Effects of Postural Education Program (PEPE Study) on Daily Habits in Children

The current randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate the effects of a postural education program on daily life habits related to low back pain (LBP) in children. Reducing the disease burden of unspecific LBP in children is of major public health relevance, as children with episodes of LBP tend to experience chronic back pain in adulthood. The study was performed in Majorca (Spain), with 253 primary school children aged between 10 and 12 years. The sample was selected from different clusters (schools) using convenience sampling and randomly distributed into an experimental group (5 schools) or a control group (5 schools). Individual postural items did not improve after the intervention in the experimental group, nor did they improve in the control group. Neither did they improve postural habits score in both groups after the intervention. In conclusion, this telematic intervention has not managed to improve postural habits in children. Nevertheless, there is a lack of evidence to determine whether it is feasible to carry out telematics intervention that promotes lifestyle changes in children

Association of postural education and postural hygiene with low back pain in schoolchildren: Cross-sectional results from the PEPE study

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability in the world that affects the population of all ages globally. The main aim of the present study was to analyze the cross-sectional association of postural education and postural hygiene habits with LBP, differentiating between frequency and intensity of pain. Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed 849 students aged 10-12 years from primary schools. The study was based on four different structured and self-administered questionnaires: back pain questionnaire, Back Pain and Body Posture Evaluation Instrument (BackPEI), Frequency of Commuting to and from School Questionnaire, and the Hebacaknow questionnaire. In addition, height and weight were included to determine the body mass index (BMI). Results: Participants with prevalence of LBP were significantly older (P=0.038), girls (P<0.001), taller (P=0.018), and practice active travelled back from school (P=0.016). Otherwise, participants with no prevalence of LBP sat correctly at the desk (P<0.001). Higher knowledge of postural education was associated with lower intensity of LBP (β=-0.07, CI=-0.12 – -0.02, P=0.004). Conclusion: The knowledge related to postural education it is associated with less LBP. School interventions improving knowledge about postural education, ergonomics and postural hygiene are needed to address this important matter

GDF15 and ACE2 stratify COVID-19 patients according to severity while ACE2 mutations increase infection susceptibility

Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is a persistent global pandemic with a very heterogeneous disease presentation ranging from a mild disease to dismal prognosis. Early detection of sensitivity and severity of COVID-19 is essential for the development of new treatments. In the present study, we measured the levels of circulating growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in plasma of severity-stratified COVID-19 patients and uninfected control patients and characterized the in vitro effects and cohort frequency of ACE2 SNPs. Our results show that while circulating GDF15 and ACE2 stratify COVID-19 patients according to disease severity, ACE2 missense SNPs constitute a risk factor linked to infection susceptibility

Pedagogical couples in the practicum of a Bachelor Degree in primary education: educational innovation in the University of Balearic Islands

Background/Objective: The education system in Spanish universities evolves continuously, especially since 2010, when the Bologna Plan was incorporated. Some changes were needed in order to improve the quality of the practicum, which is a crucial subject on the academic program for the primary education bachelor. This investigation shows a pilot experience, and the aim of this study is to design a new approach of the practicum in the Primary Education Bacherlor’s Degree in the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB). Methods: 8 university teachers from the department of physical education (PE), 22 school PE teachers from 17 different schools and 44 students participated in this project. The practicum had a duration of 8 weeks, and the whole project a duration of 1 year. The innovation aspects are the pedagogical couple methodology, the participation of the students in the evaluation process and the type of homework students did. During the whole period there were internal and external evaluations to detect which measures worked and which did not.Results: The use of pedagogical couples, with a combined auto-evaluation, co-evaluation and hetero-evaluation, and the type of documents students had to produce as homework are the three pillars of the project, which has had good results in satisfaction and learning according to university teachers, school teachers and students. Conclusions: The results from this pilot project were positive, with a high level of satisfaction from the students, school teachers and university teachers. Students improved their knowledge working with the pedagogical couple system, and the homeworks students did were more motivating than in the past

Reliability and feasibility of an evaluation tool of teacher effectiveness and the quality of physical education sessions

