiposity, cardiovascular risk score, and girls. Conclusions: Substituting SB bouts with MVPA appears to favorably influence changes of cardiorespiratory fitness in boys during adolescence. Greater benefits appear to occur when longer sedentary bouts are substituted by MVPA.
Standing Still or Standing Out: Distinguishing Passive and Active Standing Is a Step in the Right Direction
Madeline E. Shivgulam, Emily E. MacDonald, Jocelyn Waghorn, and Myles W. O’Brien
Standing is a solution to reduce or break-up sedentary time (sitting/reclining/lying while awake); however, the measurable health benefits of standing are conflicting. A recent article in the Journal for the Measurement of Physical Behaviour has demonstrated that the thigh-worn activPAL inclinometer can distinguish between passive (no movement) and active (structured micromovements) standing using a machine learning model in lab-based and free-living environments. The predictive model extends beyond previous research by considering three-dimensional aspects of movement into the decision tree model. The ability to characterize these distinct postures is increasingly important to understand the physiological difference between passive and active standing. Notably, active standing, when stepping is not feasible, may be superior to passive standing for improving metabolic activity, reducing fatigue, and enhancing blood flow. Applied to free-living settings, active standing could help mitigate or attenuate some adverse cardiometabolic effects of stationary activity, thereby yielding positive cardiovascular outcomes. As standing gains recognition as a potentially important health behavior, distinguishing between passive and active standing offers a unique opportunity to clarify the health impacts of standing time, contributing to the evidence base. This evidence may contribute to more detailed activity guidelines and support public health initiatives to promote active standing. These advancements have the potential to enhance our understanding of standing behaviors’ health impacts and the possible divergent physiological effects of active versus passive standing.
Physical Activity as a Victim, a Perpetrator, or Part of the Solution to the Climate Crisis?
Peter Gelius, Sven Messing, Antonina Tcymbal, Leonie Birkholz, and Karim Abu-Omar
Humanity is facing a polycrisis, including climate change, loss of biodiversity, and economic inequalities. This commentary examines the role of physical activity (PA) research in the context of climate change, highlighting 3 perspectives: PA as a victim, as a perpetrator, and as part of the solution. The first perspective conceptualizes PA as a victim of climate change, as heat waves, extreme weather events, and high ozone levels pose a threat to health-enhancing PA and sports; adaptation strategies are needed and potentially lifesaving. The second perspective describes PA as a perpetrator to climate change due to the significant carbon footprint of some forms of PA and sport. The third perspective focuses on PA as a solution to climate change, as some forms of PA—such as active transport and urban gardening—have both individual and planetary health benefits. In addition, PA provides health benefits in extreme situations by reducing stress and maintaining health in times of crisis. Each of these 3 perspectives can guide future research in the field of PA and health.
Sport Participation Trajectories and Loneliness: Evidence From the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children
Katherine B. Owen, Karine E. Manera, Philip J. Clare, Michelle H. Lim, Ben J. Smith, Philayrath Phongsavan, David R. Lubans, Pamela Qualter, Rochelle Eime, and Ding Ding
Background: This study aimed to identify patterns of overall, team, and individual sport participation and examine the prospective associations between these patterns and loneliness in young people. Methods: We analyzed data from 4241 young people, from waves 3 (8–9 y) to 9 (20–21 y) of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. We conducted latent class analyses to identify overall and team versus individual sport participation trajectories and used adjusted log-Poisson regression models to examine the associations between these trajectories and loneliness at wave 9. Results: Latent class analyses identified 4 distinct overall sport participation classes which were labeled: nonparticipants (24%), dropouts (42%), initiators (7%), and consistent participants (27%). Compared with nonparticipants, consistent participants had a lower risk of loneliness (risk ratios = 0.69; 95% CIs, 0.59–0.81). Latent class analyses also identified 4 distinct team versus individual sport participation classes: team and individual sport nonparticipants (38%), individual sport participants (14%), moderate team sport participants (14%), and high team sport participants (34%). Compared with the team and individual sport nonparticipants, the high team sports participants had a lower risk of loneliness (risk ratios = 0.70; 95% CIs, 0.53–0.92). Conclusions: Young people who continued participating in sport in general, and particularly in team sport, had a reduced risk of loneliness. Continued participation in sports should be promoted to improve a range of physical, mental, and social health benefits. Furthermore, team-based sport can provide additional health and well-being benefits, including reduced loneliness due to the group nature of participation.
