Inquiries in Physical Education and Sport

The Role of Physical Education in Shaping Adolescents’ Students Beliefs Towards Healthy Nutrition

2023-06-21T10:33:23+00:00

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the autonοmy supportive climate by the Physical Education (PE) teacher on the formation of intentions to adopt Ηealthy Εating (HE) in adolescent students and the mediating role of motivation. 301 students of 2nd and 3rd junior high school grade and 1st and 2nd senior high school grade of schools in Western Thessaloniki participated in the study. The students completed questionnaires to assess motivational climate, motivation in PE lessons, intention, attitudes, perceived behavioural control and subjective norms to participate in extracurricular physical activity (PΑ), motivation and intention towards healthy eating. The results of regression analysis showed that the provision of autonomy supportive motivational climate predicts intention to engage in HE in one and five years. Also, the results showed that intrinsic motivation in PE statistically significantly predicted HE intention at one year, but not at five years. Autonomous motivation for HE, is the variable that contributes to the prediction of intentions for HE at one and five years, while no statistically significant effect of intention to take physical activity on HE intention was found at one and five years. Finally, motivation in PE and for healthy eating mediated the effect of motivational climate on intention towards HE. The findings support the theoretical framework of the Trans-Contextual Model of Motivation and provide important insights into the role of the PE course in shaping perceptions of healthy behaviours.

Effectiveness of Intermittent Claudication Rehabilitation Methods in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease

2023-11-27T11:01:34+00:00

The aim of this review is to investigate the latest data on the effectiveness of supervised exercise training (SET) on walking ability in patients with intermittent claudication (IC), its effect on quality of life, the Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) and disease progression, compared to other rehabilitation methods such as medication, surgery, physiotherapy and unsupervised exercise. A systematic search of relevant RCTs in the Ovid MEDLINE(R), Cochrane CENTRAL, Pubmed and Scopus databases was conducted from January 2016 to March 2023. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the PEDro scale. Main outcome measures were maximum walking distance/time and pain-free walking distance/time. 1396 articles were identified. Eight RCTs, five of which were of good and three of moderate methodological quality, met the inclusion criteria. According to the results, SET improved maximum walking distance up to 200%, painless walking distance up to 343.37%, maximum walking time up to 99.03% and painless walking time up to 102.18%, contributed to a non-statistically significant improvement in quality of life and did not affect the ABI. Endovascular revascularization (ER) methods seem to have better early results in maximum walking distance compared to SET, however after six months of intervention these differences do not exist. There were no significant differences between SET and ER in mortality, major cardiovascular events and additional interventions. In conclusion, SET shows significant advantages in improving walking ability compared to no intervention, usual care and walking advice alone. Revascularization procedures do not offer significant advantages in walking ability and quality of life compared with SET. Therefore, it seems reasonable, to precede SET as an intervention. If this alone does not prove sufficient, endovascular revascularization procedures should be combined with SET programs.

The Watsu Hydrotherapy Method and its Applications

2023-10-18T13:03:40+00:00

Watsu, a combination of the words water and shiatsu, is the first type of water bodywork that was developed independently in 1980. Ιt is considered as a radical development in the body's health education. Water enriches and enhances shiatsu effects providing a better function of the nervous, musculoskeletal and energy system. It is Applied only in water of 34-36 ° C. It includes mobilizations, stretches and pressures in specific areas where water vortices affect the body offering a unique feeling. Watsu is applied in 70 countries by health professionals, both as a mean of relaxation and prevention, in spa and wellness areas as well as in high lever sport circles. It is also provided in hospitals and rehabilitation clinics as a complementary health and rehabilitation treatment.

Fear of Falling and Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity in Community-Dwelling Older Adults. A Cross-Sectional Analysis

2023-11-06T15:08:27+00:00

Physical activity guidelines for older adults include at least 150min of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic physical activity (MVPA) per week. Fear of falling (FoF) is common among community-dwelling older adults and can lead to activity restriction in daily living and in turn increased fall risk. Given the limited evidence linking FoF with accelerometer-assessed MVPA, the present study aimed to examine the association of FoF with MVPA controlling for key confounders, including physical function, falls history and unsteady gait. A total of 149 community-dwelling individuals ≥60 years (mean age=72.10±6.23, 84.6% women) completed a set of self-report and physical performance measures and wore a triaxial accelerometer for a week. Multivariate linear regression models examined the association between FoF and MVPA adjusting for potential confounders. In the fully adjusted model, 28.2% of the variance in MVPA was explained by the predictors (F_change=4.97, p<.01) and high FoF was significantly associated with less minutes/week of MVPA (β=-12.33, BCa CIs[-19.89, -4.32]). Findings revealed that among the multiple sources associated with MVPA in older adults, FoF has a small, yet significant influence. Identifying individuals with high FoF and addressing these concerns, should be part of the encounters exercise and other professionals have with older adults, as this could promote a more active lifestyle and reduce fall risk in this population.

Pick-and-Roll Strategies Against Switching Defense in the Endgame of EuroLeague Matches

2024-03-27T12:31:58+00:00

Pick-and-roll (PnR) offense against switching defense in basketball games present an intriguing aspect for analysis. However, few studies have delved into the tactical efficacy of PnR strategies employed by the offense in the last quarter of the game. This study aimed to elucidate the offensive tactics yielding maximum advantage in PnR mismatch situations and evaluate how PnR action duration influences its effectiveness in the final quarter of closely contested EuroLeague matches. Utilizing Sport Scout observation software, four hundred PnR actions from forty EuroLeague games were observed. The observed variables included the offensive tactical action post-switch, action duration, the player concluding the action, and the outcome of the action. Chi-square (x2) analysis was employed, supplemented by the Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) for data classification and predictive insights into PnR actions. The findings underscored the prevalence of switching to PnR as the primary strategy in the last quarter. Notably, shorter PnR actions, within four seconds post-switch, proved most efficacious. Offensive tactics predominantly capitalized on exploiting speed and size mismatches, with size mismatches demonstrating notable effectiveness. Ball handlers emerged as the primary choice for concluding PnR actions post-switch. These findings offer valuable perspectives on optimizing PnR strategies against switching defenses in basketball.