Development and Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Golf Participation Questionnaire for Older Adults (GPQOA)

A series of four studies were conducted to develop and psychometrically evaluate a questionnaire to assess older adults’ reasons for participating in golf (Golf Participation Questionnaire for Older Adults: GPQOA). In the first study, a 30-item questionnaire was developed using a Delphi process in collaboration with industry partners and academic leaders. In the second study, Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to identify the best model fit based on data from 402 adults aged 55–74. A revised version was then tested in a third study using an independent sample of 419 adults and provided support for a nine-factor 30-item model. In the final study, measurement invariance across gender was evaluated and supported. The GPQOA is an empirically driven questionnaire with psychometric support that can be used to investigate the reasons for and benefits of participating in regular golf for older adults

Association of Physicians’ Self-Compassion with Work Engagement, Exhaustion, and Professional Life Satisfaction

Self-compassion has shown promise as an adaptive resource for coping with uncertainties and challenges. This study examined the relationship between self-compassion and professional wellbeing (work engagement, exhaustion, and professional life satisfaction) of physicians, who frequently face uncertainties and challenges in their clinical practice. Fifty-seven practicing physicians in Canada participated in the study. Overall, 65% of the participants were female; 47% were in the early-career stage; 49% were family medicine (FM) physicians, with the rest being non-FM specialists. It was hypothesized that (a) self-compassionate physicians would experience greater work engagement and less exhaustion from work than physicians reporting lower self-compassion and (b) self-compassionate physicians would experience greater professional life satisfaction through their greater work engagement and less exhaustion than physicians reporting lower self-compassion. Sequential regression analyses were performed. The results confirmed the hypothesized associations, indicating that self-compassionate physicians experienced more positive work engagement, felt less emotionally, physically, and cognitively exhausted due to work demands, and were more satisfied with their professional life than physicians who exhibited less compassion toward themselves in uncertain and challenging times. Future studies are needed to determine optimal ways to support practicing physicians and medical trainees in becoming more self-compassionate for their enhanced wellbeing and, ultimately, for the provision of effective patient care

Associations between markers of health and playing golf in an Australian population

ObjectiveTo investigate associations between markers of health and playing golf in an Australian population.MethodsSecondary analysis of data from the Australian National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey to compare selected health outcomes between golfers (n=128) and non-golfers (n=4999).ResultsGolfers were older than non-golfers (mean±SD 57.7±14.2 years, 48.5±17.6 years, p<0.05). A higher proportion of golfers were overweight or obese compared with non-golfers (76% vs 64%, p<0.05), and golfers were more likely to have been diagnosed with ischaemic heart disease (IHD) at some time in their life (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.0 to 7.8). However, neither the risk of being overweight or obese (OR 1.4, 95% CI 0.9 to 2.2) or having been diagnosed with IHD (OR 2.1, 95% CI 0.8 to 5.8), were significant after controlling for age. Golfers were more physically active than non-golfers (8870±3810 steps/day vs 7320±3640 steps/day, p<0.05) and more likely to report high health-related quality of life (HRQoL) than non-golfers (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.0 to 3.3), but not after adjusting for physical activity (OR 1.4, 95% CI 0.9 to 2.2).ConclusionCompared with non-golfers, golfers were more likely to be overweight or obese and to have been diagnosed with IHD, but not after adjusting for golfers being older. Golfers were more likely to report a higher HRQoL, but not after adjusting for golfers being more physically active. There may be an association between golfers being more physically active than non-golfers and reporting a higher HRQoL

The Sport Performance Perceptions Scale (SPPS) Manual

Non-Peer Reviewe

Social support and therapeutic relationships intertwine to influence exercise behavior in people with sport-related knee injuries

Explore how social support influences exercise therapy participation and adherence before and after enrolling in an education and exercise therapy intervention (Stop OsteoARthritis, SOAR). Study design: Interpretative description. We sampled participants with sport-related knee injuries from the SOAR randomized controlled trial. SOAR is a virtual, physiotherapist-guided, education and exercise therapy-based knee health program that targets individuals at risk of early osteoarthritis. One-on-one semi-structured interviews were completed, and an inductive approach was guided by Braun & Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis. Fifteen participants (67% female, median age 26 [19–35] years) were interviewed. Three themes were generated that encapsulated participants’ social support experiences that fostered exercise participation: 1) Treat me as a whole person represented the value of social support that went beyond participants’ physical needs, 2) Work with me highlighted the working partnership between the clinician and the participant, and 3) Journey with me indicated a need for on-going support is necessary for the long-term management of participants’ knee health. A theme of the therapeutic relationship was evident across the findings. Insight was gained into how and why perceived support may be linked to exercise behavior, with the therapeutic relationship being potentially linked to perceived support. Social support strategies embedded within an education and exercise therapy program may boost exercise adherence after sport-related knee injuries.</p

Does controlling for biological maturity improve physical activity tracking?

Abstract: Tracking of physical activity through childhood and adolescence tends to be low. Variation in the timing of biological maturation within youth of the same chronological age (CA) might affect participation in physical activity and may partially explain the low tracking. Purpose: To examine the stability of physical activity over time from childhood to late adolescence when aligned on CA and biological age (BA). Methods: A total of 91 males and 96 females aged 8-15 yr from the Saskatchewan Pediatric Bone Mineral Accrual Study (PBMAS) were assessed annually for 8 yr. BA was calculated as years from age at peak height velocity. Physical activity was assessed using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children/Adolescents. Tracking was analyzed using intraclass correlations for both CA and BA (2-yr groupings). To be included in the analysis, an individual required a measure at both time points within an interval; however, not all individuals were present at all tracking intervals. Results: Physical activity tracking by CA 2-yr intervals were, in general, moderate in males (r = 0.42-0.59) and females (r = 0.43-0.44). However, the 9- to 11-yr CA interval was low and nonsignificant (r = 0.23-0.30). Likewise, tracking of physical activity by BA 2-yr intervals was moderate to high in males (r = 0.44-0.60) and females (r = 0.39-0.62). Conclusions: Accounting for differences in the timing of biological maturity had little effect on tracking physical activity. However, point estimates for tracking are higher in early adolescence in males and to a greater extent in females when aligned by BA versus CA. This suggests that maturity may be more important in physical activity participation in females than males