The need to ensure quality physical education has motivated the development of a reliable method to evaluate physical education sessions, capable of detecting areas of improvement, thus facilitating the continuous growth of the teaching process. The main aim of the present study is to design a feasible and reliable evaluation instrument for physical education sessions, and to determine its reliability and feasibility with a group of practicing physical education teachers. Two evaluations of the same session (videotaped) were conducted to determine whether the instrument was reliable and feasible (n = 20), 9 women and 11 men, leaving 2 weeks between the first and the second evaluation. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were performed. The total score of the evaluation instrument shows an ICC of 0.953, (95%CI 0.881; 0.982), with a p-value ≤ .001. When comparing the responses of teachers from different educational levels (primary, secondary, and university), no significant differences were found between responses to any of the items or in the total score on either occasion. Total score in the test was (69.3 mean, [14.0 SD]), p-value = .881; and (66.2, [13.9]) p-value = .943 in the retest. In conclusion, the present evaluation instrument is feasible and reliable for the evaluation of physical education sessions

Reliability and feasibility of an evaluations tool of teacher effectiveness and the quality of physical education sessions

[eng] The need to ensure quality physical education has motivated the development of a reliable method to evaluate physical education sessions, capable of detecting areas of improvement, thus facilitating the continuous growth of the teaching process. The main aim of the present study is to design a feasible and reliable evaluation instrument for physical education sessions, and to determine its reliability and feasibility with a group of practicing physical education teachers. Two evaluations of the same session (videotaped) were conducted to determine whether the instrument was reliable and feasible (n = 20), 9 women and 11 men, leaving 2 weeks between the first and the second evaluation. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were performed. The total score of the evaluation instrument shows an ICC of 0.953, (95%CI 0.881; 0.982), with a p-value ≤ .001. When comparing the responses of teachers from different educational levels (primary, secondary, and university), no significant differences were found between responses to any of the items or in the total score on either occasion. Total score in the test was (69.3 mean, [14.0 SD]), p-value = .881; and (66.2, [13.9]) p-value = .943 in the retest. In conclusion, the present evaluation instrument is feasible and reliable for the evaluation of physical education sessions

Occupational and Leisure Physical Activity on Cardiovascular Risk and Body Composition Among Courier Workers

Objective There is some controversy about the beneficial effects of occupational physical activity (OPA) on cardiovascular risk (CVR). The main aim of this study was to explore the effect of the combination of different frequencies of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and two types of OPA on CVR and body composition, and whether the association between physical activity (PA) and CVR was mediated by visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Methods This cross-sectional study included data from 2516 couriers living in Spain, delivering either by motorbike or foot, and practicing LTPA never, occasionally, or regularly. Couriers were classified into six categories according to LTPA and OPA; body composition was assessed by Bioelectrical Impedance, and CVR by the Framingham equation. General linear models were performed to explore the association between different categories with each outcome (CVR and body composition) and the possible role of VAT as a mediator between PA and CVR. Results Compared with the most sedentary group (motorbike couriers that never practice PA), walking couriers who practice regular PA presented the lowest CVR [beta -1.58 (95% CI -2.31; -0.85)] and the lowest VAT [beta -2.86 (95% CI -3.74; -1.98) followed by the motorbike couriers who practiced regular PA [beta -0.51 (95% CI -1.00; -0.03) for CVR and beta -2.33 (95% CI -2.91; -1.75) for VAT]. The association between PA and CVR was partially mediated by VAT. Conclusion The present results indicated that both OPA and LTPA are protective factors for CVR and play an important role on VAT accumulation

El aprendizaje cooperativo como metodología de aprendizaje en la educación física universitaria (Cooperative learning as a university learning methodology in physical education)