Toowoomba Healthy Towns: A Citizen Science Initiative on Active Transport in Regional South East Queensland, Australia
Tracy Kolbe-Alexander, Paul A. Gardiner, Ann Banchoff, Adam Schmidt, Melinda Covey-Hansen, and Abby C. King
Background: Engaging in active transport will enable individuals across the life course to increase their habitual levels of physical activity. The aim of this study was to engage citizen scientists (CS) to identify factors that influence active transport in their community. Methods: The Our Voice citizen science methodology developed at Stanford University was employed. CS completed a “discovery walk,” taking photos of things that help or hinder active transport. Three groups were recruited: children aged 10–12 years (n = 11), adults (n = 12), and older adults >65 years (n = 10). CS rated each photo and provided a narrative explaining their reason for taking the photo. Once all CS in a specific age group had completed the walk, they met for a group discussion. The CS worked together to analyze the data, arranging them into themes and identifying priority actions. Two CS representatives from each age group presented their findings to the local council decision makers. Results: Children highlighted the need for safer crossings, especially from their school to the local park, and suggested zebra crossings as a solution. The adults highlighted that road signs prioritized vehicles, not pedestrians, and requested that this be reversed. Older adults noted that the poor condition of the pavements made it harder for people in wheelchairs to navigate. The CS recommendations have informed the council’s walking and cycling network program. Conclusion: Engaging with citizen science provided the community with an opportunity to advocate for meaningful yet realistic improvements in the built environment that could promote neighborhood active transport and physical activity across the lifespan.
The Impact of Physical Activity and Lifestyle on Mental Health: A Network Analysis
Victor Matheus Lopes Martinez, Maiara da Silva Martins, Fernanda Capra, Felipe Barreto Schuch, Luis Eduardo Wearick-Silva, and Ana Maria Pandolfo Feoli
Aim: This study aimed to investigate the association between physical activity (PA), lifestyle, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out using an online questionnaire. PA (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), lifestyle (Short Multidimensional Inventory Lifestyle Evaluation), and mental health (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21) were assessed. Mean scores were compared between groups of physically active and inactive participants, controlling for gender, education, and income. Furthermore, associations were made between the variables, and individual network analyses were carried out for each mental health domain. The sample consisted of 353 individuals (age = 33.8 [12.2], 59.2% women). Results: In network analyses, PA was indirectly related to depression and stress through the relationship with other lifestyle domains such as diet and nutrition or through stress management and social support. The same path was observed for anxiety; however, a direct partial correlation was also observed between PA and anxiety, suggesting that PA seems to intervene more directly in this aspect of mental health. Conclusion: It is concluded that PA is indirectly (via stress management, diet and nutrition, and social support) associated with depression and stress and has direct and indirect associations (via stress management and social support) with anxiety.
Challenges and Future Directions for Promoting Intersectional Quantitative Studies in Physical Activity Research
Mari Sone, Teatske M. Altenburg, and Mai J.M. ChinAPaw
Understanding health inequalities is essential for improving social justice. Intersectionality refers to a theoretical framework for studying the intersection of multiple social categorizations that create unique experiences and related social inequalities. Currently, the majority of the intersectional studies in the physical activity field have a qualitative design; thus, there is a need for quantitative intersectional studies. This commentary aims to explore primary obstacles impeding intersectional quantitative research and provide recommendations for overcoming these obstacles in physical activity research. In the commentary, we discuss that the lack of accessibility of large-scale and diverse data sets, and suboptimal social categorizations and intersectionality-related questions may contribute to the scarcity of intersectional quantitative research in the field. To facilitate intersectional quantitative analyses, we advocate for making large-scale data sets accessible for intersectional secondary analyses, diverse sampling, standardizing questions and categories related to intersectionality, promoting inclusive research designs and methods, and using the appropriate questions and social categorization that reflect the distinct experiences of each subgroup. By addressing these challenges, researchers may gain new insights into health disparities, making physical activity research more inclusive and contributing to more equitable health outcomes.