[spa] El aprendizaje cooperativo es una metodología educativa basada en la interacción en grupos de trabajo reducidos, en los que el alumnado interioriza la corresponsabilidad en el aprendizaje de todo tipo de contenidos. En los últimos años esta metodología inclusiva se está instaurando en las aulas de educación infantil, primaria y secundaria de las Islas Baleares. Por ello, este trabajo nace de la implementación de una experiencia docente universitaria a través del aprendizaje cooperativo en la asignatura de segundo curso del grado de educación primaria titulada «Educación Física y su didáctica» situada en el departamento de Pedagogía y Didácticas específicas de la Universidad de las Islas Baleares. El objetivo de este trabajo es determinar el grado de aceptación del alumnado de la asignatura de Educación física y su didáctica basándose en la utilización del trabajo cooperativo. Destaca la utilización del diario de prácticas como herramienta para el desarrollo de la asignatura. Los resultados obtenidos son satisfactorios en cuanto a la valoración de la asignatura por parte del alumnado, a través del aprendizaje cooperativo, en variables como satisfacción, rendimiento, implicación del alumnado y evaluación del profesorado, pues su puntuación es superior a 8 sobre 10. Del mismo modo, la puntuación obtenida en los roles de aprendizaje cooperativo es de 8 sobre 10. Con la obtención de los resultados se confirma la positiva aceptación por parte del alumnado de la metodología del aprendizaje cooperativo como recurso en el grado de educación primaria y, consecuentemente, se propone la implementación de la misma metodología como contenido

Circulating Neurofilament Light Chain Levels Increase with Age and Are Associated with Worse Physical Function and Body Composition in Men but Not in Women

This study aimed to assess the relationship between age-related changes in Neurofilament Light Chain (NFL), a marker of neuronal function, and various factors including muscle function, body composition, and metabolomic markers. The study included 40 participants, aged 20 to 85 years. NFL levels were measured, and muscle function, body composition, and metabolomic markers were assessed. NFL levels increased significantly with age, particularly in men. Negative correlations were found between NFL levels and measures of muscle function, such as grip strength, walking speed, and chair test performance, indicating a decline in muscle performance with increasing NFL. These associations were more pronounced in men. NFL levels also negatively correlated with muscle quality in men, as measured by 50 kHz phase angle. In terms of body composition, NFL was positively correlated with markers of fat mass and negatively correlated with markers of muscle mass, predominantly in men. Metabolomic analysis revealed significant associations between NFL levels and specific metabolites, with gender-dependent relationships observed. This study provides insights into the relationship between circulating serum NFL, muscle function, and aging. Our findings hint at circulating NFL as a potential early marker of age-associated neurodegenerative processes, especially in men

Association of lifestyle factors and inflammation with sarcopenic obesity : data from the PREDIMED-Plus trial

Background: Sarcopenia is a progressive age-related skeletal muscle disorder associated with increased likelihood of adverse outcomes. Muscle wasting is often accompanied by an increase in body fat, leading to 'sarcopenic obesity'. The aim of the present study was to analyse the association of lifestyle variables such as diet, dietary components, physical activity (PA), body composition, and inflammatory markers, with the risk of sarcopenic obesity. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis based on baseline data from the PREDIMED-Plus study was performed. A total of 1535 participants (48% women) with overweight/obesity (body mass index: 32.5 ± 3.3 kg/m; age: 65.2 ± 4.9 years old) and metabolic syndrome were categorized according to sex-specific tertiles (T) of the sarcopenic index (SI) as assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanning. Anthropometrical measurements, biochemical markers, dietary intake, and PA information were collected. Linear regression analyses were carried out to evaluate the association between variables. Results: Subjects in the first SI tertile were older, less physically active, showed higher frequency of abdominal obesity and diabetes, and consumed higher saturated fat and less vitamin C than subjects from the other two tertiles (all P < 0.05). Multiple adjusted linear regression models evidenced significant positive associations across tertiles of SI with adherence to the Mediterranean dietary score (P-trend < 0.05), PA (P-trend < 0.0001), and the 30 s chair stand test (P-trend < 0.0001), whereas significant negative associations were found with an inadequate vitamin C consumption (P-trend < 0.05), visceral fat and leucocyte count (all P-trend < 0.0001), and some white cell subtypes (neutrophils and monocytes), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and platelet count (all P-trend < 0.05). When models were additionally adjusted by potential mediators (inflammatory markers, diabetes, and waist circumference), no relevant changes were observed, only dietary variables lost significance. Conclusions: Diet and PA are important regulatory mediators of systemic inflammation, which is directly involved in the sarcopenic process. A healthy dietary pattern combined with exercise is a promising strategy to limit age-related sarcopenia